WELSH rally driver Osian Pryce gave guests the ride of their lives at an event to mark the appointment Spencer Sport near Newcastle Emlyn as the official distributor for the new Mitsubishi R5 in the UK and Ireland.

The Penrhiwllan based company’s expansion plans were revealed at the event held at its premises last week, where two of the R5 specification Mitsubishi Mirages were on display, having been shipped over from Sweden.

Following a brief presentation, guests were treated to a ride alongside talented Welsh rally driver Osian Pryce, who demonstrated the car’s abilities around the venue’s gravel rally stage.

The appointment as official distributors kick starts Spencer Sport’s expansion plans, as the company that was established at the beginning of 2014 has now grown into a fully resourced motorsport preparation business. In addition to taking on the responsibility of sales, parts supply and technical support for the Mitsubishi R5 in the UK and Ireland, Spencer Sport now also opens its doors to other rally teams and drivers to offer an end-to-end service that includes preparation, maintenance and support for their cars, both on and off events.

The Mitsubishi R5 has been designed, developed and manufactured by highly experienced engineer and Mitsubishi expert Tomas Weng, whose company Mpart AB (formally Ralliart Sweden) is now set up for production of the Mitsubishi R5. Whilst the first batch of cars is destined for the Scandinavian market, the next consignment will be shipped to the UK, in both left and right-hand-drive configurations.

“This is a very exciting time for us,” said Spencer Sport manager Charlie Jukes. “R5 is becoming the category of choice for more and more drivers, with national championships now making it the premier class. There has been a huge amount of interest in the Mitsubishi and therefore, we are delighted to become the official distributors of the car for the UK and Ireland.”

Following the launch, the next few days will comprise further testing and development on both gravel and asphalt surfaces. Both cars will then take part in next weekend’s Cambrian Rally under the Spencer Sport banner, with Osian Pryce piloting one and Swedish driver Martin Berglund – who contested the Rally North Wales in March – the other.