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)

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

• 2003 Rally Finland - mechanical
• 2002 Rally Hokkaido - punctures
• 2002 Jim Clark Memorial - accident
• 2000 Tour de Corse - accident

W9 MMR

2000
W9 MMR was maybe one of the most used chassis during the 2000-2001 seasons, and went through both Mäkinen and Loix. She started her life in Finland, as Tommi Mäkinen's car, debuting as the first Evo that was built to the 6.5 spec, and not just updated to it. Just because of the changes and Risto Mannisenmäki's back problems, the crew finished the event in 4th place - not bad at all, but they hoped for more on Tommi's home event.

Speeding through the forests, 2000 Finland (Mitsubishi)

She returned to action at the Sanremo Rally, again with Mäkinen. After some problems both on- and off the track (the crew was eye withness of an accident where a police officer was killed), the performance was better and better and they arrived back at the mediterranean holiday resort in 3rd place.

Exiting one of the many hairpins, 2000 Sanremo (Mitsubishi)

2001
In 2001, she became of the elite group of cars that had the opportunity to contest a rally on every surface by accompanying Mäkinen in Rally Sweden. He was in a big fight for the lead, when on the very last stage Tommi was trying too hard, and spinned off the road, and right into a tree. Game over. (Interesting to note: if he had finished the rally in second place -where he was standing-, he would be a five-time world champion. But you know: in rallying, the 'what if' sentences doesn't mean anything...).

Rocking the winter Marlboro livery, 2001 Sweden (Mitsubishi)

She made the trip to Argntina, and welcomed her new captain, Freddy Loix. The pairing was successful, proven by a 6th place despite Freddy's lack of experience and some misfortune, too.

Taking a well deserved shower, 2001 Rally Argentina (Mitsubishi)

Her final event as a works car was in Africa. Yes, the ultra-demanding Safari Rally in Kenya (the route even crosses the Equator). Mäkinen was her driver again, and finally they were able to clinch a victory together with a huge lead over 2nd place - or 'by a country mile' as Australian people would say.

She proved her abilities by winning the toughest rally on Earth (Mitsubishi)

Update: her final event as a works car was not the Safari, but rather the Rally Hokkaido in Japan, wihich was a WRC candidate event (well, you could say it was a bit behind, since the boom of Japanese WRC teams was a decade ago), and so Mitsubishi decided to run their Japanese works driver, Katsuhiko Taguchi on the event with a Group A Lancer. Well, this car was W9 MMR, and they finished 2nd behind Possum Bourne.

2001 Rally Hokkaido. Even Andrew Cowen was there to be the team leader (rally.or.jp)

2001 Rally Hokkaido (rally.or.jp)

She also participated before Hokkaido at the Suzuka World Rally Festival, alongside an other ex-works car with V2 MMR numberplates (which were then replaced on the car for X6 MMR plates, totally incorrect as that car is at best 1999 specification). But back to W9: the chassis is #71, the rollcage ID is #2001-0071 (the 1 is under the flexiwrap).

W9 MMR rollcage details, 2001 (geocities.jp/PIAA6158191)

W9 MMR rear suspansion details, 2001 (geocities.jp/PIAA6158191)

As you can see, the car looked a bit worn (it was used by Mäkinen on the Safari, so...), but the 2001 suspension layout is pretty clear as well: backwards tilted shock absorber with a lot thicker housing, differnet stabilizer solution, etc.

Whereabouts
Update: Well, yes, finally infos about this car as well. She has indeed survived, and is now owned by Stig-Olov Walfridson (he is not sure about it, but he thinks it is W9 MMR). The car has been re-registered as WTP 163, and got a silver paintjob in 2005 when he bought it. In 2006, he collided with a moose at 149 km/h, and the car was opened up like a tin. However, it was rebuilt, and lately Petter Solberg used it to drive around his sponsors.

In 2006 on the Killingen Rally as a safety car (Backmans Foto)

2006 Killingen Rally (Backmans Foto)

2005 Rally Osterlen (Backmans Foto)

Track record (WRC only, other events to follow soon)
Starts: 5
Wins: 1
Podiums: 2
Retirements: 0

V2 MMR

1999
The last pair of cars debuting in 1999 were V2 and V22 MMR, getting in the fight at Rally Sanremo. Mäkinen was driving V2 MMR, and after a great charge on the last stages, he managed to win the rally.

En route to victory, 1999 Sanremo Rally (Mitsubishi)

2000
She returned as the 2000 season kicked off at Monaco. Tommi was driving well, and so was she, and the result was awesome: a victory, which meant she was still undefeated!

Still undefeated, 2000 Monte Carlo (Mitsubishi)

Unfortunately, this streak didn't continue in Spain, where -after some problems- she and her crew came home 4th. Still not bad seeing that the real WRCs were leaving Mitsubishi behind...

In one of the many turns, 2000 Spain (Mitsubishi)

2001
Her final appearance was the 2001 Acropolis Rally. After being a tarmac queen, the tough Greek roads took their mark on her, and after many difficulties, she and her new driver, Loix finished in 9th position.

First taste of gravel, 2001 Cyprus (Mitsubishi)

Her last rally was the 2001 Rally New Zealand, and now Toni Gardemeister was her pilot. The pair couldn't really find each other's strong points, and transmission problems, she ended her career and the rally in 15th place.

Going for 15th, Rally New Zealand 2001 (Mitsubishi)

2002
In 2002, Ralliart Japan signed Katsuhiko Taguchi, and to improve, they entered him in selected events of the British Rally Championship (this was after his participation on the 2001 Cyprus Rally with S44 TMR and the 2001 Rally Hokkaido with W9 MMR). So, the car he used at first was V2 MMR, and on their first rally together, the Wales National Rally (NOT the Rally GB, in 2002 it was still called Network-Q Rally of GB, but again, way too much information :D), they finished 7th overall. Not that bad!

2002 Wales National Rally (www.rallygallery.com)

Their next event was the Scottish Rally, and unfortunately, they had to retire after Taguchi put the car in a ditch. The only worthwhile photos I could find were not downloadable, and I didn't want to printscreen it and all that so here's a link to them: http://www.roydempster.com/album.asp?AlbumID=924&offset=9
Whereabouts
Just found out that she is still amongst us, converted back to original Evo VI spec, and is/was the part of Andrew Cowan's collection.

Mr. Cowan, former Ralliart boss, poses with his former car and V2 MMR

Track record:
Starts: 6
Wins: 2 (1999 Rally Sanremo & 2000 Rallye Monte Carlo)
Podiums: 2 (1999 Rally Sanremo & 2000 Rallye Monte Carlo)
Retirements: 0