Team Mitsubishi Ralliart will seek to defend its AXCR crown as they race from Thailand to Laos. With that, Mitsubishi and Ralliart has pulled out all the stops. The all-new Triton has been fully redesigned and evolved in all aspects, so it’s just appropriate that the rally car do the same.

The Triton/Strada Ralliart rally car will offer greater performance than last year’s winning truck with added durability and reliability. It also boasts of a sporty, stable handling and a powerful, responsive drive performance. Above all, it will able to deal with tough road conditions expected on the AXCR course.

This year, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart will field in three cars driven by Chayapon Yotha (Thailand), champion driver of last year’s AXCR; Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia), who placed 5th overall last year; and Katsuhiko Taguchi (Japan), who won the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 1999 and 2010.

Team director Hiroshi Masuoka and Mitsubishi Motors engineers will work with the rally crew, accompanying the team throughout the rally in the Delica D:5, an all-around minivan with the road handling of an SUV and the comfort of an MPV. They will do everything from analyzing competition conditions through racing segments and formulating strategies to providing technical support at service park.

The all-new Triton rally car is based on the double cab model, modified in accordance with the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Group T1 restrictions for modified cross-country vehicles. The AXCR rally cars will have a red and black motif that represents the energy of gushing lava.

The Triton rally car is modified with a roll cage and bumper guard, and carbon fiber parts including the hood, front and rear doors, and cargo bed. With major weight reductions in the vehicle’s interior components, the new Triton rally car’s body weight is equivalent to previous rally car despite having a larger body size than before.

In addition to extending the tread of the base car, the rally cars have specific front and rear suspension and Limited Slip Differential. Using lightweight aluminum wheels and narrow off-road tires compared to the last year’s rally car is also said to improve road handling on tough road surfaces such as mud. The chassis also features twin dampers at both ends, along with bump stops, to absorb severe shocks from road surfaces.

The newly-developed 2.4-liter 4N16 turbo diesel engine has been tuned to reduce friction loss and weight and a new turbo charger has been used to raise overall output. AXCR’s special stages include river crossings, so each component’s sealing has been improved and the rally car has been outfitted with a snorkel to handle driving in water.

Check out the specs of the all-new 2024 Mitsubishi Triton Ralliart Rally Car

• Overall length x overall width: 5,320 mm x 1,865 mm
• Wheelbase: 3,130 mm
• Tread (front/rear): 1,570 mm / 1,565 mm
• Engine: 4N16 type 4-cylinder MIVEC turbo diesel
• Fuel injector: High-pressure common-rail injection
• Displacement: 2,442 cc
• Turbocharger: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engine & Turbocharger
• Output (maximum): 204 horsepower
• Torque (maximum): 470 Nm
• Transmission: 6-speed manual
• 4WD system: Super Select 4WD-II
• Differential: CUSCO front and rear LSD
• Front suspension: Independent double-wishbone with coil springs
• Rear suspension: Rigid leaf springs
• Shock absorbers: CUSCO adjustable front and rear twin dampers
• Bump stopper: Hydraulic
• Steering: Rack and pinion with power assist
• Brakes: ENDLESS front and rear ventilated discs with 4-piston calipers and pads; FORTEC brake fluid
• Wheels: WORK aluminum alloy wheels (17-inch x 7J)
• Tires: Yokohama GEOLANDAR M/T G003 (235/80R17)
• Others: Carbon fiber hood; Carbon fiber front and rear door panels; Carbon fiber cargo bed

As a bonus, Mitsubishi is also fielding in Delicas at the AXCR to serve as support cars. A total of four Delica D:5 MPVs will support Team Mitsubishi Ralliart throughout the AXCR.

The Delica D:5 support cars leverage all the features already offered by the Delica D:5, such as the strong body produced by its rib bone frame and electronically-controlled 4WD system. It has been customized to be able to drive through the entire rally, from flat dirt to mud, by equipping aluminum wheels from WORK and off-road Yokohama tires.

The vehicle that will be transporting team director Masuoka as he observes the rally cars from the side of the rally course and formulates strategies will have front and rear suspension from JAOS for even better road handling on rough terrain. Like the all-new Triton, the Delica D:5 support cars will also bear the same red and black color scheme.