Every car enthusiast loves the whirl of a turbocharger. That tornado-like sound screaming from under the hood is a drug that most of us cannot get enough of. A rather delicious side dish to turbo spool is the “pfffftttt” sound from a blow off valve. This aural treat is just as addictive as turbo spool. So much so that, I have heard of N/A vehicle owners fitting one onto the piping of their “cold air intake system,” hoping that they could hear that hiss when letting off the throttle. (This usually generates a laugh or two among people I know) But a blow off valve isn’t designed for sheer driving entertainment. Rather, it serves a rather important function that increases turbo performance and life span.
Yes, yes. I know. This is the first update for Project Evo in a long time, but I must confess to being pretty busy at WebRidesTV.com. But don’t fret. Major new updates are in the works.
The first update is the arrival of new rubber for the CT9A. Michelin North America has graciously decided to support the project through sponsoring the tire portion of the build. Arriving just last week, the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2s, in 255/35-18, are sure to provide Project Evo sure-footed traction. Designed with the tires provided to Formula 1 teams - with the three continuous grooves - Michelin has a long history of experience in motorosports, the least of which includes championships in P1, P2, and GT1 classes in ALMS and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Needless to say, I can’t wait to get these new tires mounted on the Volk Racing CE28N wheels that are on the way from Japan.
Stay tuned as we revisit Project Evo in a big way in the coming months.
Sourcebox
Michelin North America
Greenville, SC
www.michelin-us.com
Regardless of the vehicle in question, mobile electronics has taken itself through leaps and bounds over the past few years. It’s no longer about mere MP3-capability. The new generation of headunts offer a myriad of audio and video sources to choose from - CD (regular, MP3, AAC, WMV), DVD video / audio, FM / AM radio, iPOD, XM / Sirius satellite radio and so on. The list simply does not stop. And depending on what your budget limitations and music platform preference may be, today’s headunit is designed to accept them all.
This certainly is the case with the Pioneer AVIC-N4 multimedia navigation receiver installed in Project Evo. The single-DIN headunit is gadget freak’s dream, compatibility with all audio and video formats. And it offers further flexibility with add-on modules that can be thrown into the mix depending on what your mobile audio needs may be.
With the inhaling end of things buttoned up, it came time to open up the exhaust system. Although the stock exhaust system on the Project Evo is far better than those found on the majority of vehicles out there, it still possesses the same restrictive qualities. Whether it’s piping that constantly kinks back and forth or pinched at bends (not mandrel bent like performance systems, in which the bends are created in a way that preserves the inner diameter of the piping), it isn’t the most efficient lay out possible.
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With most of the suspension upgrades complete on Project Evo, the time has come to start upgrading under the hood. One of the biggest roadblocks to performance in turbocharged vehicles is the intake system. Imagine if you had to breathe through a straw while running a marathon. That obviously isn’t conducive to maximum efficiency and performance.
It’s incredibly frustrating when you walk out to your car after going to the movies, a restaurant or wherever else… to discover that some a**hole has put a dent or ding on your car. Traditionally, people have been forced to get raped at the bodyshop, paying hundreds of dollars (if not thousands) and forced to give up the car for days and sometimes weeks.
Surely enough, Project Evo suffered some damage to its rear quarter panel and we needed to bring the car back to tip top shape. Considering the build schedule we’re following, we couldn’t afford any downtime.
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In the previous installment of the Project Evo buildup, the front strut tower brace and rear sway bar were added. The final piece in this initial chassis tuning, the WORKS rear strut tower brace / cage, is now bolted to the trunk area. It ties the rear strut towers to the rear of the trunk area floor, creating an ultrastiff square that lends well to chassis rigidity.
An often forgotten upgrade for most enthusiasts is chassis tuning. Sure, more power is added through forced induction, intake this, header that and so on. But with increased speed comes increased demand for chassis tuning. Although unseen, a vehicle’s chassis is twisted and bent in minute increments every time the chassis takes a load from braking, acceleration, cornering and so on. During cornering, for example, the chassis is twisted in different directions and there’s a kinetic energy transfer from the compression of the tire sidewalls, lateral load and suspension compression to the suspension mounting point. This kinetic energy is then converted into mechanical energy, twisting the chassis as a result.
To prevent this kinetic energy transfer and keep the wheels glued to the ground as much as possible, chassis tuning is necessary. Obviously, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is a pretty stout vehicle from the factory - one look under the car at the suspension arms, for example, would give a huge clue as to the overengineered and overbuilt nature of this vehicle. But any vehicle will benefit from the addition of a myriad of chassis tuning parts that are available in the marketplace.
We called up WORKS in San Rafael, CA, for their delicious and track-tested chassis tuning components. Considering that they are US-based, have several real engineers on staff and have a development facility right on the grounds of the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, we were sold. Also worth mentioning is that all of their product installation instructions included torque specs of every bolt and nut that need to be tightened / retightened after the installs. THAT is some thinking from a manufacturer’s standpoint. Major props go out for taking this extra step for their customers.
Colin Chapman, racecar driver extraordinaire and founder of Lotus, was a firm believer in light weight. Less weight = better acceleration, better braking (including braking later and harder before a turn), better cornering (less lateral load on the tires and suspension) and so on. It’s no wonder, obviously, than the modern Formula 1 racecar is all carbon fiber. Coupled with the extraordinary output of the F1 engine, these cars fly. Hit the jump for the details of this load-lightening fun!
We do some cool stuff here at WebRidesTV.com, but we’ve never done a real build up of a car from stock to… rock (?) - sorry, couldn’t come up with a cooler word that rhymes with “stock.” In any case, the sole purpose of the build is to slap on some of the best (read “expensive”) aftermarket components on the car. Hit the jump to check out some of the mods that we’re doing!
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