Mitsubishi Ralliart takes the crown in this year’s Asia Cross Country Rally
After a two-year drought from the podium for the Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR), Mitsubishi Team Ralliart has finally returned, but even better this time around: a first-place finish.
This is the second time that the team has won it since 2022 with the previous-generation Triton (otherwise known as Strada in our market), but this continuous improvement has been a result of team director (and rally legend) Hiroshi Masuoka’s continuous hard work with the team.
Leading the charge in the Triton pickup truck for the entire race is car #112, driven by Chayapon Yotha and Peerapong Sumbutwong, followed by the #101 Toyota Hilux of Toyota Gazoo Racing Thailand, and the third place comes the #142 Ford Ranger Raptor of Feeliq Innovation Motorsport.
The other two Tritons finished in fifth place (#105), driven by Katsuhiko Taguchi and Takahiro Yasui, and 22nd place (#118), driven by Kazuto Koide and Eiji Chiba.
The Asia Cross Country Rally is no easy dirt-and-tarmac rally stage, unlike those that you see in the World Rally Championship; it’s more technical and features hazardous, steep, and challenging terrain such as river crossings, rocky hills, and even crazy inclines.
It took place in Thailand from August 8 to 16, covering approximately 2,500km. This is more than just a test of outright speed, also pushing the vehicle and driver’s durability to the limits.
The Triton that was entered in the rally is uses the same 2.4-liter 4N16 turbodiesel as the production car, except with a few modifications such as a single variable geometry turbocharger (ditching the stock twin-turbo setup), a six-speed sequential transmission with full-time 4WD (one car utilizes a six-speed auto and Super Select 4WD-II), and a bespoke HKS competition exhaust for a power output of 217 horsepower and 500Nm “or more”, since there are more modifications that the team chooses not to reveal entirely.
Handling-wise, it has a Cusco front and rear limited-slip differential, rally-spec double-wishbone front suspension, and a four-link rigid coil spring setup for the rear, with adjustable front-and-rear twin dampers front and rear, and Endless ventilated disk brakes. Finally, Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 tires (245/75 R17) and Work aluminum wheels, and carbon fiber body panels make up the rest of the car.
Photos from Mitsubishi Motors and Asia Cross Country Rally
