Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has announced a new era of Motor Sports design and engineering with its next-generation racer, the all-new crossover “Racing Lancer”.

With this car, MMC has added a new dimension to its racing activities, blending 35 years of Lancer prowess with 25 years of Pajero epics.

The end result is a cross over between on-road and off-road rallying as well as applying to passenger cars and SUVs. The Racing Lancer will reach a wider marketing audience than any of its predecessors while re-launching Lancer’s racing career.

Sportback Silhouette
Sporting a silhouette inspired by the recently previewed Lancer Sportback 5-door hatch, Racing Lancer will support Mitsubishi’s offensive in the passenger car sector, much like the Pajero Evolution in parallel to the production Shogun in 2006.

Clean Diesel Power
Our sporting heritage and green designs will come together at the forthcoming Paris Motor Show1, where Mitsubishi will launch its framework for its mid-term passenger car strategy for Europe, under the banner of “One segment, One Green Solution”.

The Racing Lancer will become MMC’s key ambassador for diesel technologies. Mitsubishi’s long recognized expertise in engine development as a pioneer in clean emissions, balancing shafts, turbo-charging, and direct injection since the 1970s has again been mobilized to create a diesel engineering centre of excellence within the Company covering a wide range of diesel powertrains.

From the all-new 4N13 Euro V 4-cylinder engine to be launched in 2009 to Racing Lancer’s 3.0 litre turbo-charged V6 diesel race engine, all will share the same fundamental know-how and the same essential low fuel consumption and low emissions ‘green benefits’ of Mitsubishi’s diesel technology.

Target – Dakar 2009
Racing Lancer is a Super Production Cross-Country Rally car, which has been developed in compliance with the FIA’s Group T1 regulations (modified cross-country rally cars). It also complies with the new rules due to come into force in 2010.

Supported by the highly successful trial period of the new engine, already raced several times with Pajero Evolution over the last months, Mitsubishi Motors is confident that the Racing Lancer will be a major player at the 2009 Dakar rally.

The Dakar race itself will break new ground next year with a switch from Africa to South America, just as Racing Lancer will itself mark a new start for Mitsubishi Motorsports.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 at 8:12 am and is filed under Mitsubishi. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.