Introduction

We as auto enthusiasts always dream of seeing perfection at the highest degree of performance, a.k.a a masterclass in the art of four wheels.We cherish memories of being an audience/participating in the finest of what the world of racing has to offer. To put it in simpler or more relatable terms - imagine a lap around Ferrari’s Fiorano circuit with Kimi Raikkonnen or a stage of the Monte Carlo rally with Volkswagen’s Sebastian Ogier.

You can imagine then that I was (sort of) chuffed when I was told that I would get an off-road ride with a Hiroshi Masuoka as well as a chance to interview him and discover what makes him tick. I say sort of, because I had never heard of him before this event and was not exactly excited…that is until I looked him up and discovered that he was a double Dakar world champion as well as a Pikes Peak conquer and that set my mind on fire.

One of the brains behind the development of multiple generations of the Pajero SUV, Masuoka has paid the highest tribute to the car he helped develop, by claiming two titles in it, in what is arguably the world’s toughest endurance race. At the age of 55 he seems to be sharp as a tack and has lost none of his sharpness and skills that guided him to his victories across various races.

Who is Hiroshi Masuoka?

Japanese rally driver Hiroshi Masuoka has been driving with Mitsubishi his entire career and has participated in the Dakar Rally (the original African one) 12 times, of which he claimed back to back victories in 2002 and 2003.

He appears to have tasted major success after 2001 with additional victories at the Italian Baja Rally in 2003 and UAE Desert challenge in 2004. He has been participating in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb since 2012 where he placed second in the EV class in his first attempt.

Masuoka has been pivotal in the development of multiple generations of the Pajero SUV and has now been employed with Mitsubishi for over 30 years now. He is also actively involved in developing various models for the Japanese automaker including their new range of electric vehicles and will most likely continue to race them for at least another five years.

Heart in mouth

Having now gotten myself visibly excited, I climbed into the rear seat of a Pajero Sport along with my colleague from PowerDrift Susheel (who was glad to sit in front) at Mitsubishi’s heart-in-mouth event in Pune to get a little taste of the madness of what lay behind Masuoka San’s always smiling exterior.

Needless to say it was an insane experience to watch him throw around a 4.7-metre behemoth like it was a toy through ditches, slopes, water bodies and more scary tight single lane dirt paths.

Without as much as a losing step or breath he spent roughly 10-15 minutes per group of auto journalists literally bringing their hearts to their mouths. The piece de resistance in this incredible display of vehicular ballet was Masuoka San giggling as he ended our run with a multiple donuts and a jump.

Having had a chance to be in the prime seat in the theater of mud plugging, I obviously had to find out what made him tick and go the way he goes even after so many races and years behind the wheel.

How it began and what it takes to keep going

It seems to be a standard story for an extraordinary man. He took a liking to cars and worked his way up the order to hone his skills. When he turned of legal age Hiroshi began off-road racing in Japan and in 1980 got employment from Mitsubishi and since then has never looked back.

In his usual smiling demeanor, Masuoka says that success takes effort and hints that there can be no better path to this success than to keep practicing and perfecting your driving skills. To put it into perspective - ahead of the Dakar Rally he drove roughly 10,000km to get himself prepared for attempting the challenge.

The other important thing is obviously fitness which is a lifelong commitment when this is your chosen career path. However, what sets aside such people like Hiroshi is the mental strength that they have developed. I have said earlier, he is close to 55 but still extremely sharp and would probably run circles around any modern driver.

Tackling the Dakar Rally and Pikes Peak hill climb

Having tackled and conquered two of the world’s toughest races he tells us that they require two very different kinds of approaches. The Dakar in both forms requires perseverance and the ability to keep constant pace over significantly long distances. The car is much higher off the ground and set up to go long distances over multiple types of terrain.

The Pikes Peak hill climb on the other hand is a 156 corner, 19.9 km solo dash to the top which requires to you to drive at the limit of your vehicle while thinking at least five corners ahead. As you go higher, you also have to deal with no railings and the unpredicatability of Mother Nature.

While he has conquered the Dakar in his trusty Pajero, the Pikes Peak was tackled using an electric car developed by Mitsubishi for the purpose. The difference in both these cars is that the Pajero was more mechanical and involving while the electric car has four electric motors attached to each of the wheels and a significant number of computers to look after everything making it, as Masuoka said, “very easy to drive”.

Away from the race track, Hiroshi himself drives, if you have guessed it right, a Pajero! And by the look of it is likely to stay faithful to his creation for the rest of his life.

In the end as I was exiting the arena, my thoughts were taken back those moments where I dreamed of being audience to a masterclass of this nature. I can now proudly say that another one of my dreams/hopes has been crossed off my bucket list and I’m glad that it was with someone like Masuoka San.