MITSUBISHI Motors is embarking on a new chapter in its motorsports history by creating its first world rally car.

Known as the Lancer Evolution WRC, it will make its first FIA World Rally Championship appearance on Italy's Sanremo Rally (October 5-7).

It is designed to be the most advanced, most sophisticated competition car that Mitsubishi has yet produced. Switching to the world rally car regulations from the established group A category represents a major change of policy for Mitsubishi. The group A rules allow significantly fewer modifications to the standard road car, a characteristic that Mitsubishi has welcomed.

The team feels obliged to adopt a new approach, as Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe chief engineer Bernard Lindauer explained.

"Now we have reached the point where the imbalance between group A and world rally car regulations and the resulting increased performance of world rally car puts Mitsubishi in the situation where we could not have all the development facilities available," he said. "The only way for us to improve performance and to gain more post-development benefit on the standard car was to follow world rally car rules."

The Mitsubishi Lancer WRC is closely based on the Lancer Cedia four-door saloon in the Japanese market, but it can exploit the extra freedom offered by the world rally car rules. Engineers have been able to change the suspension, some elements of the bodywork and the weight distribution.