World Rally Car
A World Rally Car is a racing automobile built to the specific regulations set by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and designed for competition in the World Rally Championship (WRC). The cars were introduced in 1997 as a repl ...
built by
Ralliart
Ralliart is the high-performance and motorsports division of Mitsubishi Motors. It was responsible for development and preparation of the company's rally racing and off-road racing vehicles, as well as the development of high-performance models ...
,
Mitsubishi Motors
is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.motorsport division, to compete in the
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and t ...
. The previous
Lancer Evolution
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, popularly referred to as the 'Evo', is a sports sedan and rally car based on the Lancer that was manufactured by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors from 1992 until 2016. There have been ten official versi ...
series were homologated for the
Group A
Group A is a set of motorsport regulations administered by the FIA covering production derived vehicles intended for competition, usually in touring car racing and rallying. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, Group A vehicles ...
class, and their competitiveness against World Rally Cars from other manufacturers was therefore limited.
WRC
The Lancer Evolution WRC is powered by the same 1996 cc ''
4G63
The Mitsubishi Sirius or 4G6/4D6 engine is the name of one of Mitsubishi Motors' four series of inline-four automobile engines, along with Astron, Orion, and Saturn.
The 4G6 gasoline engines were the favoured performance variant for Mitsubishi. ...
'' engine that has been used in its sports and rally cars since the 1980s, in this iteration producing at 5500
rpm
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
and at 3500 rpm. The car debuted at the 2001 Rallye Sanremo, after a relatively short development (Ralliart could not introduce the Lancer WRC later because of a contract they made with the FIA in 1999, which allowed them to run the old specification Lancers). The model was based on the then-new eighth-generation Cedia model, of which the road-going Evolution VII is based on. The
WRC
WRC may refer to:
Broadcasting stations
* WRC-TV, a television station (virtual channel 4, digital channel 34) licensed to Washington, D.C., United States
* Several radio stations in the Washington, D.C. area:
** WTEM, a radio station (980 AM) l ...
rules allowed more freedom in most areas of the car, therefore the engineers were able to make changes to the car they couldn't do to the older
Group A
Group A is a set of motorsport regulations administered by the FIA covering production derived vehicles intended for competition, usually in touring car racing and rallying. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, Group A vehicles ...
Lancers. These changes included modifications to the engine and its surroundings (lighter internal parts, more rearward tilt to optimize the front weight distribution, new turbo and new exhaust system), but the most significant change was made to the suspensions: now both the front and rear suspensions were MacPhersons, and also bigger wheel arches were implemented, allowing more suspension travel. However, the drivetrain remained the same as before, and when
Tommi Mäkinen
Tommi Antero Mäkinen (; born 26 June 1964) is a Finnish racing executive and former driver.
Mäkinen is one of the most successful WRC drivers of all time, ranking fifth in rally wins (24) and third in championships (4), tied with Juha Kankkune ...
left the team at the end of 2001, the new drivers couldn't get on with this special transmission, which required an aggressive
left-foot braking
Left-foot braking is the technique of using the left foot to operate the brake pedal in an automobile, leaving the right foot dedicated to the throttle pedal. It contrasts with the practice of using the left foot to operate the clutch pedal, leavi ...
approach. The original Evo WRC (sometimes referred to as Step1) was replaced with Step2 from 2002 Finland onwards.
WRC2/Step2
The Lancer Evolution WRC2 (also called the Step2) is also powered by the ''
4G63
The Mitsubishi Sirius or 4G6/4D6 engine is the name of one of Mitsubishi Motors' four series of inline-four automobile engines, along with Astron, Orion, and Saturn.
The 4G6 gasoline engines were the favoured performance variant for Mitsubishi. ...
'', also producing at 5500 rpm and at 3500 rpm. It is mated to a 6-speed sequential transmission via a triple-plate
carbon
Carbon () is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent—its atom making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. It belongs to group 14 of the periodic table. Carbon mak ...
clutch and distributes power to all four wheels via front-, centre- and rear-
active differential
A differential is a gear train with three drive shafts that has the property that the rotational speed of one shaft is the average of the speeds of the others, or a fixed multiple of that average.
Functional description
The following descr ...
s. The car's
suspension
Suspension or suspended may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Suspension (topology), in mathematics
* Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics
* Suspension of a ring, in mathematics
* Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspende ...
is
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
, with
MacPherson strut
The MacPherson strut is a type of automotive suspension system that uses the top of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in the front suspension of modern vehicles, and is named for American automotive engineer Ear ...
s and
coil spring
A selection of conical coil springs
The most common type of spring is the coil spring, which is made out of a long piece of metal that is wound around itself.
Coil springs were in use in Roman times, evidence of this can be found in bronze Fib ...
s at each corner. The brakes are vented discs clamped by 6-piston calipers at the front and 4-piston calipers at the rear. The car debuted at the 2002 Rally Finland. Changes to the Evo WRC included better weight distribution and a lower centre of gravity, different front air dam to increase airflow to the radiators, a new intercooler, new exhaust manifold and a single-scroll
turbocharger
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
flywheel
A flywheel is a mechanical device which uses the conservation of angular momentum to store rotational energy; a form of kinetic energy proportional to the product of its moment of inertia and the square of its rotational speed. In particular, as ...
and other rotating parts). The suspension was also updated to offer more
travel
Travel is the movement of people between distant geographical locations. Travel can be done by foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, bus, airplane, ship or other means, with or without luggage, and can be one way or round trip. Travel c ...
and rigidity, and slight changes were also made to the transmission (to suit more the very different driving style of McRae and Delecour). Mitsubishi pulled out of the WRC at the end of 2002, but in 2003 they used this car for developmental purposes on some WRC events, with McRae clinching a 6th place at the 2003
Rally New Zealand
The Rally New Zealand is an annual rally race in New Zealand. It was first included as a round of the World Rally Championship in 1977. The race is famous for its fast flowing gravel roads which carry the competitors through forests and alongside ...
.
WRC04
In 2004, Mitsubishi returned to the WRC with the Lancer WRC04, featuring over 6000 changes compared to the Step2 used in 2002 and 2003. The car continued with the ''
4G63
The Mitsubishi Sirius or 4G6/4D6 engine is the name of one of Mitsubishi Motors' four series of inline-four automobile engines, along with Astron, Orion, and Saturn.
The 4G6 gasoline engines were the favoured performance variant for Mitsubishi. ...
'' engine, mounted to a 5-speed
semi-automatic transmission
A semi-automatic transmission is a "theoretical" multiple-speed transmission where part of its operation is automated (typically the actuation of the clutch), but the driver's input would be required to launch the vehicle from a standstill and t ...
(at the start of the season, Mitsubishi used a completely passive transmission before switching to active differentials) and a new all-wheel-drive system co-developed by Ricardo Consulting Engineers and Mitsubishi Motors Motorsports (MMSP). The bodywork was subjected to extensive aerodynamic testing at the Lola Cars
wind tunnel
Wind tunnels are large tubes with air blowing through them which are used to replicate the interaction between air and an object flying through the air or moving along the ground. Researchers use wind tunnels to learn more about how an aircraft ...
(this resulted in the completely new front air dam, the new wheel arches, and the interesting, shopping trolley handle-like rear spoiler). The front brakes were upgraded to 8-piston calipers clamping discs. The car suffered from frustrating mechanical and electrical glitches (in New Zealand, both cars retired on the start line of the first stage due to electrical issues). Mitsubishi did not complete a full 2004 season, since they continued to develop and test the car outside the WRC, but with little result in 2004; however, the car had some good moments and seemed to be promising after more development.
The lead Lancer WRC04 in the 2004
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and t ...
was driven by ex-
Peugeot
Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis.
The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and the ...
driver
Gilles Panizzi
Gilles Panizzi (born 19 September 1965) is a former French rally driver.
Panizzi was born in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Alpes-Maritimes. Like many of his fellow rally racing countrymen, Panizzi spent a great deal of his developmental driving years ...
, with his brother Hervé as co-driver. The other pairings were
Gianluigi Galli
Gianluigi Galli (born 13 January 1973), better known as Gigi Galli, is an Italian rally driver, best known for his spectacular driving style. He comes from, and lives in Livigno, Italy.
Career
Galli debuted in the World Rally Championship at the ...
with Guido D'Amore, Daniel Solá with Xavier Amigo, and Kristian Sohlberg with Kaj Lindstrom.
WRC05
The Lancer WRC05 saw no significant changes, but the car's width was increased by due to a change in the
WRC
WRC may refer to:
Broadcasting stations
* WRC-TV, a television station (virtual channel 4, digital channel 34) licensed to Washington, D.C., United States
* Several radio stations in the Washington, D.C. area:
** WTEM, a radio station (980 AM) l ...
regulations. The engine remained the same, but the ECU and the turbo wastegate were updated.
Aerodynamic
Aerodynamics, from grc, ἀήρ ''aero'' (air) + grc, δυναμική (dynamics), is the study of the motion of air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dyn ...
alterations to the bodywork were introduced to improve stability and to accommodate the new, wider track, while
suspension
Suspension or suspended may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Suspension (topology), in mathematics
* Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics
* Suspension of a ring, in mathematics
* Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspende ...
links and
driveshaft
A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power and torque and rotation, usually used to connec ...
s were lengthened. Steering-mounted gearshift paddles were also introduced, and longer
ratios
In mathematics, a ratio shows how many times one number contains another. For example, if there are eight oranges and six lemons in a bowl of fruit, then the ratio of oranges to lemons is eight to six (that is, 8:6, which is equivalent to the ...
were adopted for first, third, and fourth gears. The car showed great promise since Panizzi took 3rd place in Monte Carlo, and ex-Peugeot man Rovanpera was fast on gravel events, eventually clinching a 2nd place at the last round in Australia, but soon after that Mitsubishi pulled out of the WRC, and only returned through Ralliart UK, who took over the cars and supported private and semi-works entries in 2006 and 2007. At 2006
Rally Sweden
The Rally Sweden ( sv, Svenska rallyt), formerly the International Swedish Rally, and later the Uddeholm Swedish Rally, is an automobile rally competition held in February in Värmland, Sweden and relocated to Umeå in 2022. First held in 1950, ...
, local driver Daniel Carlsson made the podium with a 3rd place in the Värmland forests, in such an entry. Daniel battled for seconds, just into the finish line, with teammate Gigi Galli, who settled for the fourth spot.
To maintain some competitiveness for customer uses of the car, MML Sports (formerly Ralliart UK) made some development to the car, including an updated suspension, transmission and other, minor changes. This resulted in the car (sometimes called the WRC07) being faster than the WRC05 by a massive 0.5sec/km.