Photo: Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi is one of the heavyweights of the Dakar Rally, as it has scored over the years no less than 12 victories in the world famous off-road race. All of those wins have been made possible by the Pajero Evolution.
For 2019, however, the Spanish division of Mitsubishi decided to switch from the race-winning car to one based on a newer model, the Eclipse Cross.
Heavily tweaked for the race, the car will be driven in the race by Spanish driver Cristina Gutierrez and co-driven by Pablo Huete. Gutierrez was the first female to drive a car in the Dakar rally in 2017, and at the beginning of this year she became the highest placed female driver in the race.
“For me, it is a big step ahead compared to the previous years. You can go very fast with it, while it is easier to drive and has greater off-road capabilities,” said in a statement, Cristina Gutierrez.
“It's the most spectacular car I've ever driven and attracts a lot of attention!”
The car is officially called the Eclipse Cross T1 prototype. The carbon fiber body wraps around a steel spaceframe chassis, under which sits a double wishbone suspension with two fully-adjustable Öhlins Racing dampers on each wheel.
Power for the car comes from a 340 hp engine which linked to a six-speed sequential transmission develops 686 Nm of torque. Sending all that power to the ground is a full-time four-wheel drive system equipped with a mechanical center differential and limited slip differentials front and rear.
The Dakar Rally Eclipse Cross T1 comes to a stop thanks to the use of four-piston AP Racing brakes on each wheel.
The 2019 Dakar rally will kick off on January 6 in Lima, Peru. The race will last for eleven days and travel across 5,000 km later (3,100 miles) of land, 70 percent of them on the sand.
Heavily tweaked for the race, the car will be driven in the race by Spanish driver Cristina Gutierrez and co-driven by Pablo Huete. Gutierrez was the first female to drive a car in the Dakar rally in 2017, and at the beginning of this year she became the highest placed female driver in the race.
“For me, it is a big step ahead compared to the previous years. You can go very fast with it, while it is easier to drive and has greater off-road capabilities,” said in a statement, Cristina Gutierrez.
“It's the most spectacular car I've ever driven and attracts a lot of attention!”
The car is officially called the Eclipse Cross T1 prototype. The carbon fiber body wraps around a steel spaceframe chassis, under which sits a double wishbone suspension with two fully-adjustable Öhlins Racing dampers on each wheel.
Power for the car comes from a 340 hp engine which linked to a six-speed sequential transmission develops 686 Nm of torque. Sending all that power to the ground is a full-time four-wheel drive system equipped with a mechanical center differential and limited slip differentials front and rear.
The Dakar Rally Eclipse Cross T1 comes to a stop thanks to the use of four-piston AP Racing brakes on each wheel.
The 2019 Dakar rally will kick off on January 6 in Lima, Peru. The race will last for eleven days and travel across 5,000 km later (3,100 miles) of land, 70 percent of them on the sand.
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