Mitsubishi withdraws from all future Dakar series
February 5, 2009 by Matt Brogan
Mitsubishi announced today their decision to withdraw from the Dakar Rally, the Dakar Series and all cross-country rallies.
In its 26 entries in the event, Mitsubishi Motors won the rally a total of 12 times, including seven consecutive victories and gained much of its four-wheel-drive technology’s development along the way.
The sudden deterioration of the global economy made it necessary for the company to focus its resources more tightly, and for this reason the decision was taken to withdraw its Mitsubishi Motorsports (MMSP) works team from all cross-country competitions.
Print it: 
soon all we will have is lance armstrong racing his bike…
Now that Mitsu have withdrawn, and Citroen and Peugeot withdrew after obliterating the competition back in the day with their AWD vehicles, who’s left?
JEKYL & HYDE – Good one! :)
This years PD was a piss porr effort by Mitsubishi, might as well not even entered.
Now it will end up being a VW ToeRag Cup till they get some factory teams racing against them and not just backyard private teams.
Anyway, the real superheros are the bike riders, long live ANDY CALDECOTT!!
Cheers
F-0
I wonder with both Subaru and Mitsibishi withdrawing from Rally in general what will this mean for vehicles like the STi and EVO? Will they become softer and less impressive? Or will they just disapear into history like Fords RS Escorts and Lancias Delta Integrale. I miss the days when you could buy the touring car / rally racers with all the go fast bit’s and a de-tune from the factory floor that with a few simple tweaks could blast by a Ferrari and Porsche of the day.
This is depressing! First Subaru and Mitsubishi withdraw from rally (Subaru’s identity basically) and now Mitsu pulls out of Dakar when they have had such a good run with it :(
Dam you economic crisis!
they may aswell sell the ralliart brand while there at it.
without rallying or little other motorsport involvement the brand is bit of a waste of time.
That’s the right thing to do. Save some cash.
Environment-bashing is not that fashionable anymore. Good decision guys.
Think they have proven a point. I’m assuming they have stuck with WRC entry. Won’t be long now until its just the rich privateer entering races like this. I’m sure it will make the sport a little more evenly competative.