Mitsubishi Ralliart Wins The AXCR 2025 With Triton 

What is AXCR? This is the ‘Asia Cross Country Rally’ (AXCR) which is an annual, gruelling FIA- and FIM-certified cross-country rally raid event held in Southeast Asia every August since 1996. 

Often described as the “Dakar of Asia”, it tests endurance, navigation, and vehicle toughness across thousands of kilometers of punishing terrain.

Incidentally, this event originated in Malaysia, it primarily takes place in Thailand, occasionally traversing neighbouring nations like Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia depending on the year’s course. For example, the upcoming event begins its ceremonial start in Pattaya, Thailand, featuring a demanding route of approximately 2,000 plus kms.

Over the years, this rally has been heavily dominated by factory-backed and privateer teams from Japan and ASEAN countries.

Team Mitsubishi Ralliart secured a massive overall victory in the Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) in the last event with their Triton pickup truck. 

The race-prepped Mitsubishi Triton won this brutal competition spanning thousands of kilometers across rough terrains like mud, rocks, and rivers in Southeast Asia. 

Recent Mitsubishi AXCR Victories

2025 Victory

Driver Chayapon Yotha claimed the overall championship, crossing the finish line in first place with a total time of 16 hours, 15 minutes, and 12 seconds. The team also secured the coveted Team Award for their multi-car performance, solidifying the Triton’s status as a dominant cross-country racing machine. 

2022 Debut Win

Marking Ralliart’s highly anticipated return to international motorsports, the team took home 1st place overall on their very first attempt. Driver Chayapon Yotha (Thailand) drove the #105 Triton to victory, showcasing the inherent durability and performance of the base model. 

Triton Rally Car Specs (FIA Group T1)

The rally-spec Triton is built to FIA Group T1 regulations. While it uses the production vehicle’s base frame and engine, it is extensively modified for endurance

Engine: Upgraded 2.4-liter or 2.5-liter MIVEC turbo-diesel engines optimized for durability and mid-range torque.

Drivetrain: Features a competition-tuned Super Select 4WD-II system and custom front/rear limited-slip differentials.

Body & Chassis: Lightened body panels, reinforced roll cage, under guards to protect against rough terrain, and custom heavy-duty off-road suspension

From the showroom you will have the Triton pickup truck running a 2.4-liter MIVEC turbodiesel making just under 200 horsepower and over 300 pound-feet of torque, paired with either a six-speed manual or auto and Mitsubishi’s Super Select 4WD-II system. Its independent suspension up front, leaf springs out back, and good towing and hauling capacity keep it useful in the real world usage for farmers, small boat owners, plumbers/electricians, contractors and also urban cowboys.

The three Team Mitsubishi Ralliart Tritons that took on AXCR weren’t just showroom models with mud tires. For this event, Mitsubishi Ralliart built the Tritons up to FIA’s T1 specification. 

The frames were still production-based but were upgraded up with full roll cages and reinforced welds. The suspension went from everyday pickup spec to serious long-travel rally hardware with  double wishbones and coilovers up front, trailing arms in the rear, and a foot or more of travel to soak up everything the dense Thai jungle was ready to deliver. Tires sat on rally-grade beadlock wheels, and the trucks were stripped and lightened with fiberglass panels that could take a beating.

Under the hood, the rally Tritons stuck with diesel power, tuned more for endurance than outright horsepower. Cooling was a big deal in the AXCR, so the Mitsubishi Ralliart Tritons ran oversized radiators and intercoolers to keep temps under control in the brutal Thai jungle heat. 

Mitsubishi engineers focused on delivering the kind of torque you need to crawl out of deep muddy ruts and run through deep water logged earth without un-settling the engine halfway through the week long race. Drivers usually have sequential rally gearboxes for lightning-fast shifts, but one of the Mitsubishi team Triton pickup trucks ran on a production-showroom automatic just to prove how tough it was, and it survived.