Now that Mitsubishi has a Pajero again, it has the potential to return to the racing venues that built the brand. Mitsubishi president Keisuke Kishiura recently confirmed that he would like to see his company return to the Dakar Rally and, if that goes well, the World Rally Championship as well.
At Q&A session following the reveal of the new Pajero, Kishiura said, “When you think of Pajero, you think of Dakar. They are inseparable.” That led those in attendance to believe Mitsubishi was planning a return to the legendary rally in which the company logged 12 victories with the Pajero starting in 1985. More recently, in an interview with Best Car, Kishiura discussed the new Pajero’s first motorsport outing, the 2027 Asia Cross-Country Rally, before adding, “Ultimately, we want to be able to compete in Dakar.”
He added, “Returning to WRC is my dream.” This would seem to be a taller hurdle, seeing as how Mitsubishi currently does not have a car that could be entered into the series. With the original Lancer 1600GSR and Galant VR-4 Mitsubishi won many individual races, such as the 1974 Safari Rally and Côte d’Ivoire Rally. With the Lancer Evolution, Tommi Mäkinen won the Drivers’ Championship from 1996-99, with a Manufacturers’ Championship for Mitsubishi in 1998.
The company pulled out of WRC at the end of the 2005 season and out of Dakar in 2009 citing financial difficulties. After some major restructuring the company has been turning a profit for the last five years. The road back to the top of Dakar and the WRC will be steep, but with a profitable foundation and a revived Pajero, the stage is set for what was once named the “King of the Desert” to make its return.
