Mitsubishi released the Lancer 1600GSR in February of 1973 and entered it in the Southern Cross Rally at the end of the same year. By replacing the SU carburetor with a Solex carburetor, swapping camshafts and adopting a 4-2-1 type exhaust manifold, the power of the 1.6-liter SOHC inline-4 was raised from 108 HP to 158 HP.