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Mitsubishi logged a whopping 12 overall wins and 150 stage wins at Dakar with the Pajero.

Welcome to Off-Road Legends, a new series from HotCars where we will take a closer look at some of the most iconic and successful off-roaders of all time. From the best pickup trucks we know and love to the most hardcore, Baja-prepped racing machines ever seen, Off-Road Legends highlights everything that allows vehicles to keep right on running when the pavement ends.

In previous episodes, we covered some of the greatest rally cars of all time, from the Lancia Stratos HF that redefined supercar designed for decades to the Porsche 959 that set a new standard for on-road speed, too, and even the most famous WRC cheater of all time, the Toyota Celica GT-Four. Of course, we had to include Lancia's Delta HF Integrale, which still reigns as the most successful rally car of all time with six straight WRC championships. But if any Off-Road Legend can challenge the Integrale in terms of overall win record, perhaps only Mitsubishi's Pajero can come close with an unbelievable 12 overall victories, including seven straight, at the grueling Dakar Rally.

For American readers, the Pajero might sound a little mysterious—is this a special version of the Lancer Evolution? But gearheads the world over know the Pajero well as one of the greatest SUVs ever made and here in the US and a few other markets, the Pajero sold under the Montero nameplate (due to Pajero being a slang word similar to "wanker" in Spanish).

What started out as a simple, boxy truck essentially with an enclosed canopy eventually transformed into the winningest Dakar racer of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and over 40 years of production spanning multiple generations make Pajeros ubiquitous the world over. Just watch any movie featuring a rugged international filming location and at least one Pajero or Montero will usually pop up—The Dark Knight Rises and Blood Diamond both show off Mitsubishi's iconic truck.

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The first-gen Pajero-Montero began production way back in 1981 but an initial prototype debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show a full eight years before that. The Pajero name came from the Pampas Cat that inhabits the Patagonia region of Southern Argentina, while Montero means "mountain warrior" (and the UK received Shoguns).

The boxy, plodding SUV was on the market for only two years before Mitsubishi entered it in the 1983 Paris Dakar Rally. By 1985, a Pajero took first place at only the third attempt, setting the stage for decades of dominance (not to mention a total of 3.3 million sales before the Pajero went out of production in 2021).

RELATED: How The Mitsubishi Pajero Evolved Over Time

The first-gen Pajero-Montero's rugged construction provided a perfect combination for the high-speed desert racing required to win the Paris Dakar Rally. A solid rear axle with independent front suspension combined articulation with smooth driving dynamics and Mitsubishi pioneered a novel part-time four-wheel-drive system able to activate on the fly.

But Mitsubishi truly hit its Dakar stride with the Pajero Evolution, a purpose-built rally truck that spawned a road-going homologation version, as well. Surprisingly, the PajEvo lost the solid rear axle in favor of independent rear suspension but gained dual Torsen automatic torque biasing differentials front and rear, plus a four-inch wider track to complement a shortened wheelbase.

RELATED: A Look back At The 40-Year History Of The Mitsubishi Pajero

Under the hood, the Pajero Evo's 3.5-liter V6 allegedly produced 276 horsepower—but in the era of the Japanese automaker "Gentleman's Agreement," there's a good chance the dual-overhead-camshaft engine pumped out more like 300 ponies thanks to Mitsubishi's advanced MIVEC valve timing system. Plus, that power routed to the rear or all four wheels through a five-speed automatic with more aggressive gear ratios and Tiptronic-style shifting.

Compare those specs to a more common second-generation Pajero or Montero with the base single-cam 3.5-liter V6, which was rated at only 200 horsepower, and only a slushbox four-speed automatic. The regular model also retained the solid rear axle and available locking rear differential, with no Torsen diffs available.

RELATED: 10 Things Everyone Forgot About The Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution

At the Paris Dakar Rally (now known simply as the Dakar Rally since the route no longer comes anywhere near Paris), Mitsubishi largely competed in the T2 Modified Production Class and the T3 prototype class. Across the two, the Pajero logged an absurd 150 stage wins at Dakar between 1983 and 2007, nearly double that of Peugeot in second place with 78 stage wins.

To qualify for the T2 class, Mitsubishi built 2,693 units of the road-going Pajero Evolution, all sold only in the Japanese Domestic Market. But in 2022, the Evolution took big steps forward and left any production relatives well behind.

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Clearly identifiable with a more rounded profile, the new PajEvo employed multiple engines over the coming years, including a quad-turbo diesel and a 4.0-liter V6 based on a stroked version of the 6G75 with MIVEC. By the time Mitsubishi bowed the Pajero out of Dakar competition, the potency of the platform established a record beyond compare—though other manufacturers undoubtedly hope to get close one day.

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As rugged and tough as the Pajero-Montero might be, Mitsubishi also built miniature versions for the Japanese Domestic Market, too. These tiny two-doors feature similar four-wheel-drive drivetrains and depending on the model and year, choices between naturally aspirated and turbo engines, plus manual and automatic transmissions. Known as the Pajero Junior and Pajero Mini, these micro-SUVs now seem like a great way to get into the Mitsubishi legend at an easy, affordable price of entry (for those who feel comfortable importing one under the 25-year rule and then driving on the right-hand side).

RELATED: The Mitsubishi Montero Is The Most Overlanding Fun You Will Have For Under $5,000

Meanwhile, after 2007, the Pajero continued production globally all the way through to 2021. But not here in the States, where Mitsubishi canceled third-gen sales in 2006. By then, the Montero had developed into something of a luxury SUV, with independent rear suspension and a five-speed automatic transmission borrowed from the Pajero Evo—but no Torsen differentials, sadly.

Now that the entire world lacks a Pajero or Montero, will Mitsubishi ever bring the model back for a modern iteration? Well, early hints suggest that a Ralliart revival might well be underway, though given Mitsu's track record building subpar cars for years now, whether anything new can ever hope to compare to the original two generations or Pajero Evolution remains seriously doubtful.

For rally fans in the United States, the rolling 25-year rule means that early Pajero Evolutions can now be imported legally (though registration may cause issues depending on state-by-state rules). Pricing for these rare homologation specials still seems a bit all over the map depending on mileage and condition, however, so finding a solid Gen-2.5 Montero with the blister fenders probably remains the best bet for anyone with a budget who needs to get a taste of Mitsubishi's world-record Dakar success.

Sources: mitsubishicars.com, youtube.com, guinnessworldrecords.com, and dakar.com.

Michael Van Runkle grew up surrounded by Los Angeles car culture, going to small enthusiast meets and enormous industry shows. He learned to drive stick shift in a 1948 Chevy pickup with no first gear and currently dailies his 1998 Mitsubishi Montero while daydreaming about one day finishing up that Porsche 914 project. He's written in various media since graduating from UC Berkeley in 2010 and started at HotCars in February 2018.