R8 MRE

R8 MRE was the last car that debuted from the Evo Vs, making her presence felt at the 1998 Sanremo Rally, driven by Tommi Mäkinen (this was her only rally). The event went well, and the new active rear differential was giving much needed boost in the closing stages, allowing Mäkinen to bring home the car in 1st place.

Huge crowds, smooth tarmac, sunshine - the perfect package, right? 1998 Sanremo (Mitsubishi)

Whereabouts
She wasn't seen on the stages ever again competing. Just like V2 MMR and another Evo VI, there's a V in Andrew Cowan's Ralliart collection. However, since these cars shouldn't really exist, he is not too keen about giving out details what cars he have (story: the Mitsubishi Starion Club's president asked Cowan in 2005 about the Group B Starion he has in the very same collection; Cowan first was not happy about the task, and then even denied the existence of the car. However, he forgot that the Starion Club's president once sat in that very car...). If I had to say which car I would have kept, either it would be R2 MRE for being the first works Evo V, or R8 MRE for being the only car that was used once, on tarmac, and even won the rally. I'm going for the latter. On the picture below is the collection. As you can see, there's a V between P33 MRE and a 6.5; as P33 is in gravel trim and the V is sitting much lower than her, it should be in tarmac spec. Now, that's just a guess... (Also, there's the "non existing" Grp. B Starion, which is the third car from left in the upper line...)

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Track record
Starts: 1
Wins: 1 (1998 Sanremo Rally)