The Lancer coupe has been a success story for
Mitsubishi Australia. The pretty two-door is a popular ride to modify and
second-hand prices remain very strong – indicative of the high demand. But
Mitsubishi left one aspect of the Lancer coupe a little under-cooked.
Performance.
Thankfully, there’s a logical solution to the
problem – a conversion to Evo power!
This beautifully detailed Lancer coupe is owned by
Sydneysider, Michael Vettas. The car was never intended to be the recipient of
so much hard work (and so much hard cash!), but when the stock Lancer was
vandalised, it was the perfect opportunity to drape the panels in a glamorous
colour. The new paint was the first in a comprehensive list of modifications.
The colour is based on Audi A3 gold with dashes of pearl and a few other secret
tweaks - it’s one of those colours that completely changes character in
different light conditions. The ‘CIDER’ number plates reflect the bright sparkle
the car has in direct sunlight. Look closely and you’ll also notice the shaved
boot lock and deleted aerial.
The body is nestled a coupe of inches lower than a
standard Mitsu product thanks to King springs on adjustable coil-overs and
you’ll find K-Mac swaybars and a front strut brace. Grip and bling are
simultaneously given a boost by Nankang 225/35 tyres inflated onto 18 inch
Zepter alloys. Look through those polished spokes and you’ll see Mitsubishi
Galant VR4 two-pot front brakes.
About now you’ve probably noticed a couple of
eye-catching features that we haven’t mentioned – the Evo 4 bonnet and modified
Evo front bar. And yes, there are good reasons for these. There’s an Evo 4G63
Turbo beneath that vented bonnet.
The conversion to Evo 4 power was performed
several years ago by BD4s. At the time, the Evo engine and ‘box weren’t
available for today’s bargain prices so Michael was forced to pay a tidy sum of
money to get his hands on one. The conversion into the coupe was relatively
straightforward using standard engine management and a drop-in Evo fuel pump.
The standard Evo gearbox had its rear-drive section removed for fitment into the
front-wheel-drive coupe. The clutch remains standard.
With 206kW available in factory guise, there’s not
much need for extra grunt – but that you shall find. The air intake is free’d up
using a HKS pod filter (with under-bonnet heat shielding) and Liverpool Exhaust
whipped up a high-flow exhaust using 3 inch diameter pipe. A HKS Hyper muffler
gives it a killer sound. Cooling the boosted air from the standard Evo
turbocharger is a Plazmaman front-mount intercooler which is gold anodised to
match the body colour - the front bumper has been extensively modified to accept
the huge core. A HKS blow-off valve is the only other non-standard under-bonnet
item.
The car’s show potential was brought out when the
basic Mitsubishi interior was stripped and restarted from scratch. Yellow/cream
leather has been applied to the door trims, the centre console, gear shift boot,
the rear seat and newly installed Recaro SR fronts. Matching carpet and
roof-lining help give the cabin an integrated feel. Also prominent are the Momo
Race steering wheel, aluminium shift knob and the immense sound system.
Ahh, yes, the sound system...
Michael enjoys quality sounds as evident by the
truly head-kicking sound system crammed into his coupe. At the front of the
system is a JVC single DIN CD/tuner feeding an AudioControl EQ and Bass Booster,
and two monster Orion amplifiers. In-cabin speakers include Boston Pro splits in
the front and 6 inch Boston rear ‘fills’ while the boot contains a trio of 12W6
JL Audio subs. The entire boot has been professionally trimmed by Bathurst
Livewire Car Sound and those three subs can be viewed through a trick Perspex
enclosure. Also in the boot is a Streetwires capacitor.
One thing you might notice absent is a DVD screen.
This is a pointer that the car was built a few years ago (in 1999) and only
recently has it returned to the road after being defected. Amazingly, Michael
has driven only 1000 – 1500km with the new motor in the past seven years – talk
about frustration! But, now that everything is back on-track, Michael plans to
rebuild the engine with all the good bits in preparation for a big power-up.
Times change; it’s no longer enough merely to have
tweaked Evo power...
Contact:
BD4s Service Centre +61 2 9879 3322
http://www.bd4s.com.au/
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