Mitsubishi Racing Lancer news - Eat my sand - 2008

It's a good day for big cool stuff. Earlier, we saw that giant Volvo riot van/powerwasher thing, and now this: the probably-somewhat-faster but equally excellent-looking Mitsubishi Racing Lancer.

These are the first pictures we've seen of Mitsu's new cross-country rallier, which is shortly to make its race debut ahead of next year's Dakar rally.

Yep, that's the Dakar rally in South America. Confusing it may be, but Mitsubishi is out to win it, and reckons the Racing Lancer is the car to do it.

It's powered by a three-litre V6 turbodiesel - aye, diesel - with, we assume, enough torque to spin South America upside-down.

It looks pretty awesome, no? When the robots take over the cities and we're all forced to live a nomadic, hand-to-mouth existence, roaming the deserts and plains, we want one of these for company.

Sorry, did we say 'when'? If. Obviously we meant 'if'.