It's easy to talk the talk, but walking the walk is a challenge. More and more people are talking about the "total vehicle tuning" concept whereas every system on a vehicle is addressed and upgraded. The purpose of these improvements is to provide performance with balance. Balance allows for building a car that can excel in numerous environments; from daily-driving to drag strip blasts to time attacks of a road course.

DSport reader Ricky Rodgers and his father John set out to accomplish a total vehicle tuning solution when they purchased this EVO in June of 2003. Since then, a number of upgrades and modifications have helped to make this EVO a true contender.

A Great Platform

"My first performance compact vehicle was a Ford Focus SVT. The car had received a good amount of favorable press and it was in my budget. After getting just about every bolt-on performance part for the SVT, with the exception of a supercharger, the performance was still not enough," says Ricky. He continues, "After talking with my Dad about doing a supercharger system and a possible engine built, he convinced me that we would see much better returns if we started with a new EVO instead of pumping more dollars into the Focus."

As soon as the first EVO VIII hit the Palm Springs, California Mitsubishi dealership, Ricky and his father signed the papers and took the car home. Little time was wasted before the EVO was sporting an intake system, three-inch turbo-back exhaust and an A'PEX Integration SAFC-II. "Even with just the mild tuning, the car was running real strong. It was then that I knew that we had done the right thing," says Ricky.

No Warranty, No Problem

When Mitsubishi called to notify the Rogers that the EVO's warranty was void due to the aftermarket performance parts added, the green light was given to go all out. Research for information began in June of 2004. Every article that could be found was read and read again to soak up all of the information available.

After the parts list and combination was determined, Vivid Racing of Tempe, Arizona was contacted to perform the installation. The heart of the new combination would be a GReddy turbocharger system. A Mitsubishi hybrid turbocharger of the T67-25G variety would be located by way of a stainless-tubular exhaust manifold. A GReddy external wastegate would eliminate the possibility of boost creep. A set of HKS 272 cams for both the intake and exhaust would relive the stock sticks of their duties. ARP head studs would ensure that the head and block were happily married. Blitz 700cc/min injectors, a Perrin front-mount intercooler and a Turbo XS UTEC piggyback fuel controller would round out this stage of modifications. On the dyno, the result was 417whp at 27psi on 100 octane unleaded race gas. Getting used to this power took a few runs at the dragstrip. The first run was just a 13.80, but five passes later the Evo was in the 11s with an 11.90 blast that hit the traps at 117mph.

Looking for More

The power output from the stock engine in the current state of tune was respectable. However, it wasn't hard for Ricky to find other EVOs making more power in the pages of DSport. Since John had a passion for road racing, the decision was made to get the engine built up to be more durable. With increased durability and some additional fine tuning, the target was set on eclipsing the 500 whp mark with an engine that could take a beating for 30-minutes at a time.

To build the engine, the Rogers enlisted the services of Road Race Engineering in Santa Fe Springs, California. Road Race went through the 4G63 and replaced the factory pistons and rods with Wiseco forged aluminum slugs and Pauter steel connecting rods. Up top, the cylinder head received a race porting before being fit with a complete Ferrea valvetrain. Once again, a pair of HKS 272 cams were called upon to orchestrate the valvetrain. The cylinder head was complimented with the addition of a custom sheet metal intake fitted with an 80mm AccuFab throttle body.

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