For those regular viewers of the Livicruise website you will no doubt have noticed several changes going on. Monthly cruises have been introduced and cancelled, the site has had a serious revamp and now a shiny new features section has been introduced to show off the finest cars our users have to offer. Now any vehicle from the site could have been chosen to get the ball rolling with regards to write-ups but who better to start with than the man that effectively kicked off the cruising scene in Livingston and brought the term “Livicruise” to the lips of car enthusiasts and modders across central Scotland. Ladies and gentlemen without further do I present to you Halesy and his Evo 5.
Before going on to talk about the car its probably appropriate to take you all down a trip along memory lane, back to the days where Max Power didn’t rule the modifying world and when “Fast and Furious” was merely a way to describe how you shagged the Mrs the night before. Back to a time where the McArthur Glen was a field and cruising was an underground phenomenon which was only arranged through word of mouth. If you remember this and you kicked about Iceland car park then you will no doubt have been one of the original “Livicruisers” with Halesy. 7 years on however faces have come and went, cruises have started and folded, magazines have been and gone but one thing still remains and that is that Mr Livicruise remains as the gaffer and his love for the modifying world and all things on 4 wheels has never changed.
Well when I say all things on 4 wheels that can be narrowed down slightly to all things with 4 wheels and big power outputs. You name any of the old cruise weapons that’s gave young enthusiasts an erection back in day and chances are Ian has had it Fiesta RS Turbos, Escort Gtis, Imprezzas, 4 x 4 Cossies you name it and his details have been included on one of their V5’s at some point over the years. Up until recently though there was one that never quite made the list, yet probably should have long before now and that was the Mitsubishi Evolution.
The Lancer Evolution first burst onto the world stage in 1992 when the Evo 1 rolled off the product line at the Mizushima Plant and onto the tracks of the World Rally Championship. Although not being able to shake off Toyota and their AWD GT4 Celica from top spot right away a certain Tommi Makinen went on to blitz all competition off the track in 1996, and there he was to say for a further 3 years, all while at the wheel of the “beast from the east”. From there on in the Evo would become a popular weapon of choice for petrol heads across the UK. With a 2.0 litre turbocharged engine, 4WD and potential for far greater gains than the 250 bhp that the earlier models possessed its easy to see how the car has reached the pedestal it now proudly sits on in modifying circles.
People say you can’t fall in love with something by viewing it on the TV or in a computer game; however there is always an exception to the rule. Ever since the days of Gran Turismo 3 on the Playstation 2 Ian has always had a soft spot for the Mitsi, so much so in fact that his virtual garage contained several cars containing the “Evo” name, all bizarrely in yellow. Only last year in March was he able to acquire one, maybe not in his desired colour but it was one he could finally call his own.
One problem of course with taking the move from computer fascination to daily driver is of course finance. Despite having millions to spunk at any desired vehicle on a racing game unfortunately such sums of money are irrelevant when trying to pay for goods in the real world. This however didn’t mean the Evo’s fate had been sealed with having an owner content on driving a bog standard vehicle on West Lothians roads. In fact it wasn’t before long the performance enhancing drugs kicked in and original parts were being ripped off in replace of Ralli-Art goodies – namely a full suspension set up and exhaust system.
Not content with slight gains and a far better grip on the roads the Evo was to take a crash course diet as heavy parts were replaced with far lighter equivalents. The boffins at Rota proved that “Losing 1kg of rotational weight (i.e. wheel weight) is the straight-line performance equivalent to removing 10kg from your car.” This exact quote might not have been in mind when choosing a new set of wheels, in fact it probably wasn’t as a set of 18” lightweight Buddyclub’s were to fill the cars arches, but it did provide the desired weight loss that was being aimed for. Add to this an AP racing carbon fibre bonnet and the car as a whole is now lighter, quicker and faster than standard.
With such mods it not only helps with performance but also contributes to making the vehicle more aesthetically pleasing. With the wheels and bonnet being dark it helps provide a black/white contrast on the car which has become so popular over recent months. Add to this the tinted windows it certainly does fit in with the “team panda” theme that runs through many white vehicles from the “Far East”.
This isn’t the end of changes to this car though as Halesy now goes in search of a point that was picked up on earlier in the article, power. With an up rated engine management system heading the bill, no doubt other mods will be included in the long run to help get this car shifting at pace that would resemble its Rally and GT3 predecessors. Then after that who knows what high powered vehicle is in store but it does appear one car is missing off that list of greats. Skyline anyone?
Credits:
Writer : Jaffa
Photography: StevenC
