Why isn't the EVO in WRC?
 

pls excuse the nooob qn, but i've tried to find material on the internet to no avail.

i notice the evo is running is several other smaller leagues, but it is conspicuously absent from the WRC.

Can anyone furnish the background to how that came about, and whether that is going to change?

Thanks,
stanley
singapore

The Evo is in the WRC, it's in production class (Group N). Group N Mitsubishis are the only ones that can truly be called an Evo. The WRC class (Group A) Mitsubishi is called the WRC05.

Mitsubishi pulled out of the WRC as an M1 or M2 manufacturer, so the only time you see a WRC05 car in the big show is when entered by a privateer. The reason for pulling out was financial, a season in the WRC costs a manufacturer about 50 million Euros. Since the privateers don't fare so well against the big boys, you don't usually see much coverage of the Mitsubishi cars. There will definitely be some Mitsubishi WRC05 entries at Neste Rally Finland.

Mitsubishi is supposed to be back in '08, and I'm not sure what car they're going to campaign. Development on the WRC05 never stopped, but since Mitsubishi isn't M1 or M2, they can't homologate their changes, so we just see the '06 spec WRC05. I really wouldn't expect an Evo X based WRC car until '09, but the initial reports are that the Evo X is going to make a better platform for a WRC car than the current Evo.

Here's Mitsubishi's motorsports homepage:

http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/motorsports/e/

I get most of my info reading the news on WRC.com:

http://www.wrc.com

RallyWorld Magazine has some good WRC news:

http://www.rallyworldmagazine.com/rwmeng/

nice post ^^^^^

Great info - thanks - Great links too!

:eek:

The Discovery Channel UK did a 6-part series about the Subaru WRC team, following their troubles in the 2006 season, that's where I got the 50 million Euro figure.

That series is a little hard to find online, but it's one of the best motorsports shows I've ever seen.

Check bit torrents for "Engineering The World Rally".

Here's the official website:

http://www.discoverychannel.co.uk/cars/worldrally/

It's a damn shame they have no plans to ever broadcast it in the US.

all the comments so far have been false.......




Mitsubishi just wanted to give someone else a chance to win =-) !!!!


Mitsu FTW (excluding warranty lol )

To keep it true and simple: Mitsubishi is not in WRC because Tommi Makkinen almost died in his Evo and seriously injured his navigator in Spain (I believe)- he flipped his car and landed on the edge of a cliff. After this accident Tommi was not the same- not that I blame him. Soon after this Tommi went to Subaru and then retired. It is very similar to Honda pulling out of F1 engine supplying right after Aryton Senna died.
Of course Mitsubishi tried to maintain their WRC effort for a few years but without any real success.

this is probably the best answer to a post i have ever seen on this site {thumbup}

WheelGap aka Nubby is HARDCORE! ... A true rally fan and always full of Rally info.

I believe Honda still supplied F1 motors through its associates, Mugen Motorsports, after they dropped out as a constructor. Regardless, those Discovery episodes are definitely worth seeing. The way the rally car launched and made a stock STi look like it was standing still was awesome.

What are you smoking?

Mitsubishi continued in WRC right up until the company almost went bankrupt and it become wasteful to spend money on racing and not be able to pay employee salaries! No more, no less.

Ford had a significant crash involving one of their cars, resulting in the co-driver's death and the permanent retirement of the driver just two years ago. They stayed in the sport knowing that that risk is part of the game. If that was the case, why would Mitsu pull out because someone "almost" died?

Senna death has nothing to do with them pulling the budget strings on their F1 engine projects. Senna died in 94 but Honda pulled out at the end of 92. The Honda involvement with its associate Mugen was nothing like the glory days from 83 to 92 but Mugen Honda continued on until the official Honda team was born.

thanks for the exellent reply! {thumbup}

thanks for everyone's views... at least i can rest easy in the knowledge that whilst there may be a host of reasons why the EVO isn't in Group A, it's definitely NOT anything to do with lack of pace or performance. :D That's all that mattered to me. :lol: