Mitsubishi Motors has revealed that Team Mitsubishi Ralliart – which it provides technical support to – will compete in the Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) across Thailand and Laos in August with new Triton rally cars.
Following a complete redesign to ensure compliance with ACR vehicle restrictions, the Triton rally pickup truck is stated to be more durable and reliable than the vehicle fielded in last year’s competition. Based on a Thai-spec double cab model, the vehicle has been modified to comply with the FIA’s Group T1 restrictions for modified cross-country vehicles.
Each rally car features a motorsport-specification roll cage, a bumper guard and carbon-fiber body panels, as well as rally-spec front and rear suspension and an LSD for enhanced handling and performance. Lightweight aluminum wheels and off-road tires ensure the vehicle performs on rigorous off-road terrain. A new 2.4-liter diesel turbo powertrain sits under the hood, complete with a new turbocharger to increase power output across the entire rev range. An intake snorkel is also fitted to enable the Triton to handle driving in deep water.
Three cars will take on the AXCR 2023, with drivers Chayapon Yotha (Thailand), Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia) and Katsuhiko Taguchi (Japan).
“We are very excited to be able to take on the competition with the all-new Triton, which has been fully redesigned and evolved significantly in all aspects,” said Hiroshi Masuoka, team director, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart.
“Triton rally cars have undergone over 2,000km of endurance testing in Japan and Thailand with no major problems, and we have confirmed that they provide even better performance than last year’s model in every stage, from flat dirt high-speed stages to muddy low-speed stages.”
