Evolved Evolution

The Mitsubishi Evolution Lancers – Evo 4 to Evo 6s especially – are amongst the least modified high-performance vehicles in Australia. Why? Well, heck, what really needs to be done?! With 206kW, a 1360kg kerb weight, big brakes, all-wheel-drive and the handling prowess delivered by AYC (Active Yaw Control), this is an absolute firecracker outa the box.

But there is a small band of people interested in tweaking the late-model Evos.

Henry X of Melbourne decided the performance of his Japanese import 2000 Evo 6 GSR was pretty good, but with 4G63 tuning gurus – Technic Tuning – only a few kilometres away, it was never going to stay stock for long...

The standard Evo exhaust is not bad as far as factory systems go, but it still holds back plenty of kilowatts. Technic Tuning ripped it off and installed a beautifully crafted HKS system from the turbo to the tip. The factory air intake was next in line for modification. A Japanese-manufactured ARC aluminium airbox (containing a sponge type filter) was fitted in the engine bay as a straight bolt-up to the factory airflow meter.

At last, the turbocharged 4G63 engine could now breathe without choking.

Evolution intercoolers are amongst the best manufactured for OE use, but they’re not a patch on the big ARC bar-and-plate ‘cooler now fitted to Henry’s car. This big intercooler is another typically bolt-in Japanese affair – it all fits together without hiccup. A polished catch can has also joined the team to stop blow-by oil sludging up the new intercooler core.

The Mitsi Evo 6 GSR comes equipped with a TD05HR-16G6-10.5T turbocharger with an Inconel turbine. However, to achieve greater top-end power, Henry upgraded to a larger 18G compressor. Note that throttle response is maintained by keeping the factory turbine – the traditional advantage of a ‘hybrid’ turbocharger. A HKS atmospheric-venting blow-off valve purges pressure spokes on fast gear changes.

Being a Japanese import, it’s only natural that the ECU fitted to the car is optimised for use with high-octane Japanese fuel – not the lower grade stuff we have here in Australia. To customise the fuel and ignition maps to suit, Technic Tuning plugged in an A’PEXi Power FC computer. A couple of hours on the chassis dyno are all that was required for a 100 percent glitch-free tune. Boost control is left to a stand-alone A’PEXi AVC-R electronic unit, which is set to provide a maximum of 1.1 Bar of manifold pressure. Nothing too wild.

These mods are just outside the scope of the factory fuel system, so Technic Tuning installed a Bosch 910 upgrade pump and an in-house adjustable pressure regulator (along with an associated fuel pressure gauge).

With fuel and timing maps described by Technic Tuning as “conservative”, the tweaked Evo 6 has punched out around 180kW at all four wheels on the company’s Dyno Dynamics chassis dyno. That might not seem like a stratospherically high number but it is 30 percent more power than stock – more than enough to convincingly out-gun a stock Evo.

And, yeah, like a stock Evo is slow to begin with...

Despite the considerable torque increase, the standard Mitsubishi Evo clutch remains in service. Gavin from Technic Tuning says there’s no reason it won’t last a good length of time so long as it’s treated sparingly. The big upshot of using the standard clutch is there’s less stress transferred to the gearbox – always a good thing with a traction-endowed AWD turbo!

That wonderful AYC handling is hard to beat but Henry has switched to a set of HKS HyperMax 2 coil-overs along with an aftermarket front strut tower brace. And the wheels? Black Racing 17s wearing 215/45 rubber. Take a squiz behind the wheel spokes and you’ll see the factory Brembo brake arrangement is standard except for a set of high quality aftermarket pads.

The acceleration, cornering and braking forces possible in a modified Lancer Evo take some getting used to. Mitsubishi, wisely, decks out each Evo with a highly supportive pair of front seats to help the driver stay in control – no seat-sliding here. Henry has deemed the factory trim good enough to remain in place but you will find the controller for the A’PEXi AVC-R, as well as an A’PEXi Auto Timer to provide the appropriate idle-down time and an air-fuel ratio display.

Styling wise, the Evo already boasts widened guards, a towering rear wing, fluted bonnet and an aggressive front ‘bar. Henry has fine-tuned the appearance with a C-West lower kit with compact projector lights and a black painted bonnet. And, yes, a stand-out black bonnet is still very fashionable in Japan.

Unfortunately, Henry sold the vehicle not long after our photo shoot and he never had the chance to take it to the drags. However, to give you a ball-park idea of its performance, Gavin from Technic Tuning says it should be good for a 12 second pass. But he does point out this would depend on the driver’s abilities – a poor launch could cost more than a second.

But let’s not hang off what sort of quarter mile this machine should do – we all know it’s quick. Throw a winding road in front of it – maybe one with some slippery, wet patches – and it really comes into its own.

This is the essence of Evo.

Contact: Technic Tuning +61 3 9495 1683