Mazda has confirmed that the most powerful couple in Australian motorsport will pilot its Targa Tasmania-winning Mazda3 MPS at next month's Targa High Country rally held around Victoria's rugged alpine region.

Four-time Australian Rally Champions Simon and Sue Evans, widely known for their blistering speed on gravel, will take to the tarmac for Mazda in its 190kW turbocharged hot-hatch for the second running of the event held around Mt Buller from November 4 to 6.

The couple, currently on a one-year sabbatical from the Australian Rally Championship (ARC), is delighted to have the opportunity to drive for Mazda. "We've watched Mazda's motorsport achievements with interest over the past few years and have been impressed with their success in the Targa events," said Evans. "I'm very excited to have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the Mazda3 MPS."

Between them Simon and Sue also have a number of successful tarmac outings to their name including the Nurburgring 24 Hour, Rally Tasmania and Targa Tasmania. "We're very honoured to have Simon and Sue join us for this event. Simon possesses a talent that few drivers in Australia can rival and the two of them together make for an extremely competitive team," said Mazda Motorsport Manager Allan Horsley. Simon and Sue have been rallying together since 1999 and live in Nar Nar Goon in Melbourne's South East. The pair won the revered ARC title in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010.

This year's Targa High Country comprises 16 challenging closed-road stages and 217 competitive kilometres over two days taking in Mt Buller, King Valley and Eildon. The event will kick off with a prologue held in the picturesque town of Mansfield on Friday 4 November. Targa High Country is the opening round of the Australian Targa Championship, which also made up of Tasmania's Targa Wrest Point and Targa Tasmania rallies.