writer: Adam S. Geczi
Anyone who's still under the impression that it takes a well-built large displacement V-8 to cover the first quarter-mile of a racetrack in less than 11 seconds is due for a reality check. Even those whose allegiance sides with road racing should find the sub-10-second dragstrip accomplishments of any turbocharged 2.0L small displacement inline four-cylinder engine nothing short of amazing. Especially when considering such vehicles retain stock interiors and AWD drivetrains that aren't exactly weight-conscious, like Jarrod Barnett's street-licensed gem.
The '04 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII most recently sparkled with an 11-second e.t. in its "show car" trim on C-16 race gas. Not even a '69 Camaro SS with its normally aspirated 350ci 5.7L engine with twice the cylinders and almost three times the displacement is capable of such feats. Let this be the obligatory textbook lesson for any impending V-8 bound contender stumbling upon the unsuspecting four-banger with the shiny big wing and Buschur Racing emblems.
David Buschur, a premier DSM and Mitsubishi tuner from Wakeman, Ohio, has spent his life developing high-performance upgrades for all things Mitsubishi, including the EVO VIII. This has allowed Barnett, Buschur Racing's sales manager, to accelerate his personal EVO to 133 mph over the quarter-mile.
Perhaps the most significant option for this EVO is its Forced Performance turbocharger assembly that, in the past five years, has been used successfully in DSMs making between 520 to 560 whp. The FP3065 is based on the Garrett Ballistic Concepts ball bearing turbocharger, the GT3082R, that is a hybrid of sorts, matching a GT30 turbine wheel with a 82mm exducer diameter compressor wheel from a GT3582R. The GT30 turbine wheel's smaller diameter and weight allow quicker turbine spool-up in comparison to the larger turbine found in the GT3582R. Interestingly, the smaller turbine doesn't become an obstacle for exhaust gases traveling through the volute until the compressor reaches upwards of 33 psi. Such turbochargers are well-suited for drag racing applications because of the 0.67 A/R proprietary turbine housing developed by Forced Performance. This comparatively smaller opening increases exhaust velocity, which is then harnessed to drive the turbine wheel and the connected compressor wheel; both of which will rotate at higher speeds, thereby increasing boost pressure at lower engine speeds. However, what works in favor of the turbine wheel at lower engine speeds can also work against it at higher ones. In general, the smaller A/R causes exhaust gas flow to contact turbine blades more tangentially, thus reducing flow capacities through the turbine housing and increasing power-robbing backpressure. In fact, the supremacy of the FP3065 is achieved by the delicate balance of these very aerodynamic variables.
The same concept is applicable to the compressor side of the turbocharger although to a lesser extent. A relatively smaller compressor housing, like the popular Garrett T04S used on the FP3065, facilitates higher boost pressures by reducing the area where the charged air is allowed to flow through. The housing is machined with ports to prevent compressor surge when the turbo spools up quickly. This potent combination of parts in the FP3065 permits boost to come on sooner and harder than the stock turbocharger.
Thanks to Buschur's entrepreneurial aptitude, this versatile medium frame DSM turbocharger could be bolted on to the EVO VIII's reverse-mounted, transverse 4G63 platform. The full bolt-on Buschur Racing FP3065 turbo kit is available to purchase for anyone with the desire to go fast. The kit includes many of the components used to prep Barnett's car. The quintessential ingredient in adapting the FP3065 to the EVO was the Ni-Resist cast manifold that's flanged to accept other DSM turbochargers. This manifold features an external wastegate mount paired with a TiAL 44mm wastegate.