Support vehicles are the unsung heroes of rallying: They lug around parts and personnel over grueling terrain yet they rarely get their chance to shine. We’re pleasantly surprised Mitsubishi is bucking that trend and highlighting the tiny kei van it sent to the 2024 Asia Cross Country Rally.
Held annually, the Asia Cross Country Rally takes competitors through some pretty gnarly conditions, including dirt and mud. The 2024 edition started in Surat Thani, Thailand, and ended five days and about 1,250 miles later in Kanchanaburi. Mitsubishi’s official entry into the event was a modified Triton pickup, which took fifth, but I’d argue the real star of the show is the Delica Mini support car. It’s the little kei van that could.
Preparing the Delica Mini for rally support duty required making numerous modifications. It features a lift kit, relatively meaty all-terrain tires, and a roof basket, among other aftermarket add-ons. I absolutely love the red mudflaps, which look a lot like the ones you’d see on an Evo. There’s no word on whether Mitsubishi made mechanical updates. Stock, this 133-inch-long van is powered by a 658cc three-cylinder engine rated at merely 52 horsepower. It’s also available with a turbocharged version of the triple that puts 63 horsepower under the driver’s right foot.
Mitsubishi is so proud of the Delica Mini for finishing the race that it’s displaying it at the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon alongside the Triton that raced in the Asia Cross Country Rally and the Delica D:5 it also dispatched as a support vehicle. Even stock, the Delica Mini (which went on sale in Japan in 2023) stands out with rugged, SUV-like styling. Does its stint as a rally support vehicle warrant a more off-road-capable trim? I hope so.
Better yet: How about a rally series open exclusively to kei vans?
Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com