Mitsubishi's awesome Evolution series of Lancers are hardly known for their immaculate detail. Most people visualise these machines blasting their way across a dessert valley or through a forest track, carrying all the telltale signs of high-speed battle. Not pretty. Well, Vince Cubito's locally-delivered GSR combines all the raw power and involvement of an Evo with the class and sophistication of a trophy-winning show car. It could be described as the result of procreation between the Beauty and the Beast!
Vince bought this constant 4WD turbo Mitsubishi about two and a half years ago after his best mate (the car's first owner) decided it was time to move on to something else. The car was received in pretty well stock GSR form, with the exception of lowered suspension and a 2½-inch exhaust system. The most immediate item that required attention was the look of the car. It's a real shame that the GSR looks just like a plain ol' bread an' butter model. The sure-fire way to success was to bolt on a complete Evolution 3 kit - the contemporary style for the '94 body. Vince even managed to source a genuine Ralliart rear spoiler - which, without doubt, is the bit that first grabs people by the short and curlies.
And before you strain your eyes trying to work out what that custom paint mix is - stop. It's actually 100% standard Mitsubishi fare! But being a panel beater by trade, Vince (with the assistance of his boss) has pumped the rear guards by around an inch without cracking the paint.
This extra space help those orgasmic looking Simmons FR17s and 205/40 Falken GRBs live without fear of contact against stationary metal. Tinted glass also improves the gangster aesthetics.
Now, it'd be sacrilegious to make an Evo-look Lancer without giving it some added performance pizzazz. Vince answered the call with a clear abundance. In fact, he says it makes considerably more power than a genuine Evo 3 - and with a dyno certified 165kW at all four wheels, you can't argue with that!
Under the bonnet is the standard 95,000km 1.8 litre transverse four (remember, the Evo is 2.0 litre), which has never given any mechanical grief. Not like some Lancers, which sometimes wake up with a leg out of bed... The first under-the-bonnet mods were to bump up the boost pressure to 1 Bar using an HKS EVC and to slip in a free-flowing K&N panel filter. A flexible cold air duct feeds the filter area, instead of having it suck in all the radiator and turbo heat.
Next up was the replacement of the Lancer's relatively small factory intercooler. Vince again scored it lucky with a genuine Evo 3 air-to-air core, which went straight in the middle of the huge bumper cut-out. All factory plumbing was used, together with an AVO blow-off valve. The turbo was the next factory item to hit the bin. In its place is a much more capable custom job, which also runs to the same 1 Bar peak pressure. Getting up to 1 Bar was the problem though, as lag had definitely set in. While the new turbo was being put on, it was also a good opportunity to improve upon the existing exhaust system. Ross Bliss Exhaust fabricated a custom stainless steel front section, and a full-length 3-inch mandrel pipe with a hi-flow cat and a rear resonator (imported from the US).
At about this time, the ECU's fuel-cut was starting to intrude a little too often for pleasure. So Vince drove the car in to see Bob and Chris at Bob Romano Performance for a UniChip. The guys took out the previously fitted aftermarket chip and installed the original Mitsubishi program. At least then they knew what they were starting off with. With Chris at the helm of the tuning sequence, the car has been on the up and up ever since. Much of the lag has been eliminated, and Vince says the response and torque is tremendous. Oh, and there's even an anti-lag system that's in the early stages of development to - now that will sure say goodbye to any lag!
Surprisingly, the driveline is remarkably close to standard. The only change has been a slightly up-rated pressure plate, along with a standard replacement-type clutch plate. Not too many hard-core launches and "minimal abuse" no doubt help the longevity cause.
Indoors is a neat - but not over the top - assortment of mods. Here, the plasticy standard wheel and gear knob have made way for a Momo Champion wheel and a billet aluminium shifter, while the pedals are also covered with the Momo logo.
There's also custom floor mats, an Autometer boost gauge and a "clean and clear" audio package. Vince says "I don't need to blast my head off", so he's wired in simply a Kenwood CD/turner deck, Kenwood fronts and Alpine rears. Moderate bass and power is delivered by a single 8 inch MTX woofer and a Pioneer Class A competition amp. When he gets bored, Vince watches intercooler core temperatures on a LCD temp meter and switches on an intercooler water spray system whenever he feels it's getting a little warm. Or, sometimes, when he's anticipating a green light dash...
One aspect of this car that we really like - and the one that's made all the beautiful attention to detail possible - is that Vince did nearly all the work himself. By doing it this way, he claims he's been able to build the car on a good, relatively tight budget. If he had to pay a workshop for some of its elegant touches, the whole shooting match would've cost the earth. Just take a look at some of Vince's handywork to see where all those hours (at $60-plus) would have gone: The custom polished front strut bar was made by himself, the words "Evolution" and "III" were etched into the wheels and their centre caps, and a custom stainless steel valve cover and exhaust manifold heat shield were also fabricated. These were then etched and pressed with Vince's own graphic design, with a stencil made up (for free) by a mate.
Vince seems happy with his ride, but he's not gonna sit back and just let it go stale. No way. On the wish-list is an air-fuel ratio meter, a genuine aluminium Evo bonnet (which are very expensive and hard to source) and maybe even build up a stroker engine. A stroker - why not just go for the 2 litre cousin you ask? Well, Vince doesn't want the hassle of changing the factory wiring loom - and he already knows that this is a good motor that's capable of big power. And even as it is, Vince tells us the all-wheel-drive gun should be capable of high-mid 12-second quarters - depending on how savage he wants to be with it!
We'd bet Vince's mate wishes he'd never sold it..
Vince would like to thank his boss, his mates and Chris and Bob (of Bob Romano Performance)
Contacts:
Bob Romano Performance
+61 7 3395 8255
Exclusive Paint and Panel
+61 7 3852 2539
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