Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution: Dakar’s Forgotten Homologation Special

The Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution may be one of the most obscure homologation specials ever built, a world away from the renown earned by the other Evolutions, which charged through and dominated WRC stages on tarmac, gravel and snow alike.

Yet its relative anonymity does nothing to undermine the Pajero Evolution’s credentials.

Like the Evolution we know - born from the modest Lancer before becoming a devastating weapon both in competition and on the road - the Pajero Evolution also began from humble origins.

The King of Dakar

The Mitsubishi Pajero is the undisputed King of Dakar, with 12 victories in total, far more than any other vehicle. Looking at every Pajero to have won over the years, however, it is not the machines plainly derived from the production model that stand out, but the prototypes - genuine prototypes that retained little more than the Pajero name from the “original” vehicle.

When Mitsubishi, Citroën and, earlier, Peugeot withdrew those T3-class prototypes in 1996 - having become too fast in the organisers’ view - the door was opened for the Pajero Evolution. In 1997, the T2 category for production-derived vehicles therefore became Dakar’s premier class.

That year, the Mitsubishi Pajeros simply demolished the opposition - they filled the first four places, with Kenjiro Shinozuka taking victory. No other car could match the pace displayed by the Pajeros. The fifth-placed finisher, the first non-Mitsubishi in the standings, was Jutta Kleinschmidt’s two-wheel-drive Schlesser-SEAT buggy, more than four hours behind the winner. Salvador Servià’s Nissan Patrol, the first non-Mitsubishi T2 entrant, was over five hours back.

The pace difference was immense. How could it be explained?

Mitsubishi’s “creative” approach

We have seen it time and again. Gaining a competitive advantage through a creative interpretation of the rules has been part of motorsport’s history since its earliest days.

Mitsubishi was complying with the regulations - its competition Pajero remained a T2-class vehicle derived from a production model. The issue lay precisely with the production model on which it was based. Yes, it was a Pajero, but a Pajero unlike any other. Mitsubishi had effectively developed a... super-Pajero - not unlike turning a Lancer into an Evolution - built it in the quantities required by the regulations and, voilà, it was ready to take on Dakar. Ingenious, wasn’t it?

The mission

The task was far from straightforward. Engineers in the Three Diamonds brand’s competition department spared no effort in turning the Pajero into a “lethal weapon” capable of conquering a rally as punishing and fast as Dakar.

For anyone familiar with the contemporary Pajero - the V20-code second generation - there were dunes’ worth of differences in the Evolution. Its exterior looked considerably more muscular, but what lay underneath was what truly set it apart from every other Pajero.

The standard Pajero was a proper off-roader and equipped accordingly, with a ladder-frame chassis and the welcome rigid rear axle for the most ambitious axle articulation. The innovation introduced with this second generation was the advanced Super Select 4WD system, which combined the benefits of part-time and permanent four-wheel drive through several selectable modes.

More Revolution than Evolution

Although the engineers retained Super Select 4WD, they simply discarded most of the chassis. In its place came the curiously named ARMIE - All Road Multi-link Independent suspension for the Evolution - meaning that the first Mitsubishi Pajero with independent suspension at both axles was born. The front used double wishbones, while the rear adopted a multilink arrangement, all supported by specific springs and dampers. Specifications more fitting for a true sports car than an off-roader.

The changes did not end there. Torsen limited-slip differentials were fitted front and rear, while retaining the standard Pajero’s centre differential, and the tracks were widened - by no small amount - by 125 mm at the front and 110 mm at the rear. To cope better with Dakar’s many characteristic jumps, suspension travel was also increased to 240 mm at the front and 270 mm at the rear.

The Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution went beyond the chassis

The extravagance continued outside: the Pajero Evolution wore an aerodynamic kit capable of intimidating any (Lancer) Evolution. The transformation was completed by a vented aluminium bonnet, and it could even be fitted with huge wheel arch extensions, along with far more substantial 265/70 R16 tyres. It was the closest thing to an off-roader with Group B aspirations - short and wide, with only its generous ride height setting it apart.

What about the engine?

Under the bonnet sat the most powerful version of the 6G74, a naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 with 24 valves and twin overhead camshafts. Unlike other Pajeros, the Evolution’s V6 gained the MIVEC system - in other words, variable valve timing - raising output to 280 hp and torque to 348 Nm. Buyers could choose between manual and automatic transmissions, both with five gears.

That output reflected the era of the “gentlemen’s agreement” between Japanese manufacturers, which capped engine power at 280 hp - some reports suggest there were “hidden horses” in the Pajero Evolution engine. Even so, its official 280 hp represented a 60 hp increase over the other V6 Pajeros. Performance figures? We do not know, because Mitsubishi never officially released them.

Owners of this unusual machine report 0–100 km/h times in the 8.0–8.5-second range and a top speed approaching 210 km/h. Not bad for something weighing close to two tonnes.

According to some accounts, it feels as quick on the road as certain hot hatches, with the advantage of being able to sustain that pace whatever the surface - tarmac, gravel or even snow(!). Owners also identify the automatic transmission as the better choice because of its greater durability; it was the same unit fitted to the Pajero Evolutions raced at Dakar.

Ready for Dakar

Nothing was left to chance. The Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution, codenamed V55W, was prepared not for the streets but for Dakar. A total of 2500 examples were produced between 1997 and 1999, exactly as the rules required. The Pajero Evolution therefore worked around the restrictive T2 regulations, giving it a colossal advantage over rival entrants.

As already noted, it was Dakar’s dominant force in 1997, and it repeated the feat in 1998, once again taking the first four positions and leaving the opposition even further behind - the first non-Mitsubishi finished more than eight hours behind the winner, Jean-Pierre Fontenay, on that occasion.

Unlike other homologation specials, perhaps because of its nature, this one has become somewhat forgotten. So much so that, despite rapidly approaching classic status and being a genuine limited-production homologation special, it remains absurdly inexpensive - in the United Kingdom, prices range between €10,000 and €15,000. Some of its rare accessories cost more: the wheel arch extensions mentioned earlier can reach almost €700 (!).

The Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution was not the first, nor will it be the last, road car created solely to gain an advantage in competition. The most recent and explicit example? The Ford GT.