Evo Orgy: Sparco/A'pexi
Then we drive the Sparco/A'PEXi EVO.
Remember, we said there was no winner here. And there isn't. But the fastest, easiest to drive, most complete and, let's not forget--most pampered--car here is from Sparco and A'PEXi. Proof? Three timed laps is all it takes to eclipse the rest of the field by nearly one full second on the road course (58.08 sec.).
Lateral grip is also second best at 1.05g. There's a lesson there.
Flat into Turn One, then neutral throttle to the braking point for Turn Two. Hard on the stoppers, nudge the wheel toward the back of the turn and get back on the gas early. No arguments. No dizzying tail wagging. Just grip, rotation and confidence. Lots of confidence. The routine is the same everywhere with this car. No surprises.
There's lots of fundamental EVO goodness left, too. The steering is still as exacting, precise and full of feedback as God intended. The brakes retard momentum with unnatural certainty and there's power everywhere. Losing touch with the powerband here requires effort. Going slow is almost--dare we say it? Hard.
The power shows in the highest trap speed in the quarter mile: 118.3 mph. The e.t. is second quickest at 11.9 seconds. But it's not so much the power and speed that matter as it is the thoroughness of the car--complete in every way an EVO can be complete.
The same can be said for the EVO after-market. There's something for everyone here.
From the three-grand bolt-on machine to the over-the-top EVO that does it all for, we suspect, much more cash.
It's staggering how eight cars that started on the same assembly line with the same hardware came to be so magnificently different once they'd been through the wringer of aftermarket tuning. Cars with the same turbo have wildly different power delivery. Cars with the same brakes and tires feel completely different entering a corner. This is the beauty and diversity and goodness of the EVO aftermarket and its tuners. Different goals. Different philosophies. Different results.
Total Time: 58.08 sec.
| SPARCO/A'PEXI |
| 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VIII |
| Engine |
| Engine Code: | 4G63 |
| Type: | Inline four, turbocharged and inter-cooled, iron block and aluminum head |
| Internal Modifications: | 1.1mm A'PEXi head gasket, A'PEXi prototype camshafts |
| External Modifications: | A'PEXi RX6 IHI TCW15P18 turbo kit with stainless-steel exhaust manifold, water-cooled wastegate, custom intercooler piping by APi R&D, A'PEXi Drag Core Intercooler, AEM adjsutable cam gears, NGK plugs, A'PEXi aluminum radiator, Samco radiator hoses, Earls oil cooler, A'PEXi GT Spec exhaust |
| Engine Management Mods: | A'PEXi power FC standalone ECU, Stock fuel pump to APi R&D collector tank, 280 liter/hr Bosch fuel pump, 720 cc/min Nippon Denso Injectors, A'PEXi fuel pressure regulator, A'PEXi AVC-R boost controller, Custom A'PEXi tune |
| Measured Wheel Hp: | 399 hp @ 6800 rpm |
| Measured Wheel Torque: | 334 lb-ft @ 5800 rpm |
| Fuel: | Sunoco GT Plus 104 |
| Drivetrain |
| Layout: | Transverse front engine, all-wheel drive |
| Drivetrain Modifications: | Exedy twin-plate clutch |
| Suspension |
| Front: | A'PEXi N1 pro coil-overs, Cusco anti-roll bar |
| Rear: | A'PEXi N1 pro coil-overs, Progress 25mm adjustable anti-roll bar |
| Brakes |
| Front: | Brembo four-piston calipers (GT1), 13.0-in rotors, Pagid pads, Goodridge braided lines |
| Rear: | Brembo four-piston calipers (GT3), 12.9-in rotors, Pagid pads, Goodridge braided lines |
| Exterior |
| Wheels: | 17x8.5-in Volk Racing Gram Lights |
| Tires: | 245/40-17 Yokohama A032R |
| Body: | AAR carbon-fiber hood and trunk, A'PEXi Extreme wing, Gialla front bumper, RalliArt mirrors |
| Interior: | Sparco Enzo seats (carbon fiber), Sparco professional 3-in. harness, Sparco flash 5 steering wheel, Sparco Easy shift knob, Sparco carbon-fiber pedals, Sparco SCC3 shift light, A'PEXi boost, oil temp. and coolant temp. gauges in RalliArt cluster, Design Craft roll cage, lots of crazy Pioneer audio components |
| Performance |
| 0-30 mph: | 1.4 sec. |
| 0-60 mph: | 3.7 sec. |
| Quarter-Mile Time: | 11.9 sec. |
| Quarter-Mile Speed: | 118.3 mph |
| Handling |
| Lateral Grip (200-ft Skidpad): | 1.05g |
| Braking |
| 80-0 Stopping Distance: | 203 ft. |
| 60-0 Stopping Distance: | 111 ft. |