A successful combination of performance and practicality is what separates the hardcore streetcar from the occasional weekend warrior. While high-powered builds that arrive at the track on a trailer can rock the pavement, they are useless for daily commuting, running around town, or day-to-day use. A dedicated track car is not a typical luxury for someone that needs to use the car regularly. Tim Smith purchased his first EVO upon the birth of his first child. The Mitsubishi EVO IX sedan was the perfect platform to haul the family on weekdays and haul ass at the track on the weekends. Smith was addicted to the power-potential of the EVO while enjoying the guilt-free pleasure of running errands. When the Smith family prepared for its second child’s arrival, the EVO was traded in for a more suitable baby hauler, a Chevy Suburban. After seven months behind the wheel of the family war wagon, Smith could not suppress his thrill-seeking needs any longer. Mrs. Smith got stuck with the Suburban while her compact SUV was traded in for a 2008 Evolution X.

NOT A DYNO QUEEN

With the project build targeting performance, Smith cut no corners and wasted few resources on frivolities. He comments, “So many people build cars they don’t use. To me, cars that only have dyno miles are a waste. Dyno queens with 1,400 horsepower and no street miles are not impressive. The one aspect of this build that did not change is the focus on function. I promised myself that the EVO X would be built to withstand everything I put it through. To this end, I’ve kept my word.”

BUILT TO LAST

Smith contacted Mike Welch at Road Race Engineering to plan his project. Before long, the bolt-on buildup turned into a comprehensive construction. While designed to be turbocharged, the internals of the 4B11 begin to reach their reliable performance threshold at around 400 wheel horsepower. In order to withstand aggressive tuning, reinforcing the bottom end was the first area of focus. The block was honed with a torque plate prior to being filled with a set of Wiseco 9.0:1 compression forged aluminum pistons. Manley H-beam rods make the connection between the pistons and the factory crankshaft, supported by a complete set of Cosworth rod and main bearings. While displacement remained the same, the peak horsepower capacity increased significantly. The cylinder head received Cosworth M1 camshafts, valve springs and titanium retainers before being cinched to the block by way of ARP head studs.

QUICK-SPOOLIN' BOOST

Road Race Engineering ported the factory exhaust manifold before bolting a Garrett GT3076R turbocharger to the flange. The T3-based snail delivers responsive boost into the 500-plus horsepower range, perfect for Smith’s street and track objectives for the 4B11 powerplant. Spent gasses leave the turbine housing by way of an AMS widemouth downpipe and custom 3.5- inch exhaust finished with a Magnaflow muffler. On the cool side of the turbocharger, aluminum hard piping channels compressed air into a custom Spearco frontmount intercooler before it reaches the Mil.Spec +4mm-ported throttle body and ported intake manifold.

FUEL DUEL

Daily driving on premium pump gas is a necessary evil for most Californians. For highoutput and racing, E85 has proven a much higher-performing and cost-effective fuel alternative to racegas. Unfortunately for Smith, E85 is not as readily available in California as it is in other parts of the United States. In preparation for both fuel types, fuel delivery was improved with a Blaqops fuel pump upgrade and RC Engineering 1,200 cc/min injectors. Welch Flash Tuned the factory ECU with dual maps, one for 91 pump and one for E85. With the chassis set up on the Dynapack dynamometer, Welch refined the fuel and ignition curves. On E85 at 26 psi boost pressure, the 4B11 churned out 501 horsepower and 427 lb-ft torque at the hubs. Compared to its baseline pull of 250 horsepower, peak numbers increased by 100 percent over stock.

PRACTICAL STANCE

With streetable power in place, attention shifted to improving the feel at the wheel. Eibach Pro R2 adjustable coilovers closed the gap over the WedsSport SA60M wheels and Dunlop rubber, and offered broad damper adjustment compared to stock. RobiSpec bumpsteer, sway bar mounts and toe links work with Hotchkis sway bars to further improve chassis feedback and increase alignment flexibility. Road Race Engineering adjustable caster/camber plates further expand the alignment variables up front for optimum handling. Behind the WedsSport rollers, the factory Brembo calipers now squeeze StopTech 309 brake pads onto APM Racing 2-piece rotors up front and StopTech one-piece rotors in the rear.