Mitsubishi Evo VIII MR
424 HP
398 LB-FT Of Torque
When it comes to explosive performance out of the box, the Lancer Evolution has always been right up there with he Skyline GT-R and Toyota Supra. But like all cars of this nature, it's the limitless tuning potential that has made them so popular. Just take a look at what the likes that the Cyber Evo has managed to extract from the 4G63, and even now that the Evolution X has arrived, real diehard Evo fans wouldn't trade up to save their lives. The owner of the Evo VIII MR you see here is exactly this sort of person, appreciating what Mitsubishi has done with the X but preferring to stick to previous-generation models. He has gone all out and literally created a street-going Cyber Evo replica with the help of the folks at Unlimited Works and Voltex. The result is one of the most intimidating cars we have come across lately. It's a car that means business even while sitting quietly on the show stand at the '08 Tokyo Auto Salon, where we first laid our eyes on it.
The idea behind this project was very simple. The owner wanted his Evo VIII MR to be a great all-rounder, by performing well on track as well as on the road. Every aspect of the car had to be tailored to his demands, which as Sato-san of Unlimited Works said, "wasn't going to be an easy job, to say the least." Since the car had to be shown on the Unlimited Works stand at this year's Tokyo Auto Salon, the first thing on the cards had to be the exterior. Unlimited Works looked after the incredibly fast Time Attack Cyber Evo and, with this in mind, the idea came to create a kind of road-going version of the track car. Voltex was called into the project and supplied all the necessary body parts to transform the already aggressive Evo VIII MR into something very special. So on went the street-version model of the Cyber Evo front bumper, featuring the same aggressive design as the one-off track version but with more ground clearance. The massive center opening allows the intercooler to breathe easily thanks also to the two thin rectangular openings below the main grille. The opening also allows all the frontal surface of the intercooler core to get good airflow. The driver side opening feeds the oil cooler while on the passenger side a custom carbon intake scoops up air and feeds it into the airbox. It's then up to the massive carbon front lip spoiler and double-sided canards (again made in carbon) to help keep the front planted on the ground. The frontend conversion doesn't end here, far from it in fact. It is then up to the wider Voltex fenders to beef up the wheel arches. The Voltex aero hood not only weighs a fraction of the stock aluminium items but features a large central air outlet as well as side vents to help keep the engine nice and cool. Pinning the hood securely down are the flush fitting Aero Cacth latches, which is the current trend in JDM tuning. The angular Voltex side skirts keep with the whole Cyber Evo feel and, like every part in the Voltex kit, have some air outlets, which in this case are there for the sole purpose of design, rather than function. The rear arches look like they are on steroids, thanks to the Voltex over fenders that widen the rear section to match the front end. Again the air outlets are there only for looks. The stock rear bumper remains but is joined by the Voltex carbon diffuser as well as a carbon exhaust protector. Keeping rear downforce in check is the massive rear Voltex carbon GT-wing that can be adjusted in two positions, while the Craft Square mirrors add a final touch of carbon fiber to the profile of the car. A set of chromed 19-inch Advan RS wheels were chosen for street and show use and are wrapped up in massive 275/30-19 Bridgestone Potenza R-01R tires.
With experience gained in building, setting up, and looking after the Cyber Evo, Sato-san of Unlimited Works knows all the secrets behind improving the Evo's handling. It wasn't a hard decision to go for the brand-new Öhlins DFV adjustable dampers, which are specially valved and gased to Unlimited Works requirements. They are joined with a set of Bestex springs: 17 kg/mm front and 15 kg/mm rear. A set of lighter, stronger Evolution X lower-front arms were thrown in, as well as some Unlimited Works toe-control arms for the rear. With this setup the Evo VIII MR keeps its very neutral factory feel but allows the driver more mid-corner adjustability on the throttle. To add to the handling setup, the ACD ECU has been remapped by Cyber Evo, offering a more aggressive power split characteristic on each of the three settings. The stock Brembo braking system has been upgraded with a more track-oriented AP Racing kit featuring six-pot front calipers and four-pot rears that bite down on two-piece slotted rotors. This offers fade-proof performance out on the track and unrivaled stopping potential on the road.