Mitsubishi’s Ralliart is one of the more famous performance divisions, thanks to the brand’s rally winning exploits and the Lancer Evolution series’ cult following.
So it’s sad news to hear that Ralliart is the latest to succumb to the changed environment the automotive world had to face ever since the global financial crisis hit. It is winding down operations.
Mitsubishi’s quit the WRC in 2005, and more recently abandoned its Dakar Rally exploits last year, including all rally raid events. Mitsubishi is the most successful manufacturer in the Dakar, with 12 wins in 26 appearances, including a record seven back-to-back victories from 2001 to 2007. With this latest development, Ralliart will no longer lend support to motorsport customers and privateers. Also put to a stop is the planning, development and selling of Ralliart products.
“The business circumstance surrounding our company radically became worse and so, this time we have reached the conclusion that we Ralliart Inc, would scale down our business activities as of the end of March 2010,” according to Ralliart Inc’s president Masao Taguchi, in a “farewell letter” to customers, which you can read for yourself after the jump.
Partial Cease of Business Activities along with Ralliart Inc’s
Business Scale Down
Ralliart Inc (President Masao Taguchi) has announced as follows.
Dear all of our customers ,
First of all, we much appreciate for your usual patronage to our company.
Our company have done the various activities relating motorsport with the support of many people since the establishment in April,1984 so far. However, because of the sudden change of economy situation since the year before last, the business circumstance surrounding our company radically became worse and so, this time we have reached the conclusion that we Ralliart Inc., would scale down our business activities as of the end of March 2010.
Along with the scale down of our business activities this time, we would cease the following business and operation which we have done so far. We would like to express our sincere apology to all of customers though we would make you much inconveniences.
Meanwhile, we wish you a continuous support to Ralliart family and entrants driving Mitsubishi cars who play an active part all over the world.
Items which would cease our business and operation along with our business scale down;
1. Support to motorsport customers(Support to the participation, Technical Support, and Awarding of Mitsubishi/Ralliart Driver of the Year)
2. New Planning, Development and Merchandize of Ralliart products (Except FIA VO parts) :*1
3. Information of new products and dispatching motorsport information(at web):*2
*1 FIA VO parts development and those application work shall be done by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation as it is.
*2 FIA Group-N information shall be open at the web site of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation.
Date of the cease: 1st April, 2010
Date of the cease: 1st April, 2010
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sad,,, not april fool right?
Proton should bought mitsu .. :p
Is this an April fools joke???
Gosh… we all are big fans on ralliart especially those recent years.. our proton wira were from the lancer evo 3 family…
Bad moon rising on the horizon for motorsports sigh! Bad times ahead!!
sad but truth…..
Good riddance. BMW M-division better
The global business scales down is a trend, the economic crisis of 2008 do cut down world purchasing power, mass production facility and global business will shrink. This is not a cyclical change, is a structural scale down on world business (especially for business outside of China), more World brand will scale down, especially on durable goods manufacturer.
Huh? The only tuner that is associated with drifting closing shop?
No!
Rest in peace…;(
why dont proton buy it?? lotus + ralliart = power*2
ralliart got experience in Turbo right?
R.I.P to the legendary tuning company, “you” always be remember as the core tuning specialist for Mitsu…Bis…Hi
Says there:
Partial Cease of Business Activities along with Ralliart Inc’s
so this is just a temporary close shop, then open back in future when markets are better?
Who did the translation?
Malaysia should buy ralliart…
M-division does not do rallies… ddhhhuuuh…
sad news to our wiralution or wajalution too? :p
APRIL FOOL!
sayang la tu…. its like history …..
this is why they should’t stop entering rally in 2005!!
now see?
it might be happen to subaru tooooo…
lucky they’re just re-enter back. but.. subaru-yota what a boring thing.
get all the ralliart goodies fast…
maybe it will become more xpensive..
anoter sad news….
Scale down not Close down!
So haven’t die yet! Only certain sections cease. After operation now on life support. No need RIP yet.
Too many fake things in d market. Blame it to the chinese that fake things out. Haha… Btw, no news on Proton’s R3? Doubt it end up like Ralli Art. No sound no air for quite sometime.
So… Who’s next?
TRD?
Mugen?
Spoon?
Nismo?
Toms?
Mazdaspeed?
HKS?
Apexi?
K&N?
Gimme the list…
sad story..
yup, p1 should buy it
)
Mitsu down, Proton Up
Mitsubishi will soon go into bankrupt mode!
Proton should buy Ralliart and Mugen! Then gain some profit by selling Lotus.
Proton should buy Ralliart and Mugen. Then make some profit by selling Lotus.
RALLIART IS DEAD and that’s final, idiots here keep on thinking proton can buy anything…..these cocks are the people who allow the government to simply waste the taxpayer’s money. shouldn’t you people at least feel a little bit of grieve for the company?
Rest in peace…ralliart..
yup, if proton buy Ralliart, the R3 version of proton cars can become R4,
R3 + Ralliart = R4
hehehe…
oh dear, another one bites the dust. joining TRUST.
Why some people trying to act smart and be funny?
Buy Mugen?……Mugen specializing in honda products……Honda will never work with Proton nor Perodua……….
Buy Ralliart?…..Funny,..Cant possible happen…….Why allow external party to develop 3rd party spare parts for them?
Alliance the boughtover Ralliart with Lotus……..????
Com’on…….Proton do have some stakes……..But they dont control Lotus……They buy Lotus so that Lotus can help them and not control them.Proton also no rights with what Lotus should do what………………..Get it?????
The Spirit of Competition
R.I.P hahahahahahahaha
world can live without hummer!! but in this case is Ralliart!!! How can this happen.. no ralliart is like nisssan without nismo!!! my gosh!!!
buy lotus kali house lar…
do remember this doesn’t mean RA will stop completely… they just scale down…
too many basher wanna act funny…
Does that mean the end of the Evo ?
Maybe Hyundai will buy them over … afterall they are already selling to them their EVOLUTION engines
Darn !
I’ve just put a nice Ralliart sticker and decals on my 10-year-old Kancil.
Now have to peel it off….
my neighbor used to be in ralliart works team, he’ll be very sad to hear of this
Ralliart was a giant in motorsport. Many people here are car enthusiasts and the normal reaction was to think that our local motorsport might benefit from their vast experience, hence the suggestion that Proton should buy etc. If decisions were made based on motorsports point of view alone, then it would be a good idea. But thats just wishful thinking since we also know that Proton has also got bussiness to think about.
So, why bring up the boring issues on tax money etc. Thats so lame… Cheer up dude…
Peter said, “Com’on…….Proton do have some stakes……..But they dont control Lotus……They buy Lotus so that Lotus can help them and not control them.Proton also no rights with what Lotus should do what………………..Get it?????”
Actually, your info is incorrect, Proton owns 100% of Lotus since 2003.
p4k4bu said,
March 12, 2010 @ 9:20 am
Darn !
I’ve just put a nice Ralliart sticker and decals on my 10-year-old Kancil.
Now have to peel it off….
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haha!i bet u bought it at pasar malam, the bundled one n put it at your driver’s door…may included on the bundle:mugen power, brembo, trd…pathetic…
Of course la bungkus, all also bought fake huge ars3 sticker, not the actual original stuff from Ralliart
RIP to the great RALLIART. Sad to see the once great name go under because most of us does not know what the RALLIART essence was, and the great name was dilluted by fakes, slapped on cars that does not warrant the great name… Last time here in Malaysia there were even 2 ralliart divisions; RALLIART MALAYSIA for mitsu cars and RALLIART EON MALAYSIA (aka PERT) for Protons…
some body need to save this ralliart
…
P1 hope u tak beli this particular company…. kukuhkan jenama u sendiri cukuplah dgn lotus dahulu.. bina lah kete yang berperibadi proton.. dgn tech yang ada design,keluarkan, spec R3 yang lebih mantap kukuhkan R3 badge baru lah mantap.. bersaing dgn jenama antarabangsa… (bile lah turbo engine nakkuar nih)
Such a significant name in motorsport. It is a sad news indeed. It’s all economics. To Julian Lee, to say M Sport Division is better would be an overstatement.
No more evo with FQ series.
No more Evos at all, not FQ