Mitsubishi Evo News **VIII, MR, RS, Dynoed (page 3)**
02-13-2003, 12:04 PM
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Mitsubishi Evo News **VIII, MR, RS, Dynoed (page 3)**
Holy Moly, nothing sacred left. I like it.
--------------------------------------------------------
For years, its deadliest rival has taken the glory for performance load-lugging, but Mitsubishi is about to hit back.
Exclusive images in the current issue of Auto Express magazine reveal an estate version of the Evo VIII testing in northern Europe, and the car is set to teach Subaru's Impreza five-door a thing or two about mixing pace and practicality.
We first broke the news about how Mitsubishi was planning an estate in March 2001, but the new body style is just starting to take shape. The aggressive lines of the saloon have successfully transferred to the five-door, but don't expect it to be as raw as the rally-bred booted version. The new model will make do with 'only' 220bhp - 80bhp less than the range-topping FQ four-door - and will be far more refined and comfortable over long journeys.
Although the Evo VIII's awesome 2.0-litre turbocharged engine is likely to be replaced with a detuned 1.8 version, performance will be impressive. The 0-60mph sprint will take 5.5 seconds, while a top speed of 155mph is expected. Mitsubishi's hi-tech stability control systems will help keep the car, which is likely to cost from £23,000, on the straight and narrow.
This practical addition to the Evo line-up will end Subaru's monopoly on sporting estates and bring the firms into direct competition. However, the newcomer also has more refined opponents, such as Audi's RS4, in its sights.
The estate pictured here was part of a convoy of Mitsubishis, including the lower-powered version of the Evo VIII, which is due here late this year. Chris Thorp
--------------------------------------------------------
For years, its deadliest rival has taken the glory for performance load-lugging, but Mitsubishi is about to hit back.
Exclusive images in the current issue of Auto Express magazine reveal an estate version of the Evo VIII testing in northern Europe, and the car is set to teach Subaru's Impreza five-door a thing or two about mixing pace and practicality.
We first broke the news about how Mitsubishi was planning an estate in March 2001, but the new body style is just starting to take shape. The aggressive lines of the saloon have successfully transferred to the five-door, but don't expect it to be as raw as the rally-bred booted version. The new model will make do with 'only' 220bhp - 80bhp less than the range-topping FQ four-door - and will be far more refined and comfortable over long journeys.
Although the Evo VIII's awesome 2.0-litre turbocharged engine is likely to be replaced with a detuned 1.8 version, performance will be impressive. The 0-60mph sprint will take 5.5 seconds, while a top speed of 155mph is expected. Mitsubishi's hi-tech stability control systems will help keep the car, which is likely to cost from £23,000, on the straight and narrow.
This practical addition to the Evo line-up will end Subaru's monopoly on sporting estates and bring the firms into direct competition. However, the newcomer also has more refined opponents, such as Audi's RS4, in its sights.
The estate pictured here was part of a convoy of Mitsubishis, including the lower-powered version of the Evo VIII, which is due here late this year. Chris Thorp
05-06-2003, 04:29 PM
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Autoweek times the EVO at 5.2 for the 0-60 - Complete Review
2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
Eight is More Than Enough
By KEVIN A. WILSON
The face of an anime villain and the Evolution name on its trunklid tell you this Lancer is no mere grocery-fetcher, if the tall wing and fat tires escaped your notice.
THEY’RE CALLING THIS THE LANCER Evolution in the United States. Elsewhere, it’s known as the Evo VIII, which tells you Mitsubishi has gone through seven generations since 1992 before deciding the car and the U.S. market were ready for one another. American rally enthusiasts have been lusting after it since at least Evo IV.
Our first look at the car was in Thailand, on a racetrack. Now, after driving the Evolution on public roads in the Detroit area and in California, and running it through our test regimen, we can tell you the car is certainly ready.
2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION PHOTOS
It’s a box full of fast, frenzied fun with enough rally flavor to inspire your passengers to utterances like “third gear right, bump in middle, in 300, 200...” This is true even though, technically, it’s not a rally homologation special, as were earlier Evos.
2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION
ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $30,812
POWERTRAIN: 2.0-liter, 271-hp, 273-lb-ft turbo-charged I4; awd, five-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 3263 pounds
0-60 MPH: 5.19 seconds
For one thing, serious production-volume homologation runs are no longer required for the WRC class, and for another, Mitsubishi isn’t competing this year. That is, unless you count North American marketplace competition, where the Evolution squares off against Subaru’s WRX STi, and a fwd, 160-hp Ralliart edition of the Lancer is due to appeal to the less-monied sector of the sport/compact market this fall.
We’re plenty happy to finally get to drive machines like this Evolution. Our first Evolution offers 271 hp from 2.0 liters of turbocharged, intercooled four-cylinder. This basic engine design has been around for nearly 30 years at Mitsubishi and started life as a 1.6-liter, so it’s little surprise to find it feels stretched and stressed to generate 135 hp/liter, even if it is a bit short of what Subaru squeezes from the same displacement. Water spray onto the air-to-air intercooler helps densify the intake charge, though we doubt you’ll detect much difference from this feature unless you’re running the car hard for an extended enough period to get the temperatures good and hot. We did, and thought we could detect a bit extra—not much—in hard running with the console switch set to “automatic.” There’s a manual mode, if you just want to make steam. We were more certain we could feel the difference in performance between a warmish afternoon and the cooler air when we were inspired to make a lap of a local test road in the wee, wee traffic-free hours, just for kicks. In these cooler conditions the water spray didn’t seem to do much more than produce an interesting signature odor—hot washer fluid—when we parked.
The standard 17-inch wheels sport Yokohama Advan performance tires, 235/45Rs, with sidewalls so short we needed the bifocals to read the tiny letters that told us they were dry weather-only rubber. They stick and stick and stick some more. But, as they don’t quite say in Arizona, it’s a dry grip; a light snow proved their undoing, leaving one of us helpless to avoid an onrushing wall on a freeway ramp. The slow crunch demonstrated that—like rally drivers—Evolution owners will need more than one set of tires.
With the power peak up at 6500 rpm, torque topping out at 3500, it’s a good thing the engine spins so readily and the ratios in the gearbox are so closely spaced. Where other markets get a six-speed, the U.S. car has a five-speed manual with nice tight throws. The box is geared short in the lower ranges, especially, the better to launch 3263 pounds.
Impressive as the engine is—clearly stronger than the regular WRX’s 227-hp flat four, and racier in character—it’s the steering and chassis dynamics that leave the greatest impression. The steering is so immediate that, after driving this, you get back into a Mini to find “go-kart” quick has become a relative expression, and one you’re no longer so willing to apply to the little Brit. Not only does the steering respond immediately to a move of your hand, but there’s so little slop in the suspension that the car turns in sharply and you find yourself over-steering at first. Soon, you don’t steer so much as you think the car into position.
It’s got a radio, and if you tap out the beat with your fingers on the steering wheel, the Evo will dance with you.
There’s less roll than in the Subaru, and a firm ride, yet enough suspension travel and compliance to cope with rough roads. When you’re not driving the wheels off the thing, you’ll find there’s plenty of room for passengers and cargo, and while it’s high-strung, the young at heart could certainly live with it as a commuter.
There are only two factory options, and our example had both the glass sunroof (which adds 35 pounds) and the carbon-fiber rear wing. If Recaro seats, Brembo brakes and a MOMO steering wheel don’t make you think “tuner car,” the Evolution’s stress-puppy nature will make the association clear. So will the dealer accessory catalog, which includes an air dam, sport pedals, brake cooling vents, strut tower braces and a supplementary instrument cluster (boost gauge, oil temperature and voltage).
Our web editor, a video-game reviewer in a former life and owner of a WRX, notes the Evolution outperforms his car handily and can dart lane to lane quicker than a cat being chased by a Doberman. You’ve got to be careful about such maneuvers, though, since you’re likely to find fascinated onlookers dogging your blind spots. There’s clearly a segment of Americans who know what this car is, including the batch of suburban high school boys who showed up in the executive editor’s living room in search of rides within minutes of its arrival.
Which may speak to the readiness of the market to absorb Mitsu’s projected 6500 sales. We’ll see; those youngsters may lust after this car, but they’re driving 10-year-old Eclipses and rattly Grand Ams. What we have here is a utilitarian car tricked out with performance hardware to justify a sticker price north of $30,000 even before dealer markups reported as high as 50 percent. If the sport/compact tuner phenomenon sees folks pouring money into prosaic econo-sedans, those are custom machines in which the investment is made over time—and in sweat equity—not factory offerings. Yes, it’s a niche market and an image-builder, but well...
Let’s just say some of us have been waiting longer than others for rallying to blossom in America, and especially for it to bear fruit in the showroom. We were around for the spike of rally interest during the high-tech Group B era of the early to mid-1980s, when enthusiasts all knew the names Ari Vatanen, Stig Blomqvist and, of course, John Buffum. We cheered the Audi quattro Coupe, and the later Mazda 323 GTX, a rally-inspired, turbocharged 4wd version of a go-to-market hatchback that sold in tiny numbers but still has a devoted cult following.
But all that was 15 to 20 years ago. Here we are again, hailing high-po all-wheel-drive, tricked-out familymobiles. You’ll have to forgive us a little “Haven’t we heard this before?” when enthusiasts go over the top about the meaning of it all. Subaru-plus-Mitsubishi selling 10,000 cars, they speculate, might encourage Ford to give us a similar Focus, or provide a stalking horse for the return of rally-successful French makes to America. That looks like a stretch longer than our memory of the ’80s.
What’s different now? Well, a generation that grew up on video games like Colin McRae Rally and Gran Turismo knows of the sport. And TV coverage on Speed that has made rallying familiar to a broad range of Americans.
So maybe, just maybe, the time is finally ripe. We sure hope so, because this Evo sets off our kind of fireworks, and we’d hate to see the bright light fade away.
Eight is More Than Enough
By KEVIN A. WILSON
The face of an anime villain and the Evolution name on its trunklid tell you this Lancer is no mere grocery-fetcher, if the tall wing and fat tires escaped your notice.
THEY’RE CALLING THIS THE LANCER Evolution in the United States. Elsewhere, it’s known as the Evo VIII, which tells you Mitsubishi has gone through seven generations since 1992 before deciding the car and the U.S. market were ready for one another. American rally enthusiasts have been lusting after it since at least Evo IV.
Our first look at the car was in Thailand, on a racetrack. Now, after driving the Evolution on public roads in the Detroit area and in California, and running it through our test regimen, we can tell you the car is certainly ready.
2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION PHOTOS
It’s a box full of fast, frenzied fun with enough rally flavor to inspire your passengers to utterances like “third gear right, bump in middle, in 300, 200...” This is true even though, technically, it’s not a rally homologation special, as were earlier Evos.
2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION
ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $30,812
POWERTRAIN: 2.0-liter, 271-hp, 273-lb-ft turbo-charged I4; awd, five-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 3263 pounds
0-60 MPH: 5.19 seconds
For one thing, serious production-volume homologation runs are no longer required for the WRC class, and for another, Mitsubishi isn’t competing this year. That is, unless you count North American marketplace competition, where the Evolution squares off against Subaru’s WRX STi, and a fwd, 160-hp Ralliart edition of the Lancer is due to appeal to the less-monied sector of the sport/compact market this fall.
We’re plenty happy to finally get to drive machines like this Evolution. Our first Evolution offers 271 hp from 2.0 liters of turbocharged, intercooled four-cylinder. This basic engine design has been around for nearly 30 years at Mitsubishi and started life as a 1.6-liter, so it’s little surprise to find it feels stretched and stressed to generate 135 hp/liter, even if it is a bit short of what Subaru squeezes from the same displacement. Water spray onto the air-to-air intercooler helps densify the intake charge, though we doubt you’ll detect much difference from this feature unless you’re running the car hard for an extended enough period to get the temperatures good and hot. We did, and thought we could detect a bit extra—not much—in hard running with the console switch set to “automatic.” There’s a manual mode, if you just want to make steam. We were more certain we could feel the difference in performance between a warmish afternoon and the cooler air when we were inspired to make a lap of a local test road in the wee, wee traffic-free hours, just for kicks. In these cooler conditions the water spray didn’t seem to do much more than produce an interesting signature odor—hot washer fluid—when we parked.
The standard 17-inch wheels sport Yokohama Advan performance tires, 235/45Rs, with sidewalls so short we needed the bifocals to read the tiny letters that told us they were dry weather-only rubber. They stick and stick and stick some more. But, as they don’t quite say in Arizona, it’s a dry grip; a light snow proved their undoing, leaving one of us helpless to avoid an onrushing wall on a freeway ramp. The slow crunch demonstrated that—like rally drivers—Evolution owners will need more than one set of tires.
With the power peak up at 6500 rpm, torque topping out at 3500, it’s a good thing the engine spins so readily and the ratios in the gearbox are so closely spaced. Where other markets get a six-speed, the U.S. car has a five-speed manual with nice tight throws. The box is geared short in the lower ranges, especially, the better to launch 3263 pounds.
Impressive as the engine is—clearly stronger than the regular WRX’s 227-hp flat four, and racier in character—it’s the steering and chassis dynamics that leave the greatest impression. The steering is so immediate that, after driving this, you get back into a Mini to find “go-kart” quick has become a relative expression, and one you’re no longer so willing to apply to the little Brit. Not only does the steering respond immediately to a move of your hand, but there’s so little slop in the suspension that the car turns in sharply and you find yourself over-steering at first. Soon, you don’t steer so much as you think the car into position.
It’s got a radio, and if you tap out the beat with your fingers on the steering wheel, the Evo will dance with you.
There’s less roll than in the Subaru, and a firm ride, yet enough suspension travel and compliance to cope with rough roads. When you’re not driving the wheels off the thing, you’ll find there’s plenty of room for passengers and cargo, and while it’s high-strung, the young at heart could certainly live with it as a commuter.
There are only two factory options, and our example had both the glass sunroof (which adds 35 pounds) and the carbon-fiber rear wing. If Recaro seats, Brembo brakes and a MOMO steering wheel don’t make you think “tuner car,” the Evolution’s stress-puppy nature will make the association clear. So will the dealer accessory catalog, which includes an air dam, sport pedals, brake cooling vents, strut tower braces and a supplementary instrument cluster (boost gauge, oil temperature and voltage).
Our web editor, a video-game reviewer in a former life and owner of a WRX, notes the Evolution outperforms his car handily and can dart lane to lane quicker than a cat being chased by a Doberman. You’ve got to be careful about such maneuvers, though, since you’re likely to find fascinated onlookers dogging your blind spots. There’s clearly a segment of Americans who know what this car is, including the batch of suburban high school boys who showed up in the executive editor’s living room in search of rides within minutes of its arrival.
Which may speak to the readiness of the market to absorb Mitsu’s projected 6500 sales. We’ll see; those youngsters may lust after this car, but they’re driving 10-year-old Eclipses and rattly Grand Ams. What we have here is a utilitarian car tricked out with performance hardware to justify a sticker price north of $30,000 even before dealer markups reported as high as 50 percent. If the sport/compact tuner phenomenon sees folks pouring money into prosaic econo-sedans, those are custom machines in which the investment is made over time—and in sweat equity—not factory offerings. Yes, it’s a niche market and an image-builder, but well...
Let’s just say some of us have been waiting longer than others for rallying to blossom in America, and especially for it to bear fruit in the showroom. We were around for the spike of rally interest during the high-tech Group B era of the early to mid-1980s, when enthusiasts all knew the names Ari Vatanen, Stig Blomqvist and, of course, John Buffum. We cheered the Audi quattro Coupe, and the later Mazda 323 GTX, a rally-inspired, turbocharged 4wd version of a go-to-market hatchback that sold in tiny numbers but still has a devoted cult following.
But all that was 15 to 20 years ago. Here we are again, hailing high-po all-wheel-drive, tricked-out familymobiles. You’ll have to forgive us a little “Haven’t we heard this before?” when enthusiasts go over the top about the meaning of it all. Subaru-plus-Mitsubishi selling 10,000 cars, they speculate, might encourage Ford to give us a similar Focus, or provide a stalking horse for the return of rally-successful French makes to America. That looks like a stretch longer than our memory of the ’80s.
What’s different now? Well, a generation that grew up on video games like Colin McRae Rally and Gran Turismo knows of the sport. And TV coverage on Speed that has made rallying familiar to a broad range of Americans.
So maybe, just maybe, the time is finally ripe. We sure hope so, because this Evo sets off our kind of fireworks, and we’d hate to see the bright light fade away.
05-19-2003, 10:19 AM
#6
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EVO: Spend $1595 and get 310HP and 295 lb-ft
Nothing new, yet interesting. This reminds me of the DSM days. Ah....the lag... 
------------------------------------------------------
More Evolved: Tuning by Vishnu yields more than 300 hp for this Mitsu Evolution
By JOE KOVACH
(Photos by Ron Kimball)
WE RIDE SHOTGUN WITH car-tuner Shiv Pathak as he test drives his new Evo VIII, in which he has just remapped the input to the engine control unit via his dyno and laptop computer. At a stop, a thunderous V8 roar heralds the arrival of a black Mustang Cobra at our side. It’s driven by a baseball-capped guy who looks about 20. Pathak laughs, and says, “Looks like we have a challenger.”
The drivers glance at each other, the light changes, the road is clear and we’re off through a long, wide sweeper, both cars at full frenzy, the blown-V8 roar mixing with a blown-four snarl, and eight tires shrieking. The Mustang stays alongside a bit, but when it fades behind, Pathak eases off. “I don’t want the guy to hurt himself,” he confides. “Sometimes people drive way over their heads.”
We slow to a crawl. The Cobra driver, who knows Pathak owns a car-tuning operation, pays a begrudging compliment. He looks at the Evo and yells, “Those cars are sick!” Then he vanishes in a loud burnout.
Pathak, 29, who founded Vishnu Performance Systems in 2000, doesn’t hesitate to call the Evo a supercar that can run with any other on the road. “Disregard its humble econobox origins,” his website, vishnutuning.com, reads. Here he also asserts that he’s “bringing high-end engine control systems to the masses.”
Pathak boosts the stock Evo’s 271 hp at 6500 rpm and 273 lb-ft at 3500 rpm to 310 hp at 6500 rpm and 295 lb-ft at 3900 rpm. He calls the $1,595 package, which uses a three-inch-tube cat-back exhaust and the Vishnu Xede, a Stage Zero.
The Xede (say “ex-eed”) is a small, piggyback computer that fits under the passenger-side footwell. It plugs into a laptop so do-it-yourself customers can download Pathak’s mapping, available by e-mail or from the Vishnu website, into their cars.
We watched Pathak dyno an Evo to remap its engine input. The dyno can test all-wheel-drive vehicles and seems to be able to break down all data in almost every way imaginable.
Watching the power curves on a computer screen, Pathak types on his keyboard to manipulate the air/fuel ratio, boost and rpm “to smooth out the dips and bumps” in the graph, and the car eventually runs to 130 mph on the dyno. He says this method, unlike some performance modifications, causes no drop in gas mileage and no rough idling. It’s almost like balancing and blueprinting the Evo’s 2.0-liter engine by enhancing the
engine’s brain.
Using his laptop, he burns the completed data into the installed Xede, then makes a copy of the data, gives it a slug name, such as “Fred Smith’s ’03 Evo,” and saves a version, as anyone would a Word document, for each customer.
These seemingly subtle computer changes really show on the road. After the Cobra left, Pathak continued on the test route he uses near his shop in Pleasanton, California, in the San Francisco Bay area. Often revving at or beyond redline and powersliding through corners modulated with the throttle, he deftly avoids sloth drivers and lane wanderers. The ride is nowhere near scary, but it is fun.
“That Mitsubishi made this incredible car that I can drive as hard as I can and stay in complete control is really impressive,” he said.
He installed a one-millimeter-thicker rear antiroll bar and says anything thicker will make a rear-wheel lift in fast corners. That’s just one of the few aftermarket recommendations he makes for the Evo—for now.
Our own seat time in a Vishnu Evo left us surprised at the rush it delivers in both the power surge and its sound. It seemed impossible to over-rev. Get in a balanced groove with its tight, quick, go-kart steering and you feel like you can outrun, out-handle—and out-stop—anything, including far more expensive cars. It’s a video game come to life.
The test route includes a dip in the road that punishes most cars Pathak tests, but the Evo, despite its stiff suspension, doesn’t bottom out. Neither does its rival, the Subaru WRX, though Pathak says the Subie oscillates a bit. The Evo stays tight on its line and takes an off-camber corner like it’s routine.
Other changes Pathak recommends are few, since the Evo is so good out of the box. He suggests owners invest in a good alignment that suits their driving style. He also says upgrade to performance brake pads and a set of stainless-steel braided brake lines. And for a power boost, use a higher octane than California’s mandatory 91-octane gas—he offers maps for both 91 and for higher octane.
Pathak has been tuning turbo-charged Subarus since 1998, and his company’s parts for the WRX have expanded to the Stage One level as well as a 340-plus horsepower Stage Two. He plans further enhancements to the Evo beyond Stage Zero, though they’re still in the formative stages.
While in his early 20s, Pathak’s field was finance, and he worked in New York’s World Trade Center. But always a car guy, in 1993, he turbocharged his Miata. The kit was crude by today’s standards but it led to him being struck by the potential that cars possess if tuned correctly. He followed his bliss to the automotive field and it shows in his attitude. He spends much of his time with the dyno, saying it’s one of the best in the world, designed and built for him by Dyno Dynamics of Australia. His passion for maximizing engine performance shows in the power-curve printouts plastered throughout his shop like decorations. (He was one of the first to note that the 2001 Miata’s horsepower was lower than the claimed 155 hp. Mazda revised its rating to 142 horses, and compensated owners financially.)
As Pathak’s reputation grew, car companies hired him to install one-off engine-management systems for their concept cars. He’s developed some relationships within Mitsubishi, getting answers that helped expedite some of his aftermarket products, and his relationship with the company looks promising. And business is good enough that Vishnu Performance will soon move to a bigger shop. But the real-world measure of his success: Even that Cobra guy has asked about getting his car a ride on the Vishnu dyno for some engine-control mods.
CONTACT:
(925) 924-9800
www.vishnu
tuning.com
------------------------------------------------------
More Evolved: Tuning by Vishnu yields more than 300 hp for this Mitsu Evolution
By JOE KOVACH
(Photos by Ron Kimball)
WE RIDE SHOTGUN WITH car-tuner Shiv Pathak as he test drives his new Evo VIII, in which he has just remapped the input to the engine control unit via his dyno and laptop computer. At a stop, a thunderous V8 roar heralds the arrival of a black Mustang Cobra at our side. It’s driven by a baseball-capped guy who looks about 20. Pathak laughs, and says, “Looks like we have a challenger.”
The drivers glance at each other, the light changes, the road is clear and we’re off through a long, wide sweeper, both cars at full frenzy, the blown-V8 roar mixing with a blown-four snarl, and eight tires shrieking. The Mustang stays alongside a bit, but when it fades behind, Pathak eases off. “I don’t want the guy to hurt himself,” he confides. “Sometimes people drive way over their heads.”
We slow to a crawl. The Cobra driver, who knows Pathak owns a car-tuning operation, pays a begrudging compliment. He looks at the Evo and yells, “Those cars are sick!” Then he vanishes in a loud burnout.
Pathak, 29, who founded Vishnu Performance Systems in 2000, doesn’t hesitate to call the Evo a supercar that can run with any other on the road. “Disregard its humble econobox origins,” his website, vishnutuning.com, reads. Here he also asserts that he’s “bringing high-end engine control systems to the masses.”
Pathak boosts the stock Evo’s 271 hp at 6500 rpm and 273 lb-ft at 3500 rpm to 310 hp at 6500 rpm and 295 lb-ft at 3900 rpm. He calls the $1,595 package, which uses a three-inch-tube cat-back exhaust and the Vishnu Xede, a Stage Zero.
The Xede (say “ex-eed”) is a small, piggyback computer that fits under the passenger-side footwell. It plugs into a laptop so do-it-yourself customers can download Pathak’s mapping, available by e-mail or from the Vishnu website, into their cars.
We watched Pathak dyno an Evo to remap its engine input. The dyno can test all-wheel-drive vehicles and seems to be able to break down all data in almost every way imaginable.
Watching the power curves on a computer screen, Pathak types on his keyboard to manipulate the air/fuel ratio, boost and rpm “to smooth out the dips and bumps” in the graph, and the car eventually runs to 130 mph on the dyno. He says this method, unlike some performance modifications, causes no drop in gas mileage and no rough idling. It’s almost like balancing and blueprinting the Evo’s 2.0-liter engine by enhancing the
engine’s brain.
Using his laptop, he burns the completed data into the installed Xede, then makes a copy of the data, gives it a slug name, such as “Fred Smith’s ’03 Evo,” and saves a version, as anyone would a Word document, for each customer.
These seemingly subtle computer changes really show on the road. After the Cobra left, Pathak continued on the test route he uses near his shop in Pleasanton, California, in the San Francisco Bay area. Often revving at or beyond redline and powersliding through corners modulated with the throttle, he deftly avoids sloth drivers and lane wanderers. The ride is nowhere near scary, but it is fun.
“That Mitsubishi made this incredible car that I can drive as hard as I can and stay in complete control is really impressive,” he said.
He installed a one-millimeter-thicker rear antiroll bar and says anything thicker will make a rear-wheel lift in fast corners. That’s just one of the few aftermarket recommendations he makes for the Evo—for now.
Our own seat time in a Vishnu Evo left us surprised at the rush it delivers in both the power surge and its sound. It seemed impossible to over-rev. Get in a balanced groove with its tight, quick, go-kart steering and you feel like you can outrun, out-handle—and out-stop—anything, including far more expensive cars. It’s a video game come to life.
The test route includes a dip in the road that punishes most cars Pathak tests, but the Evo, despite its stiff suspension, doesn’t bottom out. Neither does its rival, the Subaru WRX, though Pathak says the Subie oscillates a bit. The Evo stays tight on its line and takes an off-camber corner like it’s routine.
Other changes Pathak recommends are few, since the Evo is so good out of the box. He suggests owners invest in a good alignment that suits their driving style. He also says upgrade to performance brake pads and a set of stainless-steel braided brake lines. And for a power boost, use a higher octane than California’s mandatory 91-octane gas—he offers maps for both 91 and for higher octane.
Pathak has been tuning turbo-charged Subarus since 1998, and his company’s parts for the WRX have expanded to the Stage One level as well as a 340-plus horsepower Stage Two. He plans further enhancements to the Evo beyond Stage Zero, though they’re still in the formative stages.
While in his early 20s, Pathak’s field was finance, and he worked in New York’s World Trade Center. But always a car guy, in 1993, he turbocharged his Miata. The kit was crude by today’s standards but it led to him being struck by the potential that cars possess if tuned correctly. He followed his bliss to the automotive field and it shows in his attitude. He spends much of his time with the dyno, saying it’s one of the best in the world, designed and built for him by Dyno Dynamics of Australia. His passion for maximizing engine performance shows in the power-curve printouts plastered throughout his shop like decorations. (He was one of the first to note that the 2001 Miata’s horsepower was lower than the claimed 155 hp. Mazda revised its rating to 142 horses, and compensated owners financially.)
As Pathak’s reputation grew, car companies hired him to install one-off engine-management systems for their concept cars. He’s developed some relationships within Mitsubishi, getting answers that helped expedite some of his aftermarket products, and his relationship with the company looks promising. And business is good enough that Vishnu Performance will soon move to a bigger shop. But the real-world measure of his success: Even that Cobra guy has asked about getting his car a ride on the Vishnu dyno for some engine-control mods.
CONTACT:
(925) 924-9800
www.vishnu
tuning.com
05-20-2003, 01:50 PM
#7
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I don't see it spanking a 03 Cobra as he says. But cool mods... I have seen some of the 03 cobra's running 12's totally stock. Then they get much faster when you do some simple mods...
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10-16-2003, 10:07 PM
#8
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Mitsubish Evo MR
Evo Special Charges In At Tokyo
It's evolved! Only nine short months after taking the wraps off its Lancer Evolution VIII, Mitsubishi is set to reveal this updated version of the machine. Known as the Evo VIII MR, the newcomer will be unveiled at next week's Tokyo Motor Show.
Although virtually identical to the standard car, the MR - short for Mitsubishi Racing - features graphite grey metallic paint, a revised turbocharger and a smart new carbon fibre-trimmed interior. Officially, power output is still 280bhp, but the model will deliver more top-end torque. The Japanese firm won't comment on the MR's chances of making it to this country. However, as the car is a limited-edition special, and the British market already gets the 300bhp FQ-300 variant, it seems unlikely.
Still, UK buyers may be offered the paint and interior trim upgrades early in the new year, as part of a cost options pack.
10-17-2003, 07:38 AM
#10
Stay or leave
a couple of dealer made expensive cosmetic options, note to self buy aftermarket options and save all the money that they plan to rip you off when buying the identical care
10-24-2003, 08:06 AM
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330HP Mitsu EVO 8 - FQ330 ready for sale
Mitsubishi UK announce the Lancer EVO VIII FQ330
Posted by: kak on Thursday, October 23, 2003 - 06:07 PM CET
As if the Mitsubishi Evolution VIII was not exciting enough and the FQ300 version left its drivers wanting more, Mitsubishi Motors UK has further 'evolved' the Evolution VIII to its latest, most powerful and well equipped form - the FQ330. As its name suggests, it’s fast - its 2-litre turbo-charged engine delivers a mighty 330 bhp. A car not for the faint-hearted. Based on the latest incarnation of Mitsubishi's highly successful rally-bred champion, the Lancer Evolution has become a cult car of the decade. Its name represents the ultimate in saloon car performance, combined with state-of--the-art technology and the reliability that is a hallmark of Mitsubishi.
The eighth manifestation of the Evolution was launched at the Autosport Show in January this year. It immediately set new standards in its class for performance and price and was available from Mitsubishi's nation-wide Ralliart dealer network and sold with a comprehensive warranty package.
Seizing the opportunity to develop both the car and the market to which it appeals, Mitsubishi UK launched the 300bhp FQ300 version by the time the Evolution VIII went on sale in March.
Immediately sales of the more powerful and higher specified model out-grew that of the unmodified Evolution VIII and in keeping with the car's ethos, Mitsubishi now raise the bar once again with the introduction of the FQ330.
Official performance figures are yet to be confirmed, but the FQ330 is expected to better the 4.4 seconds* 0-60 time achieved by the FQ 300. Top speed will continue to be limited to 157mph.
The Mitsubishi Evolution VIII FQ330 will be available through Ralliart dealers from 1st December, with on the road prices starting from £31,999.
The FQ330 retains all of the FQ300's distinguishing features and to produce a further 30 bhp, two specific modifications are made:
1. A supplementary ECU is hard-wired to the cars existing engine management system, the unit controlling ignition timing and air/fuel mixture.
2. A revised waste-gate actuator ferrule is installed, which increases turbo-charger boost to 1.4 bar at peak pressure, which falls well within accepted engine and turbocharger tolerances.
Both of these modifications can also be carried out by Mitsubishi Ralliart dealers, allowing existing FQ300 customers to upgrade without having to buy a new car. All FQ300 owners can upgrade and have the extra 30bhp for £1500 (incl VAT) + fitting charge . Ralliart dealerships can fit the upgrade in just two hours.
To visually distinguish the new FQ330, its package will include black Alcantara leather seats, complete with in-set Ralliart logo. Cars will display FQ330 identity and, as with the rest of the Evolution VIII range, each will be individually numbered.
Another feature of the FQ330, which will serve to cut down journey time and assist with maintaining an improved average speed, will be the addition of Smart Nav. This hi-tech Satellite Navigation system provides drivers with accurate directional information, reports live incident and predictive traffic data and subsequently computes a revised route around the hot spots.
Such is the capability of the Evolution VIII’s handling, stability and stopping power, the 20% increase in bhp over that of the conventional Evolution VIII, allows the car's existing suspension and braking system to be retained for the FQ330.
Initial tests have shown that the FQ330's star quality is its awesome mid-range power. The ECU and waste-gate actuator modifications enable the engine to produce an impressive 330 bhp at 6800 rpm, with 315 lb ft of torque at 5000 rpm.
:bukkake:
10-24-2003, 10:56 AM
#17
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I like it, id drive the hell out of it.
10-24-2003, 12:02 PM
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In Europe for about a year now, there is a 330HP version of the WRX done from dealers as an add-on package. So this EVO addresses that issue..
11-05-2003, 06:36 AM
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Evolutionary RS: Mitsubishi’s stripper Evo may be the ultimate sleeper
Evolutionary RS: Mitsubishi’s stripper Evo may be the ultimate sleeper
By MARK VAUGHN
WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution? An Evolution RS, naturally.
Mitsubishi trimmed 146 pounds of “nonessential” items from its already-stellar Lancer Evolution for even more performance. Those items include the wing; HID lights (replaced with halogens); rear wiper; air conditioning; ABS; power motors for the windows, doors, locks and side mirrors; the entire audio system; trim in the trunk; vanity mirrors; rear assist grips; map lights; lots of sound-deadening material and even that little piece of leather wrapping that goes around the parking brake lever.
Then it added a helical limited-slip differential to replace the Evolution’s open diff, a crossbar over the spare tire hole in the trunk, and a strut tower brace in front.
Is it really better? Maybe on an autocross.
We drove several Evolution and Evolution RS models back-to-back on the big track at Willow Springs in the California desert, where speeds of more than 100 mph are the norm for most of the course, and we couldn’t feel the difference. The RS’s limited-slip grabbed better going into some turns, but the rear wing starts generating downforce at 86 mph, so the non-RS felt a little more stable in the faster sweepers.
Lauchlin O’Sullivan, Mitsubishi’s SCCA ProRally driver, said he thought the RS was lighter under braking and acceleration, and he should know. The spec sheet shows there should be a difference, but it would be a difference measured in tenths of a second, well within the limits of driver error.
Performance measures aside, Mitsubishi says the lack of stuff makes the RS more “customizable.” You can add your own stereo, for instance.
There are no RS badges anywhere, either, just blacked-out door handles and mirrors to let everyone know you’re serious about motorsports. Mitsubishi says the 700 RS models for the abbreviated 2004 model year will go on sale at the end of January. More will come for 2005. Pricing will be under $27,000.
Is it evolutionary or de-evolutionary? That may be for you to decide.
11-05-2003, 07:12 AM
#28
What would be better is the MR edition with 300-330hp, aluminum roof, etc, much like the FQ300 and FQ330 in Europe. (FQ=Fucking QUICK).
This RS is a piece of garbage. Instead of bringing a higher-performance model here to improve sales and interest, they bring a beater version that will do two things they don't need: sell only a handful to race teams who want a stripped version, and sell to people who couldn't afford the regular one, which are generally ricer kids who are the last thing the Evo population needs more of.
It's just further proof that Mitsubishi is a joke.
This RS is a piece of garbage. Instead of bringing a higher-performance model here to improve sales and interest, they bring a beater version that will do two things they don't need: sell only a handful to race teams who want a stripped version, and sell to people who couldn't afford the regular one, which are generally ricer kids who are the last thing the Evo population needs more of.
It's just further proof that Mitsubishi is a joke.
11-05-2003, 02:26 PM
#31
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who does mark vaughn write for?
http://autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?p..._code=05031754
11-05-2003, 04:08 PM
#32
Originally posted by cusdaddy
If you really must know, it's Autoweek... Is this a reference to the other thread that got locked? BTW, Gav, I really like how you post the articles whole here. Great work! I also appreciate your effort reposting the images
http://autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?p..._code=05031754
If you really must know, it's Autoweek... Is this a reference to the other thread that got locked? BTW, Gav, I really like how you post the articles whole here. Great work! I also appreciate your effort reposting the images
http://autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?p..._code=05031754
I've seen several articles by this guy here and I was curious. Most of the other guys I've heard of from car mags.http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/searc...der=descending
BTW I did read the thread i think you're referring to and i had no involvement/posts in that shit. I honestly could give 2 shits about links. I think Gav does a good job; i've posted that on many occasions. Save yo drama fo yo momma.
03-18-2004, 09:44 PM
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500bhp Evo On The Way
500bhp Evo On The Way - - - Source: AutoExpress
Just as the low-power Mitsubishi Evo VIII is set go on sale, an extreme 500bhp version could be coming.
A company insider told Auto Express: "Customers are tuning their cars beyond the 330bhp of the current range-topping model, so there's obviously the demand for an even faster version."
The firm is said to be looking at the maximum performance it can get from the rally-bred car. How engineers will squeeze an extra 170bhp from the 2.0-litre turbo isn't clear, but the engine management system would almost certainly be remapped.
Mitsubishi UK boss Jim Tyrrell refused to confirm the plans, but said: "We already have three different Evo models, but there could be further growth. One of the advantages of being a small niche player is that we can sometimes do crazy things."
Just as the low-power Mitsubishi Evo VIII is set go on sale, an extreme 500bhp version could be coming.
A company insider told Auto Express: "Customers are tuning their cars beyond the 330bhp of the current range-topping model, so there's obviously the demand for an even faster version."
The firm is said to be looking at the maximum performance it can get from the rally-bred car. How engineers will squeeze an extra 170bhp from the 2.0-litre turbo isn't clear, but the engine management system would almost certainly be remapped.
Mitsubishi UK boss Jim Tyrrell refused to confirm the plans, but said: "We already have three different Evo models, but there could be further growth. One of the advantages of being a small niche player is that we can sometimes do crazy things."
more dead teenagers to come
That should be good for low 12s to high 11s all day.
03-19-2004, 01:14 PM
#39
Not Asian
Originally posted by NOVAwhiteTypeS
i don't think teens will be able to afford this one. the 500hp HAS to be over 40g's
i don't think teens will be able to afford this one. the 500hp HAS to be over 40g's
