Lancer Evolution V

Lancer Evolution V
1998 was a milestone for Mitsubishi. More than two decades' of toil and success in the World Rally Championship was rewarded when Mitsubishi finally won the Manufacturers' Championship. And the car that made it possible was the Lancer Evolution V, the fifth-generation car in the Lancer Evolution series.
Although rivals such as Subaru and Mitsubishi all participated with heavily modified World Rally Cars, Mitsubishi persisted with the Group A car based on production models. It was an insistence based on the principle of applying technology developed in the severe conditions found in motorsport to Mitsubishi's production models.
The Evolution V was related to the Evolution III and IV - the cars that led Tommi Makinen to two consecutive WRC titles but their weaknesses were addressed and the concept was further evolved. The main improvement over the previous model was the wider track. The legendary Type 4G63 engine with its superb low- to mid-range torque was retained along with the unique Active Four Wheel Drive System, controlled by an electronic clutch, but the Lancer Evolution IV's cornering speeds on tarmac were compromised in comparison wit the World Rally Cars, as the regulations permitted them a wider track. The Lancer Evolution V put Mitsubishi back on level terms.
Furthermore, Mitsubishi had homologated two types of suspension, with wide or narrow tracks, making it possible to adapt the Evolution V ideally for both tarmac and gravel. The car appeared for the first time on the fifth round, the Catalonia Rally, but initially it took time to exploit its capabilities. But thanks to a combination of Makinen's brilliance and its intrinsic qualities, the first win came soon enough, on its third event, the Rally of Argentina. In the second half of the season, the Evolution V became an irresistible force. Starting with the win on the ninth round, the Rally Finland, where Makinen obtained an unprecedented fifth straight victory on home ground, the Evolution V remained unbeaten for the rest of the season, winning four events in a row. With the two wins during the first half of the season, Mitsubishi had won seven of the 13 rounds held. It was a record worthy of a champion. Makinen also attain his third consecutive WRC title -an unparalleled feat - and Mitsubishi's manufacturers' crown made it a double triumph for the team. Mitsubishi was at the pinnacle of world rallying.