2013. március 8., péntek

S3 TMR

1999
S3 TMR was one of the shortest-living cars of the VIs, used basically only in 1999. Maybe this has to with the fact that she was a pure gravel car, thus the 1999 Rally Sweden becoming her least demanding event. She made her debut in the snow-covered forests of Sweden, kicking off her career with a win, the second for Tommi in a row.
En route to win in Sweden, 1999 (Mitsubishi)


Her next event was the sunny and dusty Rally Portugal, but transmission problems cost Mäkinen too much time, so he finished in 5th. A chance to go back to victory lane came in Finland, but the transmission problems this time resulted in a retirement. She returned for the RAC Rally GB, but Mäkinen hit a treestump, and then the engine gave up. You can't say she was an easy lady...
RAC Rallye GB, 1999 (Mitsubishi)
2000
Her first start of 2000 was her last ever; she was put in the famous Safari Rallye. Unfortunately, her fortunes didn't change, as Mäkinen first lost a wheel, and then the electronics gave up, resulting in a retirement.
The Safari-experience didn't last long... (Mitsubishi)
Whereabouts
She hasn't been seen since that Safari Rallye, so it is really safe to say that she was demolished, which is not that surprising, after all she was used only on gravel (so she was really banged up), and she only saw the finish line twice, the team kept building new cars, so... that's it, unfortunately.

Update 2020:
Looks like she has been used as a test car, as she appears in Mistubishi's 2000 Cyprus Rally PET video.

Some pictures from the video:
2000 Cyprus Rally PET (VHS Rallies / Mitsubishi)
2000 Cyprus Rally PET; note the taped off holes on the bootlid for the foglights (VHS Rallies / Mitsubishi)
2000 Cyprus Rally PET (VHS Rallies / Mitsubishi)


Track record:
Starts: 5
Wins: 1 (1999 Rallye Sweden)
Podiums: 1 (1999 Rallye Sweden)
Retirements: 3 (1999 Rallye Finland & RAC Rally, 2000 Safari Rally)

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