Mat Canyon: Cruise Power

Jan 17, 2017

Thirsty For Blood | Leslie's Mitsubishi Evo

A lot of us work hard everyday to make a living. So despite the constant responsibilities, we love to reward ourselves with something once in a while for all the sweat we poured. While some may prefer vacation getaways or a well furnished home, some people like to reward themselves with hobby project. That was how this project Evo came to be.

While going through social media, I noticed my good friend Ah Kit from Cruise Power Car Services in Sri Petaling posting up a project car that he just finished working on. Just like his own personal car that we featured in early 2016, this CT9A was dressed up in full Voltex aero parts. If that's not eye-catching enough, this CT9A is painted in a very brilliant shade of red. Probably one of the purest you will see on any car. So knowing the level of work Ah Kit can do to any Evo, this particular one would be a special treat to check out.

For the proud owner of this Evo, Leslie who is an art director by profession states that this is purely his project car. Despite not making any major issues, he hasn't really had a chance to drive this car often due to his nature of work. Understandably, he managed to keep the car in immaculate condition. Unlike many cars that spend most of it's time hibernating, this Evo has no problem starting up anytime.

When it comes to his interest of cars, Leslie have always considered himself an Evo guy. He started liking Evos ever since his school days when the Evo 4 CN9A debuted. He met Ah Kit around a decade ago when he owned an Evo 6. It was only shortly after that, he decided to let the Evo 6 go for this Evo 7 CT9A. Not long after that, he started to slowly build his dream Evo. For the first three years of ownership, he was sending his car to Boostzone Motorsports in Johor Bahru. But due to the factor of distance, he decided to give the job of taking car of his car to Ah Kit in Kuala Lumpur.

After all these years of having the CT9A, Leslie made sure no detail is spared on his car. The stock seats were replaced with a pair of Bride Cuga semi bucket seats with matching Bride print wrapped on the rear seats. He also got himself a Ralliart meter cluster and gear knob. Just to bring things up another level, he also have a Cusco 6-point bolt-on roll cage installed. It some how gives the feeling that you are in a proper race car. Love it or hate it, having a roll cage installed on your street car does sound very cool.

Of course with all the visible accessories, the motor of this Evo also came with the hardware to match. The 4G63 motor is fully built with Tomei internals including pistons, crankshaft and camshafts. The turbocharger on the motor is an APEX'i RX6 turbine that is paired with an APEX'i external wastegate and screamer pipe. Even though the motor still not completely tuned, the baseline map on the engine management system was able to pump out around 400 horsepower at 1.4 bars of boost. The car is still currently waiting for its next dyno session for further fine tuning.

After getting a chance to see and even drive this car briefly, I am very eager to see this car at its full potential. It is like a blade of a master swordsman that hasn't been sharpened yet. Of course with Ah Kit's know-how and Leslie's vision, I am confident that this Evo can meet it's full potential and possibly be one of the best street tuned cars in Kuala Lumpur. But for Leslie, it is not about being the fastest or to impress others but it is purely for his pleasure to be able to own and build up his ideal Evo.

TUNING MENU
Owner: Leslie Ewe
Model: 2001 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution CT9A
Location: Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

ENGINE:
2.0L 4G63 Inline-4,
Tomei 2.3 liter Stroker Kit,
Tomei 270 Procams,
Tomei Valve Springs,
Tomei Head Gasket,
Tomei Cam Pulleys,
XSPower Intercooler,
APEX'i RX6 TCW76 P18 Turbo,
APEX'i External Wastegate with Dump Pipe,
Trust Greddy PE Ti-R Exhaust,
Dual Oil Cooler,
SARD Fuel Rail,
Greddy Type R Blow Off Valve,
Carbing Intake Box,
HKS Fcon V Pro ECU,

DRIVETRAIN:
5-speed manual,
HKS LA Single Plate Clutch,

SUSPENSION, CHASSIS AND BRAKES:
Tein Monoflex Coilovers,
Cusco 6-Point Bolt-On Roll Cage,
Cusco Anti Roll Bar,
Cusco Strut Bar,
Endless Brakes (all round),
Slotted Brake Rotors,

WHEELS AND TIRES:
AME TM-02 18 x 11jj Offset +10 (all round),
Bridgestone Potenza RE050A 265/35/18 (all round),

EXTERIOR:
Voltex Circuit Aerokit,
Voltex Carbon Hood,
Voltex Type 5V Wing,
Varis B-Pillar Trim,
Ganador Carbon WIng Mirrors,
Pure Red Body Paint,

INTERIOR:
Bride Cuga Semi Bucket Seats,
Bride Rear Seat Trim,
Ralliart Meter Cluster,
Ralliart Gear Knob,
Defi Gauges,
Greddy Profec-B Spec-2 Boost Controller,
APEX'i Turbo Timer,

SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Cruise Power Car Services, Kuala Lumpur.

BONUS IMAGES

Mar 8, 2016

Artisan's Sample | Cruise Power's Mitsubishi Evo

When someone asks what car would be a brilliant track weapon and a practical daily commuter? If one is looking for something that’s handling is as sharp like a katana yet have a rear trunk that can hit a couple of dead bodies, they probably had the Evo come to mind. Most people will know that the Mitsubishi Evo is a sharp handling machine to pilot even if it was in stock form but what if one wants more. If someone says ‘badass Evo’, what kind of car will come to mind?

Tucked in a neighbourhood on the south side of Kuala Lumpur is a little workshop called Cruise Power Car Services. On the surface, it would look like a decent workshop where someone would go just to get an oil change, but despite the size this workshop has a huge specialty when it comes to Evos. They not only sell and trade Evo performance parts, but they also have built some of the best Evos in Kuala Lumpur.

As the person who runs the show at Cruise Power, Ah Kit must be able to showcase the good work he is capable to do on an Evo. Therefore, the best way he can showcase this is to have an Evo of his own that pretty much has the full package. While some may mistake his car to be fully built for track use, the sole purpose for him to build up his project was to be a reference to his customers that wish to have a fully built Evo with nothing left untouched.

Like many typical gearhead stories, Ah Kit has always had an interest in the Mitsubishi Evo since his days as a young lad in high school. When he got up to age and was finally able to have his own project car, Ah Kit got himself a Mitsubishi Evo 3 CE9A at his disposal. It wasn’t only later on when he no longer had the CE9A; he decided to get a more recent model as his project car which is the CT9A that he has today.

From then on, Ah Kit started to slowly build up his car both inside and out. Majority of the parts chosen are relatively bolt-ons, but he made sure the motor also worked well with the parts he poured in. His motor currently runs on a Tomei built 4G63 with 2.2 liters of displacement. With the larger displacement, the motor is able to have better bottom end torque before the TD06 turbine starts to feed boost to the motor. With the HKS FCon V Pro, the 4G63 is running with an output at the lower 400s.

While most Evos in Kuala Lumpur nowadays have the stock look, Ah Kit decided to install a full functioning aerokit that seem to be a signature of his workshop. Similar to the Cyber Evo from Garage HRS in the World Time Attack Challenge, Ah Kit’s Evo is dressed up with the full Voltex Circuit Aerokit. Probably one of the most iconic aerokit for the CT9A, it is also known to be the most functional with hours of wind tunnel testing done to the aerokit. In a sense, despite the ridiculous asking price, it is justified as it is highly recommended for anyone’s track bred CT9A.

After my experience checking this Evo, I really admire the thought that was put into this car. Just by taking a close look, one can’t help to see that this Evo is not only a showcase of parts but also a fully functional machine. The potential that it has to make that outstanding lap time on track is undeniable. If one doesn’t believe in the expertise that Ah Kit has when it comes to building your badass Evo, then probably his personal project car can probably do a better job convincing you.