All that bed rest didn't go to waste, though, and this hard-core speed freak started cooking up some new ideas for the zEVO, including using longer Manley I-beam rods and custom short-skirt JE pistons with a higher 9:1 compression ratio so that he could try to squeeze 9000 rpm and 800 whp out of his 4G63. He also ordered a very trick Billet Turbochargers SB68-GTQ twin-scroll turbo from Australia (close to a GT42 in size), a custom Bell intercooler and a new Full-Race twin-scroll manifold. "While we were at it, I thought we've come this far, why not go all the way? So we stripped the car down completely, removing all the undercoating and sound deadening, welded in a Sparco WRC chromoly rollcage, cut out the rear subframe and put in a custom one that ties into the rollcage and rear diff. We also had a complete custom MoTeC wiring system built to go with the SDL digital dash, throwing out all the factory wiring and converting to Canbus in the process."
At this point, zEVO was more or less a race car, but Reine wanted it to have a show car-quality finish to go along with the performance of a world-class track machine. That's why his friend Tokan, who handled most of the body work, molded in the entire bodykit rather than just riveting it in place, as well as adding a lot of custom interior touches including the carpeting and leather-wrapped dash, door cards and center console to go along with the Alcantara Stätus Racing seats. And, of course, the unique shade of green that Kenny Starfighter from Högdalen Bil & Skadecenter and Tokan mixed and sprayed zEVO with certainly adds a show car quality to the build as well.
But the depth of Reine's obsession with building the ultimate EVO goes far beyond a flashy paint job, an über-rare widebody kit and a sweet set of Volk Racing CE28N's. Take a closer look at zEVO and you'll start to notice some truly top-shelf equipment attached, like the SQS Racing SEQSHIFT sequential shifter conversion, an incredibly cool item we've never seen before. Engineered and built in the Czech Republic, the SQSE allows you to shift sequentially using the standard EVO transmission and even includes a dash-mounted display to show you what gear you're in. The AP Racing pedal box, master cylinder and brake bias adjuster are also high-level racing parts you don't often see in a so-called "tuner" project like zEVO, as are the Swedish-made Laminova oil cooler and the Dutch-made Moton triple adjustable dampers at each corner. To allow room for the Laminova heat exchanger, Reine even designed and developed his own aluminum CNC-milled water pump plate, a part he's now making available to other EVO enthusiasts.
The list of modifications made to zEVO is so extensive and so impressive that you really need to spend some time on his blog to fully appreciate the extent of this project. Clearly, Reine is a man on a mission, one that is innovative enough that it will inevitably continue to make it rain trophies at whatever shows he takes it to in Europe. In fact, if you happen to be in Helsinki, Finland, this October, be sure to check out zEVO in person at the Nordic Tuner Awards, where Reine and his EVO will be representing Sweden. The car might even be for sale, so don't forget to bring your checkbook.
By David Pratte
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