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 A Mitsubishi Lancer WRC 05 driven by Gilles Panizzi | |||||||||
| Category | World Rally Car | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Mitsubishi Motors Ralliart | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution | ||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||
| Length | 4,360 mm (171.7 in) | ||||||||
| Width | 1,770 mm (69.7 in) (2001–04) 1,800 mm (70.9 in) (2005) | ||||||||
| Wheelbase | 2,600 mm (102.4 in) | ||||||||
| Engine | 4G63T 2.0 LDOHC 16vI4,turbo | ||||||||
| Transmission | 5-speedsequential manual transmission; front, centre & rearLSDs; four-wheel-drive | ||||||||
| Weight | 1,230 kg (2,711.7 lb) | ||||||||
| Tyres | Michelin Pirelli | ||||||||
| Competition history (WRC) | |||||||||
| Notable entrants |  Mitsubishi | ||||||||
| Debut |  2001 Rallye Sanremo | ||||||||
| Last event |  2005 Rally Australia | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
 | It has been suggested that this article bemerged intoMitsubishi Lancer Evolution#Motorsports. (Discuss) Proposed since November 2025. |
TheMitsubishi Lancer WRC is aWorld Rally Car built byRalliart,Mitsubishi Motors'motorsport division, to compete in theWorld Rally Championship. The previousLancer Evolution series were homologated for theGroup A class, and their competitiveness against World Rally Cars from other manufacturers was therefore limited.
TheLancer Evolution WRC is powered by the same 1996 cc4G63 engine that has been used in its sports and rally cars since the 1980s, in this iteration producing 300 PS (221 kW; 296 hp) at 5500 rpm and 540 N⋅m (398 lb⋅ft) at 3500 rpm. The car debuted at the2001 Rallye Sanremo, after a relatively short development (Ralliart could not introduce the Lancer WRC later because of a contract they made with the FIA in 1999, which allowed them to run the old specification Lancers). The model was based on the then-new eighth-generationCedia model, of which the road-going Evolution VII is based on. TheWRC rules allowed more freedom in most areas of the car, therefore the engineers were able to make changes to the car they couldn't do to the olderGroup A Lancers. These changes included modifications to the engine and its surroundings (lighter internal parts, more rearward tilt to optimize the front weight distribution, new turbo and new exhaust system), but the most significant change was made to the suspensions: now both the front and rear suspensions wereMacPhersons, and also bigger wheel arches were implemented, allowing more suspension travel. However, the drivetrain remained the same as before, and whenTommi Mäkinen left the team at the end of 2001, the new drivers couldn't get on with this special transmission, which required an aggressiveleft-foot braking approach. The original Evo WRC (sometimes referred to as Step1) was replaced with Step2 from 2002 Finland onwards.
TheLancer Evolution WRC2 (also called the Step2[1]) is also powered by the4G63, also producing 300 PS (221 kW) at 5500 rpm and 540 N⋅m (398 lb⋅ft) at 3500 rpm. It is mated to a 6-speedsequential transmission via a triple-platecarbonclutch and distributes power to all four wheels via front-, centre- and rear-active differentials. The car'ssuspension isindependent, withMacPherson struts andcoil springs at each corner. Thebrakes arevented discs clamped by 6-piston calipers at the front and 4-piston calipers at the rear. The car debuted at the 2002 Rally Finland. Changes to the Evo WRC included better weight distribution and a lower centre of gravity, different front air dam to increase airflow to the radiators, a new intercooler, new exhaust manifold and a single-scrollturbocharger, and new engine parts (lightenedcrankshaft,flywheel and other rotating parts). The suspension was also updated to offer moretravel and rigidity, and slight changes were also made to the transmission (to suit more the very different driving style ofMcRae and Delecour). Mitsubishi pulled out of the WRC at the end of 2002, but in 2003 they used this car for developmental purposes on some WRC events, with McRae clinching a 6th place at the 2003Rally New Zealand.
In 2004, Mitsubishi returned to the WRC with theLancer WRC04, featuring over 6000 changes compared to the Step2 used in 2002 and 2003. The car continued with the4G63 engine, mounted to a 5-speedsemi-automatic transmission (at the start of the season, Mitsubishi used a completely passive transmission before switching to active differentials) and a new all-wheel-drive system co-developed byRicardo Consulting Engineers and Mitsubishi Motors Motorsports (MMSP). The bodywork was subjected to extensive aerodynamic testing at the Lola Carswind tunnel (this resulted in the completely new front air dam, the new wheel arches, and the interesting, shopping trolley handle-like rear spoiler). The front brakes were upgraded to 8-piston calipers clamping 370 mm (15 in) discs. The car suffered from frustrating mechanical and electrical glitches (in New Zealand, both cars retired on the start line of the first stage due to electrical issues). Mitsubishi did not complete a full 2004 season, since they continued to develop and test the car outside the WRC, but with little result in 2004; however, the car had some good moments and seemed to be promising after more development.
The lead Lancer WRC04 in the 2004World Rally Championship was driven by ex-Peugeot driverGilles Panizzi, with his brother Hervé as co-driver. The other pairings wereGianluigi Galli with Guido D'Amore, Daniel Solá with Xavier Amigo, andKristian Sohlberg with Kaj Lindstrom.
TheLancer WRC05 saw no significant changes, but the car's width was increased by 30 mm (1.2 in) due to a change in theWRC regulations. The engine remained the same, but the ECU and the turbo wastegate were updated.Aerodynamic alterations to thebodywork were introduced to improve stability and to accommodate the new, wider track, whilesuspension links anddriveshafts were lengthened. Steering-mounted gearshift paddles were also introduced, and longerratios were adopted for first, third, and fourth gears. The car showed great promise since Panizzi took 3rd place in Monte Carlo, and ex-Peugeot manRovanpera was fast on gravel events, eventually clinching a 2nd place at the last round in Australia, but soon after that Mitsubishi pulled out of the WRC, and only returned through Ralliart UK, who took over the cars and supported private and semi-works entries in 2006 and 2007. At 2006Rally Sweden, local driver Daniel Carlsson made the podium with a 3rd place in the Värmland forests, in such an entry. Daniel battled for seconds, just into the finish line, with teammate Gigi Galli, who settled for the fourth spot.
To maintain some competitiveness for customer uses of the car, MML Sports (formerly Ralliart UK) made some development to the car, including an updated suspension, transmission and other, minor changes. This resulted in the car (sometimes called the WRC07) being faster than the WRC05 by a massive 0.5sec/km.
