photographer: Henry Z. DeKuyper
When hearing the term "throw the book at him," it's not usually a sign of good things to come. However, as evidenced by the Blue-By-You Evo IX gracing these pages, it doesn't have to be a bad experience. Luckily for this Diamond Star, the book in question was the Power Enterprise catalog. This wicked whip was hit square in the jaw with everything the book had to offer. Perhaps the most eye-popping aspect of this Evo is the shear number of Power Enterprise parts on the car. We tallied up 28 products and there may be more.
The Evo IX is an updated version of the Evo VIII and may be the last chance to enjoy the car in its rawest state as we hear the Evo X will be fraught with electronic compensators and gizmos that will push up the price and may also hinder tuning.
Power Enterprise's array of Evo hard parts is well known in Japan, and for this project the company went at it full bore. A stroker kit that pushes displacement to 2.2 liters gets the party started. The centerpiece of the kit is a forged 94mm crankshaft that spins stout H-beam connecting rods and Power Enterprise-spec 86mm pistons forged from A4032-T7 alloy. The stroker kit requires a head gasket change and boost static compression jumps from 8.8:1 to 9.0:1.
To keep pace with the additional air being channeled into the 4G63 the fuel system was fortified in the three key areas - pump, injector and regulator. A Power Enterprise 255-lph pump supplies four 1000cc Power Enterprise TL injectors via a Power Enterprise FPR system.
This super-sized short block is topped with a Power Enterprise-infested cylinder head. Power Enterprise RS Spec valves and retainers are joined by Power Enterprise Race Spec 264-degree camshafts. A Power Enterprise Heavy Metal gasket seals the deal, which is no easy chore considering the aggressive turbo upgrade unleashed on the 4G63.
A Power Enterprise RX6-R F1 turbo is tasked with generating Fujita-scale winds inside the I/C piping. The RX6-R F1 can be configured with four compressor housing possibilities and six different exhaust housing A/Rs to fine tune boost flow against spool-up characteristics. A trick stainless steel turbo header secures the RX6-R while a Power Enterprise front-mount intercooler chills the intake charge prior to combustion chamber duties. Post combustion, all spent gases are evacuated via a Power Enterprise Full Race cat-back system that terminates with a trick 90mm titanium muffler canister and a heat-cycled tip. Tuning is addressed with a Power Enterprise-tuned ECU and output is reportedly "560ps and climbing."
Japan's Power Enterprise crew didn't stop at the flywheel. They followed up the big boost with driveline mods designed to stand up to the abuse. First off, the clutch was swapped out in favor of a race-oriented twin-plate Power Enterprise unit. Things then went into overdrive as Power Enterprise short-cut Dog Mission gears were positioned in the gearbox. The Power Enterprise kit sports a 2.667 first gear ratio, 1.895 second, 1.44 third, 1.095 fourth and 0.892 fifth.
When you start swapping to dog gears it's intense. This Evo has the time attacker bodylines that can keep pace with the serious slant of its hard parts. Do-Luck has crafted a masterpiece with its Full Aero wide-body kit. It starts out with a purposeful front fascia featuring ample cooling ducts and room for an obnoxiously big FMIC. The stars of the show are the Do-Luck wide fenders, which tuck more rubber and feature trick carbon fiber vent inserts just behind the front wheels. The flared fenders house Yokohama Advan TC-II aluminum and Advan AO48 rubber. The car runs big 18x10.5s all around with big-patch 265/35 tires.
Footwork consists of prototype Power Enterprise suspension featuring Damper Pro shocks and specially tuned lowering springs. Although the stock Brembo brakes were retained, are they up to circuit-induced torture brought on by time-attack blasts?
Further hints of future racing stopwatches can be spied in the cabin. The Mitsubishi sports an eight-point Okuyama roll cage and Recaro racing seats. Power Enterprise peak-and-hold gauges are housed in carbon-fiber pods in the center dash area. Without giving away too much of its track-racing intentions, the interior still remains relatively intact.
There are many lessons to be learned here. You can look underhood, take in the aggressive body treatment, fish through the intentions of the mods and take away some tips. For us, the beauty of this Blue-By-You bullet is the density of the key power parts and their real street crossover value. You can build your own bottom end and drop a Power Enterprise head on it. Use the Power Enterprise stroker kit to construct a 'big-block' 4G63 and put a stock head on it, or boost up your existing combination with a RX6-R F1 turbo system. Or, if your bullet is ailing, throw the book at the thing and do it all up at once. Just be sure you're heaving the right book.