Inside Line's Project 2008 Mitsubishi Evo GSR is awakening.
Once we took delivery of the AEM intake, a conversation ensued among our editorial staff. The questions ranged from the philosophical to the poignant: Now that we've taken a small first step in hand-picking aftermarket modifications, just how far should we take this project? What is possible? Do these pants make me look fat?
Then the answer hit us.
We have a GT-R. It's turbocharged, AWD and fast as hell. Let's make Project Evo faster for less money.
It's that simple and that complex. However, all goals require clarification and guidelines to be of any value.
The ultimate yardstick of speed will be borne out by laptimes around the Streets of Willow road course. Few venues combine the disparate facets of performance better than a technical road course like this one.
Right now our longterm GT-R enjoys a laptime of 1:25.68. We haven't run Project Evo at this track, but laptimes for other stock 2008 Evos (both GSR and MR) we've tested there range from 1:29.02 to 1:32.51. Overcoming the gap will be no small feat for a streetable car on pump gas.
To make things more challenging, we've imposed a key caveat: since the GT-R will remain totally stock, Project Evo must remain a daily-driveable street car in the same vein.
That means no R-compound tires, race gas or weight reduction programs that strip it of creature comforts. No catless pipes or mufllerless exhausts. Irreversible alterations to the basic bodyshell are out, too, so plasma-cutting the fenders and bolting on some box-flares to swallow 315-section tires is out of the question (sorry, Josh).
We'll conduct all of our standard instrumented testing at logical (or simply convenient) steps along the way and then take them to the track.
Keep your browser tuned to the Long-Term Blog over the next couple of weeks as we post real-time updates to Project Evo in its transformation into a would-be GT-R-slayer.
Engineering Editor Jason Kavanagh @ 15,849 miles.
ddoouugg says:
03:10 PM, 01/20/09
This sounds good. I can't wait!
pengwin says:
03:13 PM, 01/20/09
add more POOOOWWWWEEEEEERRRRRR!!!
tumadre says:
03:21 PM, 01/20/09
Forget the power for right now, that thing needs suspension BAAAAAAAAAD! And maybe even some urethane engine/trans/differential mounts to help with the drivetrain lash.
subytrojan says:
03:23 PM, 01/20/09
Wouldn't the Evo GSR with its current exhaust already fail smog and thus, be not street-legal? The GT-R on the other hand would pass smog out of the box.
MS3lvr92 says:
04:56 PM, 01/20/09
You guys have had this thing for months with the intent on modifying it and don't have a single extra part in it yet. Come on! Get down to it already.
clarkma5 says:
05:06 PM, 01/20/09
Finally glad to see you guys giving this car some direction.
subytrojan says:
05:34 PM, 01/20/09
MS3lvr92, please read the old posts and the long-term road test introduction for this vehicle. The car came with some goodies on it. :o)
Evo GSR long-term blog entries:
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/Vehicles/2008-mitsubishi-lancer-evoluti-1/
Evo GSR long-term intro:
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/LongTerm/articleId=134106/pageId=150982
kurtamaxxxguy says:
05:53 PM, 01/20/09
Seems like you folks already have air intake and exhaust done. Other possibilities:
1. freer-flowing catalyst
2. engine re-chipping from reputable tuner
3. track-oriented shocks and springs that are livable by street standards,
4. different boost map for turbo (maybe new blow-by valve?),
5. wider lo-pro tires that fit into stock wells w/o raising steering issues (you _could_ do what Chevrolet did for using big tires, and restrict rack travel, but does widening turning radius violate daily-driveable?
estreka says:
10:15 PM, 01/20/09
You know, instead of that lengthy paragraph, you could have just said BOLT ONS ONLY!
You just need 3 things:
1. Bigger turbo (assuming Willow is a fast track)
2. Super sticky road tires (the biggest that'll fit on your rims)
3. Suspension (I recommend Tein)
Actually, brakes wouldn't be a bad idea, either.
joefrompa says:
04:00 AM, 01/21/09
I'm cracking up right now. Estreka was the only one who mentioned brakes, which are probably the single most cost-effective upgrade you can do for reducing track times.
Flush that braking system and slap some more serious pads on there for that heavy-ass bad boy sedan.
Suspension? Most aftermarket suspensions will not actually increase objective handling. I'd recommend coilovers so that you can dial-in the suspension to the track and then make it more comfortable for daily use. Kinda cheating, but effective, and fitting considering the multi-level suspension tuning on the gt-r.
For power while staying streetable, I think you'd have to go with a new turbo. This is a tough call for me, since I'm not familiar with EVO tuning. Maybe you make more peak HP with a new turbo, but if it's so laggy that it destroys your responsiveness on the track, then what was the point?
How about a "race-pipe" swap-in cat converter for race day, and some sort of switchable tune accordingly?
I definitely agree with upgraded engine/suspension/steering mounts.
Good luck Edmunds. It's about time this car's long term blog got some legs.
MS3lvr92 says:
06:09 AM, 01/21/09
Subytrojan,
I know they had mods already on it, but edmunds has not yet put anything on themselves.
lazyhater says:
08:29 AM, 01/21/09
Matching the laptime is very easy with simple bolt on mods. Streetable or not is very subjective. Making it as fast as the GTR with the same driveability, is impossible. There is no replacement for displacement, the more peak power you give the EVO's 2.0L, the more turbo lag it is going to have, there is no way around that.
lazyhater says:
08:49 AM, 01/21/09
I looked it up, it currently got:
Bigger front-mounted intercooler
upper hard intercooler pipe
cold air intake
ECU reflash
AMS turbo cat-back exhaust
I say about 275 whp on a dynopack on 91 octane.
joefrompa says:
09:03 AM, 01/21/09
A stock evo is ~4-6 seconds slower than the GT-R on this track.
They've got some more power. And, to disagree with Lazyhater, you can add power to a stock car without increasing lag. They've pretty much already done it though. It's all about increasing the usable power and responsiveness.
Now they need serious brake fluid, serious brake pads that can be used on the street, and an adjustable suspension.
I bet they'll match or beat the Gt-R with just those items.
It's not that much time difference, considering the comparison is against stock.
Joe
allenychung says:
09:23 AM, 01/21/09
Can we get more pics of the engine compartment to see what's been done? Need more car pr0n.
wahsingku says:
11:19 AM, 01/21/09
how about a dyno comparison of the last intake you had on there compared to the new one??
lazyhater says:
01:08 PM, 01/21/09
"And, to disagree with Lazyhater, you can add power to a stock car without increasing lag. They've pretty much already done it though. It's all about increasing the usable power and responsiveness."
I agreed, as long as you stay with the stock turbo. I was saying for their goal of matching the power/weight ratio of a stock GTR, the stock turbo won't do it, so they have to increase lag to get to their goal, decreases driveability. And a stock EVO X already has more turbo lag then a stock 35 GTR to begin with.
subytrojan says:
04:00 PM, 01/21/09
Jay used to work for Honeywell/Garrett so he would know if anyone what application would be good. :o)
lazyhater says:
08:00 AM, 01/22/09
^^^ you meant Joe AKA joefrompa?