The wraps came off the latest addition to the flourishing R5 class when the new Mitsubishi R5 was launched at the Rallyday show at Castle Combe race circuit in England last weekend (20 September).

Based on the new Mirage road car, which is called Space Star in some countries, the rally car has been designed and developed by Tomas Weng of Mpart AB (Ralliart Sweden) and could be seen in WRC 2 next season.

Fitted with a 1620cc version of the engine that appeared in the Evo X, it features a five-speed Sadev transmission and four-wheel-drive. It has MacPherson suspension all-round, mated to specially designed sub-frames and Öhlins dampers.

“A great deal of thought has gone into the design and development of this car,” said Weng. "We have kept it as simple and efficient as possible and have used as many Mitsubishi parts as we can. We are confident this will make the car straightforward to maintain and has enabled us to offer it at a competitive price.



“So far customer enquiries have exceeded our expectations and confirmed sales have already reached double figures,” he added.



An extensive test programme is due to start in October and the car is scheduled to enter its first event early next year.

Ford Fiesta, Citroen DS3 and Peugeot 208 T16 R5 cars currently compete in WRC 2 and Skoda is testing its Fabia R5 in readiness for next season.

Photographs courtesy of Rich Sams

Technical Specification Engine 4 cylinder, 16 valve transverse 1620cc Garrett turbo with 32mm restrictor Gems ECU Power / Torque 280hp@7500rpm 450Nm@7500rpm Transmission Sadev 5-speed sequential Mechanical differential front and rear with AP coupling Suspension MacPherson strut all round Ohlins dampers Docal sub-frames Brakes AP 4-pot front and rear, ventilated discs Asphalt 355mm Gravel / snow 300mm Wheels Asphalt: 18 x 8in Gravel: 15 x 7in Snow: 16 x 5in Dimensions Length: 3740mm Width: 1820mm Height: 1490mm Wheelbase: 2470mm Weight: 1230kg

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