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JUTTA KLEINSCHMIDT Among Champions Behind Pajero’s 12 Dakar Rally Wins

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September 3, 2026

GRRL! SUMMARY:

  • JUTTA KLEINSCHMIDT secured one of Mitsubishi’s 12 Dakar Rally victories during the dominant 2001-2007 run alongside Stéphane Peterhansel and Hiroshi Masuoka, cementing the Pajero’s motorsport legacy that directly influenced Super Select 4WD development.
  • The technical foundations proven through KLEINSCHMIDT’s Dakar campaigns fed real-world suspension flex and differential behavior data into production engineering, with co-driver instrumentation evolving into today’s digital Multi Meter pitch and roll displays.
  • Mitsubishi’s return to body-on-frame construction honors the platform that carried KLEINSCHMIDT and fellow champions to victory, reversing the 1999-2021 unibody era to recompete against Land Cruiser and Patrol in hardcore off-road segments.

UPCOMING:

  • Mitsubishi Pajero Australian deliveries before end of 2026
  • Plug-in hybrid Pajero variant expected approximately 2030

LINKS TO RACER'S PROFILE PAGES:

JUTTA KLEINSCHMIDT

dakar rally, mitsubishi, off-road suv, super select 4wd

GRRL! summary based upon reporting by Philip Nickell originally appearing on www.techtimes.com