Motorsport is the testing ground for vehicle development, providing a torture test of the vehicles, technology and durability. Which is precisely why internationally, Mitsubishi has such a history of commitment to it, for over 40 years.

That investment has not only brought Mitsubishi continuing success internationally – it has also won us a reputation as a motor technology leader.

In New Zealand, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart carries the Mitsubishi motorsport banner.

With 40 years of successes, Mitsubishi has a extraordinary wealth of motorsport experience to draw on in developing cars that deliver the ultimate driving experience.

1962	Class honours, Macau Grand Prix. Colt 600
1966	Colt FS-A wins Japan Grand Prix Formula Car race
1967	Colt 1000F wins class in Southern Cross Rally. Colt F2-A wins Japan Grand Prix Formula Car Race
1968	Colt F2-B wins both the Formula Car race and the Speed Cup race at 5th Japan Grand Prix. Colt 1000F Sports wins 3rd Southern Cross Rally
1969	Colt F2-C wins the JAF Grand Prix Formula Car Race. Colt 11FSS takes Class Honours in 4th Southern Cross Rally
1970	Colt F2D takes class honours in JAF Grand Prix, Colt 11FSS takes class honours in the Australian Pole Trial 10,000 Mile rally. Galant GS wins Japan Alpine Rally
1971	Colt F2000 wins JAF Grand Prix. Galant GS wins Japan Alpine Rally and takes class honours the 6th Southern Cross Rally
1972	Galant 16GLS wins 7th Southern Cross Rally
1973	Galant 16L takes class honours in the 21st East Africa Safari Rally. Lancer 1600GSR wins 8th Southern Cross Rally
1974	Lancer 1600GSR wins both the 22nd East Africa Safari Rally and the 9th Southern Cross Rally
1975	Lancer 1600GSR wins both the 23rd Safari Rally and the 10th Southern Cross Rally
1976	Lancer 1600GSE wins both the 24th Safari Rally and the 11th Southern Cross Rally
1977	Lancer 1600GSR takes Class Honours in both the 27th 1000 Lakes Rally and 12th Southern Cross Rally and wins the 9th Bandama Rally
1979	Lancer 1600GSR wins 13th International Safari de Zaire. Colt 1600GT wins the Canada Quebec Rally
1983	Pajero wins Unmodified 4WD Production Class, Marathon Class and Best Team Award in 5th Paris-Dakar Rally
1984	Pajero wins Modified 4WD Production Class, Unmodified 4WD Production Class and Marathon Class in 6th Paris-Dakar Rally. Starion 4WD takes class honours in Mille Pistes Rally
1985	Pajero wins overall 1st and 2nd, Unmodified 4WD Production Class and Marathon Class in 7th Paris-Dakar. Pajero also wins Australia’s first Wynn’s Safari Rally
1986	Pajero takes 3rd overall and class honours in Unmodified 4WD Production Class and Marathon Class in 8th Paris-Dakar. Pajero wins second Wynn’s Safari in Australia. Pajero, Starion, Lancer, Cordia and Colt finish the season with a total of 107 victories worldwide
1987	Pajero takes 3rd overall and class honours in Modified 4WD Production Class and Best Team Award in 9th Paris-Dakar
1988	Pajero takes 2nd overall and the top four places in the Modified 4WD production Class in the 10th Paris-Dakar. Pajero wins the Wynn’s Safari Rally in Australia for the fourth year in a row. Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 wins 9th Himalayan Rally and overall 1st in Asia Pacific Rally Championship series
1989	Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 wins 1000 Lakes Rally and RACV Rally outright,. Pajero takes 3rd overall and class honours in the Modified 4WD Production Class in 10th Paris-Dakar. Pajero wins Australian Safari Rally for fifth year running
1990	Pajero takes 4th overall and class honours in the Modified 4WD Production Class in 11th Paris-Dakar. Pajero wins Australian Safari Rally for sixth year running. Galant VR-4 wins 22nd Ivory Coast Rally.
1991	Pajero takes 2nd overall and class honours in 12th Paris-Dakar. Mitsubishi wins Australian Safari for seventh year running. Galant VR-4 wins Swedish Rally and Ivory Coast Rally outright
1992	Pajeros take 1-2-3 in Paris-Sirte-Cape Town rally and class honours in Modified Production Class.
1993	Evo I powers its way to a podium finish in its very first rally start at Monte Carlo.
1994	Evo II drivers become familiar sights on the winner’s podium in the WRC series
1995-96	Tommi Makinen takes Evo III to an unprecedented five-from-nine series wins for his, and Mitsubishi’s, first WRC title.
1997	Tommi Makinen takes Evo IV to four WRC wins and his second driver’s title.
1998	Evo V takes Tommi Makinen to an unprecedented third consecutive driver’s championship and Mitsubishi to its first WRC manufacturer’s title.
1999	Tommi Makinen drives Evo VI to a fourth consecutive driver’s title.
2001	Pajero wins Dakar
2002	Pajero wins Dakar
2002	Pajero wins Dakar
2004	Pajero wins Dakar
2005	Pajero wins Dakar
2006	Pajero wins Dakar Rally for unprecedented six-in-a-row record
2007	Pajero wins Dakar for the 7th Consecutive time and 12th time since entering the Dakar Rally

State-of-the-art development, years of experience and attention to detail secured Mitsubishi Motors a record seventh successive victories in the prestigious 2007 Dakar Rally.

The victory is the twelfth in thirteen years for Mitsubishi’s Pajero’s, and the third in four years for French driver Stephane Peterhansel.

This is the first Dakar rally for the latest model Pajero, and Peterhansel is convinced it has more to offer.

“We had a few minor problems which slowed us down early in the race, but the new car is very good and very fast which allowed us to drive a tactical race. There are quite a few improvements we can make over the next 12 months to make it even better for 2008.”

Peterhansel’s nearest rival was 2006 Dakar winner and Mitsubishi team-mate, Luc Alphand, who finished 7 minutes and 26 seconds behind after 15 days and 4309 kilometers of gruelling desert racing.

The Mitsubishi team hit the front in the ninth of sixteen special stages, when long-time leader Giniel de Villiers’ vehicle overheated and caught fire. For the last six days of the rally, the Mitsubishi team controlled proceedings through careful team management, tactical driving and thorough car preparation.

Although claimed to not be as demanding as previous rallies, only 300 of the 517 cars, motorcycles and trucks that began the race crossed the finish line in Dakar.

The success of the Dakar Pajeros is a fitting precursor to the launch of the latest production model, due for release in New Zealand in March.

Andrew Hawkeswood in his FUSO-sponsored custom-built Mitsubishi Evo VIII proved again this year that he is New Zealand’s fastest hill climb expert, coming in more than 10 seconds ahead of his nearest kiwi rival at Wanaka’s Race to the Sky held on 16 April 2006.

Hawkeswood completed the final run in 8:28.71mins, beating the New Zealand record he set for the event in 2005 by three seconds. His nearest kiwi rival, Marty Roestenberg, was more than 10 seconds behind with a time of 8:39.45.

Race to the Sky is New Zealand’s premier international hill climb event. Starting from the floor of the Cardrona Valley it runs uphill for 15 kilometres through 137 corners, climbing from 1,500 ft to 5,000 ft averaging a 1:11 gradient to the top.