Formalities done with, I make the awkward motion required to twist the key with my right hand. I'm immediately thrown back into the seat by blaring Japanese television in the dash-mounted display and I can't figure out how to turn it off. Almost every car I've been in out here has an LCD TV in the dashboard. Instinctively, my co-pilot reaches over and turns the TV off, and we're ready to hit the road.
Inching out of the parking lot, the one-off 6- and 4-pot Endless brakes elicit a sound like rubbing a metal brick against a chalkboard-they mean business. Traffic finally breaks and we pull out onto the touge (that's winding mountain road in case you didn't know). Despite the slushbox, the car seems to always be in the boost, hissing and fluttering as we gain speed.
The paddle shifters are quite entertaining to use, making tidy downshifts just a finger length away and keeping the tachometer needle aimed in the right direction. The odd box on top of the steering column turns out to be a prototype downforce meter, which will also measure g-force. We talked ARC into letting us get on the plane with prototype #2, so look for a comprehensive evaluation in an upcoming issue.
I'm not going to push the car on unfamiliar roads with my ARC chaperone watching me like the KGB watches the bread line, but even at 7/10ths, it's remarkable how compliant this slammed and low-profiled battle wagon is around bumpy corners and rough city streets. It sits a hair off the ground on Zeal Function Xs coil-overs and 19-inch Advan Model T6 wheels, yet manages to feel like there is plenty of suspension travel coupled with a plush ride. That's not to say there's much body roll-there isn't. Gotta love those Japanese tuners ...
As the corners get tighter, the confidence-inspiring suspension setup has me willing to push harder and harder. After a millisecond of opposite lock, however, a glance over at my ever-watching co-pilot, disapprovingly pointing to the upcoming rest area, confirms that my time behind the wheel has ended. Which is fine, as it affords me the chance to look the car over in more detail.
Other than the few gizmos that are specifically for the wagon variant, the ARC EVO is loaded with every trick in the book-every nook and cranny gleaming with titanium or aluminum, the materials ARC is most famous for bending, welding, and assembling.
The exhaust is fully titanium, which has become something of an industry standard. But so is everything else, from the charge pipes to the strut tower braces. What isn't titanium is highly polished aluminum, including the radiator hoses and the radiator itself.
It's not possible to leave a Japanese tuner without the obligatory meeting over coffee-they drink enough coffee in this country to fund a Starbucks space program. Thank-yous are exchanged and we're offered a high-speed late night tour of ARC's impressive facility.
Inside the chiller
Most notable tuners have developed a name for themselves because they are able to find the perfect amalgam of prefabricated parts to make a car perform well. At ARC, the only products that arrive are never-ending sheets and tubes of aluminum and titanium.
With this raw material, ARC is afforded a rare opportunity to fashion everything to work and fit exactly according to specifications. In addition to making parts for their own shop cars, ARC also distributes finished products to tuners worldwide.
ARC is perhaps best known for the wide variety of cooling products offered, most notably their intercoolers. We took a look at the intricate build process of a typical intercooler.