RACING LANCER UNDERGOES CONTINUOUS TESTING
In parallel to its competition activities, Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart is furthering the development of the new ‘Racing Lancer’ with the clear objective of winning the Dakar in 2009. The Racing Lancer will be powered by a new turbocharged diesel engine, which has already been put through its paces in a specific version of the Pajero Evolution on a number of races. The team had entered three petrol versions of the Pajero Evolution for Portugal's PAX Rally, for instance. The outing enabled the team to carry out work on the suspension and tires, which will be carried over to the Racing Lancer.
Competing at rally speeds against the sport's leading teams has enabled the team to gather a vast amount of valuable data which could not have been obtained through testing alone. Hiroshi Masuoka has competed twice with the turbocharged Pajero Evolution and is typically enthusiastic about the newcomer's potential: "The diesel version is overwhelmingly easy to drive thanks to its tremendous torque which is available over an even broader rev-band," says Masuoka. "It outperforms the petrol-powered car in terms of controllability over challenging terrain, as well as when accelerating out of corners and along high-speed straights. With the right set-up it would be comfortably faster."
This experimental car covered more than 8,000km in testing and competition, and the engineers in charge of the program have profited from this opportunity to develop a new suspension geometry designed to cope with the different weight distribution and torque characteristics associated with the new turbocharged diesel engine. They have also worked on a new engine compartment layout, which is aimed at ensuring better cooling for the engine and auxiliary components. Technical improvements to the turbocharger have produced improved response at low revs, as well as more power at high engine speeds, while reliability has also been enhanced.
The Racing Lancer took part in two one-week test sessions in Spain and Morocco towards the end of June, following its unveiling earlier in the month. With the basic performance package now confirmed and initial teething problems cured, the team is taking advantage of the considerable experience obtained with the Pajero Evolution to accelerate the new vehicle's development.
The Racing Lancer itself will undergo further testing in Morocco between the end of August and the beginning of September, as well as over the latter part of October. Each test will last approximately two weeks and the car will cover some 4,000km each time. Following its extensive development program, the Racing Lancer will make its official debut on the Baja Portalegre in Portugal (Thursday October 30 - Sunday November 2). The car will be in the hands of Stéphane Peterhansel, the Dakar's most successful competitor.
