Team Mitsubishi Ralliart to field 4 Triton trucks at 2024 AXCR

MANILA: Team Mitsubishi Ralliart will field four Triton pickup trucks at the upcoming 2024 Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR). 

Per the Japanese carmaker, this year’s entry will have a new racing transmission with a high torque capacity to improve both the Mitsubishi Triton’s durability and maneuverability. Likewise, the race truck’s suspension has been upgraded from rigid/leaf springs to rigid/four-link coil springs to allow the vehicle to absorb major shocks on rough roads and improve its traction on extremely bumpy road surfaces. 

Mitsubishi also increased the tread size of the tires to enhance the Triton’s handling on rough roads.

Overall, the three-diamond car brand noted that the Mitsubishi Triton’s driving performance has been “greatly increased to enable it to compete against vehicles with high-displacement engines in high-speed stages.” 

“Last year, we tried for a second consecutive victory with the all-new Triton, which had just gone on sale, but we were unable to bring out its full potential, ending in third place,” Team Mitsubishi Ralliart Team Director Hiroshi Masuoka said. 

“With this year’s Triton, we have made major improvements primarily to driving performance and rough road handling, further enhancing our four-vehicle team as we aim to reclaim our position as champions,” he added. 

Last month, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart conducted high-stress endurance tests of the Triton rally cars on an off-road course near Khao Yai National Park in Thailand. 

There, the team put the reliability and durability of the rally cars’ bodies, chassis, and engines to the test. In a span of seven days, the Triton trucks have covered some 800 kilometers, which resulted in improved acceleration performance and fine-tuning. 

Here are the revealed specifications of the 2024 AXCR-going trucks: 

Dimensions (length and width)	5,320 millimeters (mm) x 1,995 mm
Wheelbase	3,130 mm
Tread (front/rear)	1,730 mm
Engine	4N16 (intercooled turbocharger)
Fuel injector	High-pressure common-rail direct injection
Displacement	2,439 cubic centimeters
Turbocharger	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engine and Turbocharger
Maximum output	201 horsepower or more
Maximum torque	470 Newton-meters or more
Exhaust system	HKS AXCR 2024 Competition Model
Transmission	Six-speed sequential transmission, Moty’s gear oil
Four-wheel-drive system	Full-time four-wheel-drive system
Differential	Cusco front and rear limited-slip differential
Front suspension	Independent double-wishbone with coil springs
Rear suspension	Rigid/four-link coil spring
Shock absorbers	Cusco adjustable front, rear twin dampers
Brakes	Endless ventilated discs with monobloc brake calipers and pads, Fortec racing brake fluid
Wheels	Work aluminum alloy wheels (17-inch x 7J)
Tires	Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 (245/75R17)
Other features	Carbon fiber front fenders, carbon fiber front and rear door panels, carbon fiber cargo outer panel

 

Team Mitsubishi Ralliart driver lineup 

The driver lineup this year will consist of mainstays Chayapon Yotha and Peerapong Sombutwong, who took the overall victory in AXCR in 2022. They are joined by Katsuhiko Taguchi and Takahiro Yasui, who came in eighth place in 2023. 

Also sitting behind the wheel are Sakchai Hantrakul and Jumpol Doungthip as well as Mitsubishi Motors’ test driver Kazuto Koide and co-driver Eiji Chiba. 

“This year’s drivers will also include Kazuto Koide, a test driver who I have worked with in developing Mitsubishi vehicles for over two decades. At Mitsubishi Motors, we leverage our experience in grueling motorsports for vehicle development, so I hope to pass on this tradition to the next generation,” Masuoka commented. 

Mitsubishi Ralliart, Triton pickup

Mitsubishi came back to rally racing — and revived the iconic Ralliart sub-brand — with the Triton pickup truck. 

Notably, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart won immediately after it entered AXCR in 2022. However, it failed to defend its title when two Toyota Fortuner sport utility vehicles took the crown in 2023. 

This year, the team will be aiming for another overall victory. 

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