An armoured limousine and four other well-equipped vehicles were recovered by the military from an area in the north-eastern district of Mullaitivu known to have been frequented by LTTE chief V. Prabhakaran.
The burnt and abandoned luxury car, apparently used by Prabhakaran till weeks ago, was found near an air-conditioned house, the military said.
Troops of Sri Lankan army (SLA) came across during a clearing operation. They have also recovered more than 40 bodies of LTTE cadres.
A senior SLA officer told a local newspaper that they suspected Prabhakaran and senior rebel leader Pottu Amman were in the same area but made good their escape within the yet-to-be cleared area in the nick of time.
The battle, meanwhile, raged on Saturday with the Sri Lankan navy (SLN) coming under attack from 10 LTTE boats, including 3 suicide craft and 7 attack craft. The clashes that followed left 18 rebels dead. Three naval craft received minor damages and two sailors were injured in the incident, the defence ministry said.