The Bozz Speed Lancer EVO VII is a street car.
It wasn't designed as a high-strung racecar like the Bozz EVO VI or Subaru GC8. Instead, this car does double duty, hauling journalists around Tokyo, including multi-hour trips to the airport and back, and hauling serious ass during the Bozz Speed track days.
We spent a few days loping around Japan's crowded freeways during this trip and the very comfortable, roomy and blindingly quick Bozz Speed's EVO VII made the trip that much better.
Here's something we don't normally talk about: rear seat room. Guess what? The EVO VII has an abundance and it's really nice when you're jet lagged and need some space. Plus, you haven't lived until you've tripled the posted on-ramp speed in an EVO-from behind the driver.
The driver, we should add, is sitting in a Recaro SP-G seat cinched tightly in place with a Crow 3-inch harness. Also inside is a healthy array of HKS gauges monitoring boost, water temperature, and oil pressure.
On the track, the EVO showed its street car character. Yes, it's faster than a stock EVO in a straight line, but not to the point of insanity. With its higher boost and better boost response, things happen more quickly, but the difference is subtle relative to stock, like the dial has been turned up one click. No, make that two clicks.
Push it hard and it understeers. We hate understeer. Bozz eliminated the EVO's active differentials in favor of Cusco limited-slip differentials front and rear. It's clear from the dynamic difference between this car and the EVO VI that significant tuning time is required to find the proper torque split with these differentials. Although the EVO VII lacks the spectacular balance and control of the EVO VI, it isn't embarrassing. It just isn't insane.
Going quickly around Tsukuba in this car is a delicate balancing act. Full-throttle exits are met with painful understeer. The routine became simple: Brake hard at corner entry, lift, turn in, slowly feed throttle at a rate appropriate for staying out of the grass.
At the end of the straight, the Winmax pads on otherwise stock brakes kept us honest.
Grip and turn-in response were both stepped up from stock. Thank Cusco's 02R coil-overs and Bridgestone's Potenza rubber for these improvements. Enkei's gorgeous Tarmac rally wheels fit the bill nicely, giving the Lancer a bit of a WRC look. The numerous Cusco braces, including a titanium strut tower brace and triangulated trunk brace, don't hurt either.
Underhood mods are fairly straightforward. HKS' tubular exhaust manifold dominates the engine compartment, improving efficiency on the exhaust side. On the cold side of the turbo, Bozz Speed's intercooler plumbing replaces the stock bits. With the exception of AEM cam gears, an aluminum Bozz radiator and the lightweight Bozz Speed exhaust, it's remarkably stock.
The simple truth is Bozz's EVO VII is a healthy street car. By American standards, it's even a pretty outrageous street car. But in Japan, where modified EVOs run amuck, it's a just another supercar. The commuter's supercar.
By Josh Jacquot
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