Direct coverage of the Moroccan test for the Paris-Dakar 2nd consecutive victory
Pajero EVO T2 good start!
Last year's winner, Kenjiro Shinozuka, J.P. Fontenay, and B. Saby of Mitsubishi Works, are driving the new Pajero Evo T2 at full throttle.
Report & Photo/ Yoshikazu Nakajima (Hochi Shimbun editorial board member)
Effects of Regulation Changes and Countermeasures.
From the helicopter chasing the Pajero Evolution T2 speeding through the Sahara Desert, I could see a long stream of white smoke on the horizon. It started running about 10 minutes ago and is an Evo T2. The desert turns red, reddish brown, white, gray and even black depending on the angle of the light. The surroundings of the Evo T2, which receives the afternoon sun as front light, are gray when viewed from behind). Like a rocket trailing a trail of smoke, the car itself was invisible, but the trail of white dust was long and growing.
Make T2 closer to a commercial vehicle. After Mitsubishi Pajero's Kenjiro Shinozuka won the 1997 race, TS 0 (Thierry Sabine Organization), which hosts the Paris-Dakar, changed the regulations for the 1998 race. A restrictor with a diameter of 32mm is installed at the engine intake. Chassis is commercially available and no modifications are allowed. GPS is limited to those provided by the organizer.
This is the main change from 1996 to 1999....
These three points are the major
The engine is in Okazaki's research department
Generates 340 horsepower at 8000 rpm
A powerful thing to do aboard. Of course, there was no restriction on the air intake. There are 32mm restrictors. According to TSO's trial calculation, "260 horsepower will be the limit." last year pajero T2 has 270 horsepower. The Pajero Evolution released on September 22 has 280 horsepower, and it is said that it will be an unthinkable situation in which a works car that runs in the desert has less power than a commercial model. "We've tried a lot of things, and if the commercial model is actually 50, the Evo T2 is 100.
However, I don't understand why the horsepower alone doesn't seem to be much...but the engineer says it will be the same or even more in actual racing," said Shinozuka with a wry smile. The engineer vaguely asked, "Is it the exhaust system?"
Then, if you change to 2 intake ports at once, it will be difficult to deal with it. Being limited to a commercial chassis is also tough on the Evo T2. The entire body of the Pajero in the Dakar Rally was constructed with a tube frame, so it was like putting a Pajero body over an F1 machine or buggy.
Two consecutive wins 99.99% sure!
High rigidity and good serviceability. However, it became impossible to ``use the commercially available chassis itself'', assemble the front frame part with pipes, give freedom to design the suspension, or replace the entire front. There is a danger that the front lower arm will crash into the road surface when jumping hard and landing.
“We put on a strong underguard, but that alone adds about 15kg,” said the engineer. But the Evo T2 sprinting through the desert doesn't seem to have that problem. Quickly jump over a ditch that drops sharply. Even if it is pushed up by a bump, the rear does not jump up much, and it feels like it flies horizontally.
The movement of the suspension seen from the helicopter is as smooth as a well-trained gymnast doing push-ups.
“We are also testing the tires, so I can't say that everything is OK, but when I put the tires on last time, they were in the best shape.
Both the front and rear are double wishbones, and the same Donelli shocks used last time. Although it is unknown, it supplies to a few influential works, and Paris
・It is secretly known to those who are familiar with the field that it is favored by the superstar and veteran cell of the Dakar motorcycle division.
“I've been using it since last time, and it works well. It works stably,” says Shinozuka. Two Dunbars in the test in California in July.
However, in Morocco, two dampers with coils and one bare damper without coils like a F1 car are added. The rear has three dampers (the front has two). "We haven't decided what to do with the tires yet," said Shinozuka, but Michelin sent two engineers and one mechanic to the Morocco test. We brought in two types of newly developed tires. The diameter is 25 mm larger than the previous one. Width is also wide. Side by side, it looks like something you could put on a different car.
“I want to gain as much road clearance as possible, so the bigger the better. We don't have time to start all over again with the suspension," Shinozuka suggested, suggesting that the tires from the previous race would likely be used.
The Sahara rally has also presented navigators with a difficult task in terms of navigation. GPS must be provided by TSO. 6 years ago increase
Ever since the use of GPS was permitted in 1945, ``Saharan Adventure'' has continued to lose its adventurous color. As I got used to using GPS and its performance improved, I became able to type detailed routes on the large GPS LCD screen. Follow the instructions that appear on the LCD screen by correctly inputting points into the GPS from the aerial map, frame map, and ground map.
It was becoming a navigation that was like a "TV game".
The GPS screen supplied by TSO is 4 inches high by 6 inches wide. I know the direction, but it's a fine point.. "I want magnifying glasses that make me look bigger when I put them on. I can't read the fine points in a swaying car on this screen. I'm going to have to rely on frame charts. There may be some fun in rolling, but it's hard here."
Pajero Evo T2, challenging new fields
The Paris-Dakar will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year. It's been a long time since I started Paris. On January 1, 1998, I started running from the front of the Palace of Versailles.
“Once you win, you feel better mentally.
I think that the degree of
hey....... This time, in addition to Schlesser's buggy, an American pilot
and diesels without restrictors. Pro trucks are ridden by American veterans such as Pescaro Kuchi, who was active in Citroën's Lartigle Mans. The Pajero Evolution T2 looks like it will be a tough battle,” Shinozuka observes.
The Evo T2's engine is said to have around 260 horsepower at the Morocco test stage, but in the main race it will be on par with or even higher than a commercial model.
Young engineers are enthusiastic when they show their strength. Drivers love the fact that the torque is almost flat from around 3500 to 6500 rpm.
Fontenay, who competed with Shinozuka for the top spot last time, said, "I didn't think it would be this easy to ride, even though it has a restrictor. I think it will be a good car if we improve it further before the rally."
The Pajero Evo T2", which sprints through the Sahara toward the memorable 20th Paris-Dakar, may open up a new world of off-road vehicles.
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