West Wales motorsport preparation specialist Spencer Sport is pleased to announce the beginning of a major Rallycross campaign that includes the introduction of a brand new Supercar: the Mitsubishi Mirage RX.
Together with Mpart AB – constructor of the R5 specification rally version of the car – and British driver James Grint, the company launches this exciting new initiative that will operate alongside its existing rallying programme.
Spencer Sport will run the car for Grint in this year’s MSA British Rallycross Championship, with the view of competing in European rounds in 2018 before moving on to contest World Championship events in the longer term.
“With Rallycross becoming ever-more popular with drivers, teams and spectators, we feel that now is the right time to get involved with the sport,” said Spencer Sport team manager Charlie Jukes. “We already work closely with Mpart on the rally programme, so when James approached us about Rallycross, all of the pieces fell into place to allow this new project to move forward.”
The Mitsubishi RX differs from the R5 specification rally version of the Mirage. It has a two-litre, longitudinally mounted, 16v turbocharged engine, coupled to a Unic five-speed sequential gearbox and four-wheel-drive transmission system.
The chassis features McPherson strut suspension utilsiing Öhlins dampers, with a rallycross-specific Alcon clutch and brake package. The cooling system is situated in the rear of the car and the shell has been modified to feature three doors rather than the rally car’s five.
“I’m really excited to be part of this new project with Spencer Sport,” said Grint. “The car looks amazing and I’m confident it will have the performance to match. It’s been a long winter break, so I’m really looking forward to driving the Mitsubishi and getting that Supercar adrenaline rush again!”
The new Mitsubishi arrived in the UK last week and testing has already commenced. If the development programme goes according to plan, the Mirage RX is expected to make its first competitive appearance at the second round of the British Championship at Lydden Hill on April 17th.
