Calvin, better known to you as wongck, sent us these photos of his 2008 Lancer Evolution GSR. Here is what he had to say:
The influence from Gran Turismo, Initial D, and The Fast and The Furious has made me want an Evo for the past 10 years. In September of 2008 I became the proud owner of the Evo X GSR you see here. I'm sure many people have read the reviews and followed not one, but two long-term Evo's on Inside Line, but my car is slightly different and I hope other readers will enjoy it.
This is not a stock car and I have put a bit of money into modifying the car, but it is not as heavily modified as Inside Line's Project Evo. For power, I stuck with the bare basics; a Cosworth air filter, a GReddy cat-back exhaust, and a tune from HB Speed brought me the output up to 340whp. The suspension is lightly modified with a set of monotube coilovers from Stance, and the car itself is riding on Advan RZ wheels, 19x9.0, with 265/30/19 Pirelli PZero Nero tires.
More story and photos after the jump...
The result is a rather tolerable daily driver (for a 24-year old) that simply outperforms the stock car in every way. The power really hits hard between 3000-4500rpm, making it amazingly fun to drive without having to rev the engine too much. The suspension combined with the low-profile tires hampers the ride quality a bit, but pays dividends when it comes to handling. I've taken the car from Orange County to San Francisco (by the way the gas mileage is not impressive) and people have not complained about the comfort, but truth be told it is noticeably bumpier than any stock car I've ever driven. Eventually, I plan to switch out my coilovers for Ohlins or KW so I can have performance and comfort, but in the meantime I'm content with the way it rides.
Knowing that I have such an incredible machine, I wanted to improve myself as a driver. In May of 2010 I attended the Lancer Evolution Driving Experience at the Jim Russell Racing School, where I formally learned some advanced driving techniques such as threshold braking, trail braking, and throttle steering. Being able to practice these techniques in a controlled environment with professional coaching was an invaluable experience, and by the end of the day I knew I was a much better driver than I had been that morning.
Two years and 18,888 miles later, I am still completely smitten by my car. I am hoping that I can keep the car for the long run, but with plans to go back to school and with the cost of tuition steadily increasing, that may not be a possibility. Until then, I will be sure to enjoy and to cherish the remaining time we have together.
Thanks for sharing your photos with us, Calvin.
P.S. If you want to participate in the Reader's Long-Term Car segment, click here to read the submission guidelines.
And please note that I am publishing these posts in the order they were submitted. The response was so great that I still have months of backlog to get through. So if you haven't seen your car yet, don't dismay, we'll get to you.
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor
hank39 says:
01:11 PM, 01/25/11
Nice Evo. Hope you get to keep her for longer than you think!
eldaino2 says:
01:20 PM, 01/25/11
Awesome that you got to attend the school, id love to do that. The evo looks great, love the advans, and the power gains are impressive.
Enjoy her to the fullest as I no you undoubtedly will!
ms3omglol says:
01:21 PM, 01/25/11
Good job tastefully modding a car and using it for what it is intended to do.
roadburner says:
01:46 PM, 01/25/11
That's a great car- and you have my utmost respect for taking affirmative steps to learn how to drive it properly.
Good job on all fronts!
htr_hardtech says:
02:10 PM, 01/25/11
That might eat my slightly modded G8, congrats. Thank you for keeping it tastefull for the most part. I cant say insideline did that.
yellowmiata says:
02:10 PM, 01/25/11
+1 on taking a course on driving. I personally know it was the best invested money in my "vehicle" when it comes to performance.
Awesome Evo!!! Looks great and I love seeing people under their cars - good to know there are a few people that can still wrench out there!
Kevin
thehankhill says:
02:19 PM, 01/25/11
Forgive my ignorance. What is the blue tape for on the front of the vehicles?
bodyblue says:
02:42 PM, 01/25/11
Nice ride! Thanks for sharing!
subytrojan says:
02:45 PM, 01/25/11
Thanks for sharing, Mr. Wong! It's good to see another car tuned by Jon (HB Speed --> COBB Tuning So Cal) on here, too!
-Another Mr. Wong with a car tuned by HB Speed
yellowbal says:
02:46 PM, 01/25/11
Blue tape is to prevent nicks and scratches while racing.
addicted2sp33d says:
02:53 PM, 01/25/11
Ha! 7-Series at a Track Day! Classic!
huyracing says:
03:47 PM, 01/25/11
"The influence from Gran Turismo, Initial D, and The Fast and The Furious..."
i keep hearing talk of this madness, but did not know it was true. lol. well, i'm glad your car doesn't look the part.
stress83 says:
06:30 PM, 01/25/11
Great car and story!
As for school: Student loans exist for a reason -- so one can still keep their toys! :D
sidx says:
07:19 PM, 01/25/11
Look at all those tape covered cars. That must be one dirty track.
And, congrats. I have been looking at picking up a used EVO GSR myself for a track day toy myself.
siarizona says:
07:48 PM, 01/25/11
Nice report, Calvin. Good job getting the driver training, it really does pay off. Keep that car! (speaking as a guy who gave up a sweet 280Z a long time ago...)
roadburner says:
08:11 PM, 01/25/11
"Ha! 7-Series"faster" cars. at a Track Day! Classic!"
I ran an Alpina B7 at Motorsport Ranch a couple of years ago. It surprised more than a few "faster" cars.
breadwagon says:
08:20 PM, 01/25/11
I'm more surprised by that Z8 in the picture. I didn't even know they existed outside of the internet.
wongck says:
10:00 PM, 01/25/11
Thanks for all the comments and feedback! I wrote this entry a few months ago and now it's looking very likely that I'll continue working, so no need to sell the car! My only real complaints with the car is the not-so-great-mileage and the small trunk (due to relocation of battery and washer fluid to the rear), but overall I have no regrets with my purchase and it still brings a smile to my face everytime I drive it.
fundango says:
05:37 AM, 01/26/11
Nice looking car. It always impresses me how much power the new Evos make with a tune.