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Following the unfortunate cancellation of the 2008 Dakar, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and its motor sport arm MMSP are pleased to announce that Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart will participate in the inaugural Central Europe Rally.

It is now one month since we learnt that the Dakar 2008 had been cancelled, at a press conference held on 5 January, the day before the scheduled departure, by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) in the centre of Belém in Portugal. After a long debate, the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart team decided to stick to its roots and its values: cross-country rally racing.

The four crews and cars* that will spearhead the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team's bid to secure a record eighth consecutive Dakar win for Mitsubishi have successfully completed the pre-start scrutineering formalities which took place this morning in Lisbon. The four Pajero/Montero Evolution MPR13s have now been placed in parc ferme - on the picturesque Praça do Imperio in the centre of the Portuguese capital - in readiness for the official start of the 2008 event and the first taste of competitive action on Saturday, January 5.

Every year, preparations for the next Dakar rally get underway in November. Those taking part spend their days in press conferences, physical training and running the final technical tests. For this thirtieth edition, the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart team will again comprise its four faithful and successful crews of Peterhansel/Cottret, Alphand/Picard, Masuoka/Maimon and Roma/Cruz.