Mitsubishi's WRCars: X3 MMR

Well, this is a repost thanks to Blogger, but whatever. X3 MMR had a very similar career with her sister, X33 MMR. We don't have to look too far: they both were rolled on their first event, Rally Corsica 2000; if that wasn't enough, it happened on the same stage, although X33 was crashed on the first, while X3 on the last day, and the stage was reversed as well.

Not too much before the crash... (Mitsubishi)

...and after (internet)

2001

She was repaired, and Loix got to drive her in Monte Carlo. Considering that he never did really well there with a Mitsubishi, a 6th place was a great way to start the season.

2001 Rallye Monte Carlo (Mitsubishi)

Interestingly, she was used again by Loix in Sweden. After a couple of trips to the snowbanks, they finished 13th, but given the limited experience he had there, it was no surprise.

With the Marlboro Winter paint scheme, 2001 Rally Sweden (Mitsubishi)

She returned to action in Spain, on the Catalunya Rally, again with Loix. This was one of the best rallies for Loix that year, as he finished just behind Mäkinen in 4th, giving a nice amount of points to Mitsubishi. She didn't return for the remainder of the season.

2001 Rally Catalunya (Mitsubishi)

2002

She returned in 2002 on the Jim Clark Memorial Rally, with Katsuhiko Taguchi, who was doing a partial BRC programme that year (X3 was used after he crashed V2 MMR on the Scottish Rally). However, this partnership didn't start well, as Taguchi crashed the car and had to retire.

2002 Jim Clark Memorial (Mitsubishi)

Her next event was the Hokkaido Rally, which Taguchi did the year before with W9 MMR. This was no help however, as they had to retire after a lot of troubles (punctures, etc.).

2002 Rally Hokkaido (rally.or.jp)

In the TC with Possum Bourne's Impreza, 2002 Rally Hokkaido (rally.or.jp)

2002 Rally Hokkaido (rally.or.jp)

After this, she was used on the International Japan Alpine Rally. Taguchi was put against Toshihiro Arai, driving a works Subaru Impreza WRC. Their fight was short lived though, as Taguchi went off and retired.

Alpine Rally 2002 (McKlein)

After this, she was presented during the 4th Suzuka Word Rally Festival.

Suzuka World Rally Festival 2002 (geocities.jp/iidasyashin)

2003

In 2003, she was bought by Henning Solberg, alongside with other works cars; however, this is one of the darkest period in terms of information, as all the cars were re-registered to Norwegian numberplates, making the identification very hard - and also the lack of pictures and general information. What is sure is that Henning did Rallye Finland 2003 with this car, but the other than that... So Henning, if you're reading this, please help me out! :D

Henning with X3 on the 2003 Rallye Finland (Ilkka Rytkönen)

2007

So, until I don't have info about what this car was up to, I jump to the next certain point. In early 2007, Tamás Tagai, the owner of TRT Europe Ltd. (they grew really big with renting out 207 S2000s and now 208 R5s) bought his dream car, and so X3 MMR ended up in Hungary. They refurbished it and painted it 'TRT orange', and until today I wasn't convinced that the pictures I saw (and now of course I couldn't find them) showed this car with X3 MMR regplates. But, I just found some test pictures with that exact numberplate, so the questionmark whether this car is X3 should be lifted (well, at least it is on of the cars that carried the numberplate, but no info about that...). Interestingly enough, the car appeared with its former Norwegian numberplate at the scrutineering, and all this after it was brought to Slovakia to receive Slovakian plates... But oh well, let this be the smallest of the problems - and as it turned out, it was...

PET for the Duna Rally 2007 (www.rallysport.hu)

They started the event as one of the sensations, but the fun was quickly cut when the right rear wheel left the car just like the left rear did with Mäkinen at the 2000 Acropolis Rally. Retirement #1.

2007 Duna Rally (www.rallysport.hu)

For their next rally, the 2007 Veszprém Rallye, the car received a new livery (a combination of the 2000 and 2001 non-Marlboro liveries), and they were hoping that this time the car can go the distance. But again, it couldn't, this time because of transmission problems. Also, the car has received its new Slovak numberplate by then. Retirement #2.

2007 Veszprém Rallye (www.rallysport.hu)

The next rally for them was the legendary Mecsek Rally, this time on tarmac. However, this was the worst of all in 2007, as they retired on the first stage with a blown engine. Retirement #3.

2007 Mecsek Rally (www.rallysport.hu)

They closed the 2007 season at the Nyirád Rally, which turned out to be bittersweet. It was sweet, because they ended the first loop fighting for the lead (and did so without launch control, ALS, and on old tyres - as Tagai put it, 'there's no point of putting new tyres on it if it can't last a stage'), but on the first stage after service, the engine blew up again. Retirement #4.

2007 Nyirád Rally (www.rallysport.hu)

2008

In 2008, they only did two rallies with the car (which got a new wiring loom in England), but they retired with a blown engine in Nyirád. After that, they showed early promise on the Mecsek Rally (in the only fight I can recall where a 6.5 went head-to-head with a WRC05), but eventually crashed the car pretty badly.

2008 Mecsek Rally (www.rallysport.hu)

Whereabouts

Since then, the car has been repaired, but wasn't brought out to any events. She received the traditional red paint, and she can go as soon as her owner wants to go - the question is if he ever wants to...

After the rebuild, in 2010 (www.duen.hu)

Update 2015:

On TRT's new website, there are two pictures of the car, put out in the arrival room of their HQ, clearly without engine, gearbox and seats. It is rocking a livery close to Loix's from Catalunya 2001.

At TRT HQ in 2015 (www.trt.hu)

Hopefully she will be rallied in the future, but at the moment it's a bit unlikely.

Update 2016:

After getting some information and looking up things, it is very likely that TRT's car is an older specification chassis, which was converted to a mix a newer specifications. It's worth noting that even in 2001, the X3 MMR numberplate could have been on several cars, but most likely not on this one. In the meantime, Henning Solberg bought back his car, which he said is the one he did Rally Finland in 2003 with, which would point to that car being X3 MMR. Also, in Japan, there's supposedly the car that Taguchi rallied as X3 MMR... And both of the latter could be "legit", so yes, it's a bit tumoltous, but I'll try to find out some more info if possible.

Update 2018:

Henning is selling his car, which is chassis #72, the real X3 MMR, or with its current numberplates, BD29442. However, as usual, more cars could have had carried the X3 MMR numberplate. As far as Tagai's car goes, I want to clarify 100% what that is, but surely not X3 MMR, and not even a 2001 spec. ex-works car.

Track record (regarding the events where the car can be 100% identified)

Wins: 0

Podiums: 0

Best result: 4th - 2001 Rally Catalunya

Retirements: 10