Whenever there is a trend happening you have two choices: either jump aboard or get out of the way. Whether you love it or hate it the JDM trend it is here to stay. We always want what we can't have; hence the lingering allure to modifying our vehicles to Japanese specs. This attraction goes both ways. In Japan it's popular to go USDM (U.S. Domestic Market). Someone should really set up a trade system where you can send all your USDM parts to someone in Japan and they can send you back all of their JDM parts. Done - full JDM modification all in one deal. This would be a much easier process than what Atlantic Motorsports went through to hunt down all of the rare JDM parts you see before you on their Mitsubishi Evolution. After scouring the globe for parts they pieced together this fine JDM specimen worthy enough to grace these pages.
When owning an Evo you have to live up to the hype. The racing heritage, the numerous rally championships, the AWD terror at the track, etc. Fortunately the Evo already packs a powerful punch in stock form but the Atlantic Motorsports crew wanted to enhance the 4G63 power plant. Helping reduce the back pressure of the turbocharger and aiding in quicker spool up is an HKS downpipe along with a Helix high-flow catalytic converter to help expedite flow. Cleansed air from the ARC induction box is compressed for maximum pressure before being routed into a GReddy V-spec intercooler for chilling. Once cooled, the charge air is routed into the intake manifold where it waits for strategic valve actuation made possible by the twin 280-degree HKS bumpsticks. For optimum output an A'PEXi S-AFC fuel computer fine-tunes air/fuel ratios.
This myriad of HKS parts helped Atlantic Motorsports accomplish their basic goal of getting as much power out of the stock 4G63 as they could. As they explain, "we raised the boost and upgraded the hot-side of the stock turbocharger with a TME 10.5 housing, This made for a faster spool up, slightly higher boost levels and more power readily available for the street."
To truly appreciate this vehicle just tale a look at the craftsmanship the Atlantic Motorsports crew performed on the exterior and interior of the Mitsubishi. A full C-West body kit would already make the Evo stand out from the rest but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Garage HRS widebody fenders further enhance the already aggressive stance of the vehicle. Nodding towards its Japanese heritage this Evo sports a Seibon carbon fiber hood and JDM Evo 7 taillights.
Calling attention to the interior is a Cusco six-point roll cage. One peek at the interior you are immediately blown away by the Bride graydation ZAX II seats and reupholstered rear seats and door inserts. As if all of that isn't enough, after these photographs were taken, AMS picked up a sponsorship deal with Bazooka/Tsunami and the Evo received a trunkful of audio equipment and an in-dash DVD/CD player.
With all the power this Evo makes it is important it has equally good handling. Cusco products ensure that response and control with their carbon fiber front strut bar, rear strut bar, lower and upper arm braces, 23mm rear sway bar and front sway bar. Enabling this Evo to stop on a dime to watch an import model stop traffic are Rotora slotted and drilled rotors and Project Mu brake pads. Is that a glint in her eye or just the reflection of the 18-inch Advan TC-II gold wheels?
What we like about this vehicle is that it is not pure JDM show ho, I mean car. This Evo has more HKS and Cusco bits than yo' momma knows what to do with. The performance upgrades make it a fierce competitor and hey, it's not hard on the eyes either.
In agreement with us is the legendary Japanese driver (and Option video whore and previous Turbo cover model) Eiji "Tarzan" Yamada. Mr. Yamada was so impressed by this Evo he autographed the radiator and dash as a seal of his approval. In addition, this toboggan took home the coveted "Best JDM" title at the 2005 SEMA Auto Salon in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Now Atlantic Motorsports can dust of their hands, sit back and enjoy a ride well-done. Instead, of course, they are still tweaking things and are in the process of upgrading the car with an ISAMU RX-6 A'PEXi full turbo kit to complete their JDM dream. Before we go they would like to thank Team Emotion and Competition Grafix for their support. And now that all of you JDM'ers have got your fix, you can now be content until next month.