Team Mitsubishi Ralliart will be making another bid to reclaim its title in the Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) 2024. The event, which starts on August 11 at Surat Thani in southern Thailand, will head north and end at Kachanaburi on August 17.
Originally, it was to have ended in Kuala Lumpur for the first time after a 20-year lapse. However, the situation in southern Thailand has seen growing violence and it was decided that the risk would be too great for participants to pass through the region.
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67 vehicles participating
A total of 67 vehicles will compete in this year’s AXCR – 46 in the auto category, 19 in the moto category, and 2 in the sidecar category. The total distance covered over 6 legs will be around 2,100 kms.
This year, with the latest generation of the Triton pick-up truck, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart has been expanded from 3 to 4 vehicles.
“In addition to upgrading the Triton’s driving performance and increasing the tread size, we have significantly improved the rear suspension by drawing on our expertise derived from the Pajero, a former winner of the Dakar Rally,” said Hiroshi Masuoka, team director of Team Mitsubishi Ralliart.
“Refinements have also been made in terms of the Triton’s original strengths, such as its road handling on extremely rough roads, so the rallycars will deliver the performance we expect from them. I am confident that the drivers and co-drivers will perform their respective roles effectively,” he said.
6 support vehicles
The team will have 6 support vehicles which have been specially prepared for their roles. These consist of 4 Delica D:5s, an Outlander PHEV and a Delica Mini.
The Delica D:5 is an multi-role minivan with a robust body around a rib-bone frame. It is equipped with an electronically-controlled 4WD system that provides optimal manoeuvrability and road handling in the variety of weather and road conditions that will be encountered.
In order to avoid damage going over rough terrain, the vehicle is equipped with an aluminium engine guard and is raised by approximately 20 mm using dedicated front and rear suspension.
The Outlander PHEV model is Mitsubishi Motors’ flagship which brings together its expertise in electrification and all-wheel control technologies. The electrified SUV Has the practicality and can perform in various weather and road conditions.
The Delica Mini is a super height-wagon in Japan’s kei class. It spaciousness reflects the Japanese skill in packaging while the ride has been tuned to be comfortable on gravel and other unpaved surfaces.
Each of the support cars is equipped with Work’s CRAG T-GRABICII alloy wheels (Work Emotion M8R for the Outlander PHEV model) and Yokohama Rubber’s GEOLANDER off-road tyres. The tyres, which were tested by the team, have been found to provide excellent performance in all conditions, including muddy conditions.
All 6 support cars have the same exterior appearance as the Triton trucks, with an energetic red base colour, digitized graphics of billowing dust, and gun metallic gray colouring to resemble solid bedrock.
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