Hopefully this Dakar outtie will atract some needed attention from aftermarket companies so we canfinally start to see some good products. I dont plan on doing any engine mods, but some beefed up suspension components would be nice, may be a nuege bar thats good looking like the one from Australia with driving lights. I can't wait untill my stock tires wear down, I'm definitlly getting those, they make the car look sexy and mean!..lol.

 

The Dakar Outlander will participate as a service vehicle, but will drive almost the same route as the competition vehicles so it will still be interesting to know if it can reach the finish without broken parts.
In particular I'm curious if the 2.2l HDI diesel engine from PSA will keep running reliable in harsh desert conditions!
Moreover I'm curious if Mitsubishi can win this edition of the Dakar Rally once again, since they get strong competition from VW and BMW nowadays.
The rally is longer in distance than last 2 years so that may be in favor of Mitsubishi.
Cheers

 

Would we know if it brakes down? It's a service vehicle after all.

 

Yeah I'm also afraid we probably won't

 

It's not a "competition" vehicle, so the answer would be, maybe. Mitsubishi Europe is making this Dakar outing with the Outlander a marketing tool too, so they might give out more info on its status during the course of the rally. The Delica D:5 didn't get that much news coverage last year, partly due to the fact that it has only been sold in the domestic market, AFAIK. The Outlander market however is almost worldwide. Anyways, you know where to find news about the Outlander Dakar, and its gonna be posted there as it is made available.

I doubt there has been a vehicle that went through the whole rally unscathed, so damage is expected. As you can see, the Outlander Dakar is armed to the teeth, fitted with rally spec suspension from BOS, "real" skid plate, competition grade BFG tires, an extra tank for the long haul. Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart is a factory team (just like VW and BMW) that enjoys the benefit of a strong support team. That means the Outlander Dakar gets "serviced" more than it gets washed. Typically, failing parts are replaced before there is actual damage.

I am actually seeing this as a test run for a possible super production class entry for the Outlander in 2009. The L200 Triton has already been in the Dakar for 3 years now, and the Pajero (the production ones, not the Evos) have been successful as well. Now that the trend is leaning toward diesel engines in 09, that might just be a possibility.