Take Off: Danny Sarmiento's 2005 Mitsubishi Evolution IX

Vehicle Features Dave Pankew

Let’s face it, you’re reading this so you can make your car go faster, brake harder and handle with laser accuracy. Well that and you want it to turn heads on the street, attract ladies and embarrass chachis driving leased exotics. If that is your mission, you have a choice; start from the ground up with a lowly commuter car like a Civic or lay down the royal flush with a factory rocket like this. Blessed with good looks and unreal performance, the Evo MR destroys almost everything right out of the box.

The Evo MR is fast, scary fast and even with mild tweaks the one you see here really moves. Owner Danny Sarmiento of Queens, NY purchased this vehicle brand new back in late 2004 and as he grew tired of its looks and performance, continued to modify it. What he ended up with is a car that cost double the sticker price but will rival supercars out there costing $6-figures on the track.

The work commenced in the engine bay where Mitsubishi deployed their last generation of the potent 4G63. The legendary turbo-4 has been known to pump out over 1000whp and has been proven in competition the world over. The head was removed, ported and polished and filled with HKS 272 cams, and HKS metal headgasket and strengthened ARP studs. The intercooler piping was replaced with all RalliArt gear and vented with an HKS V1 BOV. The oxides head out an RS*R downpipe with an electronic cut out where one pipe heads to atmosphere the other heads to a Fujitsubo SS cat-back.

With an ECU re-flash and the addition of an HKS EVC V boost controller, the car makes some decent power over stock. Netting a total 360whp, the daily driver now had a broader powerband with a flat torque curve. The bump in power meant that the stock clutch had to go and an OS Giken twin plate found its way into the bell-housing to harness it.

To get attention in NYC, you have to have a unique style in the fashion capital of North America. The look of this Evo features all of the right JDM parts but has an understated East Coast style going on too. Up front is a GP Sports front bumper with a JDM Evo IX rear end and INGs sideskirts. Voltex pitched in with a carbon fiber vented hood, rear diffuser and a 1500mm carbon fiber wing sitting atop a RalliArt trunk. Plenty of JDM Evo stuff also adorns the car including MR headlights and taillights, badging, wind deflectors, stubby antenna and sidemarkers.

With the power and appearance sorted it was time to move on to the footwork. A set of Tanabe Sustec Pro Seven coilovers were fitted with the TEAS electronic in-cabin controller. Any body-roll left in the factory setup was left banished with the introduction of Beatrush front and rear sway bars. The OE Brembos benefited from Hawk HP+ pads gripping DBA slotted rotors for improved fade-resistance. Finally the wheel and tire package reduced rotating mass and provided plenty more contact patch for the Evo to work its magic. A set of Advan RS 18x9-inch finished in gunmetal are found on all four corners. Four Toyo R888 R-compounds are found on all four corners measuring 255/35R18 for some sure-footed grip.

Since this is a daily driver, Sarmiento spend a lot of time on the inside of the Evo to make it livable. A pair of BRIDE Zeta III seats in hyper black are only one component of the BRIDE items inside the cabin. The rears seats have been reupholstered to match the fronts in addition to the: boost, arms rests, door cards, floor mats and even the visors. For safety a Cusco 6-point cage has been bolted in with Takata harnesses. The steering inputs are made via a Nardi Deep corn wheel with a Works Bell quick-release while gears are banged with an ARC titanium shift knob. The engine vitals are relayed with a battery of Defi 60mm BF gauges including: oil pressure, water temperature, EGT and boost all connected with a Control Unit II and VSD heads-up display.

As for audio, Sarmiento went with some of the best but a modest amount of it. A pair of JL Audio W3V3 12-inch subs tucked in a custom fiberglass and BRIDE fabric wrapped enclosure are driven by a JL Audio 500.1 mono amplifier. The JL Audio component speakers found in stock locations pushed by a 4-channel JL Audio 300.4. All speaker wire, fusing and power leads are provided by JL Audio for noise-free audio.

Blessed with everything a tuner could ask for in a car, this car is the total package. Plus it makes sense for an Aerospace professional like Sarmiento to have a 4-door sedan. And because he rolls in the Northeast, the AWD capabilities of the car will pull through anything the climate throws at it.

Photography by Somiya Siva

ESSENTIALS

Owner: Danny Sarmiento
Location: Queens, NY
Vehicle: 2005 Mitsubishi Evolution IX
Power: 360whp
Engine: Mitsubishi 2.0L 4G63 inline-4

ENGINE

 Samco limited edition coolant hoses 
Cusco Heat Shield 
Helix o2 housing 
RSR SS downpipe with cat-delete with custom electronic cut-out 
Fujitsubo SS catback exhaust 
HKS RS reloaded intake (custom powder coated candy red)
Cusco catch can 
Ralliart rad cap 
Arc oil cap 
Ralliart Intercooler pipes (custom powder coated candy red)
 HKS V1 BOV 
Ralliart rad cooling panel (custom powder coated candy red)
HKS 272 IN/EX camshafts 
HKS EVC V limited edition
Taylor Battery relocation trunk kit
Garage HRS clear cam cover 
Garage HRS rad coolant Inlet 
Garage HRS dipstick holder 
Gallery Fresh Bolt kit 
Ralliart Socks
TODA timing belt
TODA balancer belt
ARP headstuds

PERFORMANCE ELECTRONICS

Defi VSD heads up display 
Defi control unit 
Defi BF Amber boost
Defi BF Ext temp.
Defi BF water temp.
Defi BF oil pressure 
Blitz turbo timer

CHASSIS / SUSPENSION

Tanabe Sustec Pro Sevens with TEAS
 Beatrush front and rear strut bar (custom powder coated candy red)

WHEELS / TIRES

 Advan RS wheels w/ GTR faces - 18×9 +29
Toyo R888 tires - 255/35/18
Titek Red open end lugs 
Enkei Red valve stems

BRAKES

DBA 4000 series rotors (slotted)
Hawk HP + brake pad 
ACT HD clutch with HD flywheel
SS clutch line Super blue
ATE brake fluid

EXTERIOR

 JDM GP sports (Chocket) front bumper
 Ings+1 hybrid side skirt 
JDM Evo 9 rear bumper
Voltex rear CF diffuser 
Voltex Cf Hood 
Voltex 1500mm carbon fiber wing
Ralliart carbon fiber trunk
JDM MR headlights
JDM MR taillights
 JDM MR badge 
JDM OEM door wind deflectors
JDM Evo VII antenna 
8000K HID + Yellow 3000k HID fog lights
GT spec Ralliart style carbn fiber mirrors 
JDM OEM Amber Side Marker 
Carbon fiber J panels

INTERIOR 

ARC Ti shift knob 
Bride Zeta III type L in Hyper Black 
Bride tunings pads 
Bride shift boot and arm rest 
Bride door panels
Bride back seat redone in Bride Hyper Black (entire seats)
Bride Headliner 
Bride floor Mats
Bride Visors 
Cusco 6 pt roll cage (custom powder coated candy red) 
Nardi Deep Corn Steering Wheel with Works bell Quick release, Works bell Hub
Takata harness long version (2) 
Takata Harness Gel Pads 
Ralliart shift control 
LED cluster, HVAC, clock

AUDIO / MULTIMEDIA

 Pioneer Z3 Orbital Double Din unit/ JL Audio speakers (f/r), subwoofers, amplifiers
 JL Audio W3V3 12" subwoofers (2) 
JL Audio 500V2 1 amplifier
JL Audio 300V4 2 amplifier
JL Audio battery Harness
5 Farad Cap
Custom fiberglass trunk audio setup 
Custom wrap In Bride material

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