Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

The original naturalist, Charles Darwin, theorized about evolution and the concept of survival of the fittest. By naturalist I mean that he studied nature, not that he went au naturale and didn't shower. Darwin came up with the idea that only the strongest survive and develop over time. If only he could see how right he really was.

In its eighth incarnation, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII truly lives up to its name. From its humble beginnings in the early 1990s as a rally-homologation special to the electronics-laden EVO VIII MR, the Lancer EVO evolved over time. With years of experience and knowledge to build on, the EVO VIII can easily be built into a corner-slicing, Ferrari-killing, four-door family hauler. And it only gets better, each consecutive edition of the EVO possessed more power, better handling, bigger brakes, and a nicer driving experience. The real-world capabilities of the car are so great that it's not uncommon to see a family of five riding in the car on the way to dinner. Except the whole family is wearing Nomex driving suits, and there's a parachute on the rear bumper.

When it came time for XS Engineering of Huntington Beach, Calif., to create "the ultimate street car that would kill on the track," they turned to Mitsubishi's rally car. Having previously built some sick cars in their shop, the guys at XS knew a thing or two about building a car that could commit murder on track. The combination of their tuning and the EVO's ability proved to be the recipe for success.

With more than a decade of factory and aftermarket development, the 4G63 engine is one of the most easily tuned power producers around. Drivable around town, the XS Engineering EVO VIII produces a downright evil 472 hp to the wheels at 28.4psi on race gas. Considering the loss of power from the engine through the four-wheel-drive system, this EVO makes more power than a Viper.

The entire bottom end remains stock too; the crankshaft, rods, and pistons are all factory stock. Higher up rests custom Crower camshafts, valve springs, and titanium retainers. Outside rests a XS-Engineering-produced intake manifold and a XS Engineering tubular exhaust manifold, which lead into a XS Engineering downpipe connected to a titanium JIC Bullet exhaust system. The front-mount intercooler has been upgraded to a larger XS Engineering unit, all the hard piping before the turbo has been changed, and the turbo itself is now a T3/T4 unit. According to XS Engineering, replacing the stock EVO turbo is a difficult decision for many street cars. The stock turbo has an incredible ability to produce a good amount of power while retaining very good boost response. It's well designed but produces limited huge-peak power numbers.