I’ve to offer credit score the place credit score is due.

If it wasn’t for the protection I noticed on Speedhunters and Narita Dogfight lengthy earlier than I began contributing right here, I wouldn’t have such a eager curiosity in time assault at the moment. The content material coming straight out of Tsukuba Circuit’s pit lane garages intrigued me, and ever since I’ve discovered myself following the time assault scene on my doorstep right here in Sweden.

The Customized Motor Present (AKA Elmia) at all times brings out a few of the nation’s best (and quickest) time assault vehicles, and this 12 months a 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX constructed by the blokes over at Auto-Gruppen caught my consideration in Corridor X.

I imply, how may it not?!

Auto-Gruppen, primarily based in Mellerud, has been concerned in Swedish motorsport since 2004. Since then, they’ve been making a reputation for themselves as one among Scandinavia’s high efficiency tuners. I met Nader Derakshan, a head technician at Auto-Gruppen, on the Elmia present, and he was completely happy to speak me by means of all elements of this wild construct.

Since Auto-Gruppen bought the Evo IX in 2018, the crew has spent extra hours than they’ll rely perfecting each inch of the automobile, nearly all of that point spent on drawback fixing. Having stated that, as quickly because the automobile feels proper at every stage, they push on to the subsequent part of growth.

The on-track outcomes to this point communicate for themselves: Mantorp Park: 1.16.1; Kinnekulle Ring: 51.19 (each laps set working semi slicks). And that’s not all. Throughout its debut season in 2020, the Evo acquired three trophies and shattered two data whereas Auto-Gruppen had been nonetheless testing and high-quality tuning the automobile.

You’re by no means going to interrupt data with out high quality aftermarket efficiency {hardware}, and the Auto-Gruppen Evo is completely dripping in it.

First up, the outside, which options the total Voltex Final Time Assault G-Pressure Aero Bundle. You don’t see many vehicles working this package wherever, not to mention right here in Sweden, however that is severe tools with a price ticket to match – virtually US$50,000.

The doorways, entrance fenders and each bumpers are in fiberglass, however every thing else is dry carbon. Only a few tweaks have been made to the aero to ensure that it to efficiency its finest on Swedish tracks, and Nader identified that at 200km/h, the automobile now produces practically 2 tons of downforce, which is simply loopy.

With time assault vehicles of this calibre you’ll usually an intensive use of tube framing, however the class rules that the Auto-Gruppen Evo IX conforms to do not enable this. Inside physique and chassis body modifications are allowed although, and for subsequent season the crew will deal with additional weight discount.

There was no approach something apart from top quality Japanese-made wheels could be used on the Lancer, and the sq. 18×11-inch Yokohama Advan GT setup – at the moment wrapped in Yokohama Advan A005 280-section slicks – seems to be proper at house. Usually, it’s the issues you may’t see which are probably the most fascinating, and for the 2023 season, the Evo runs Izze-Racing laser journey top and TPMS sensors within the wheels. Moreover, every tyre has temperature sensors that measure 16 channels throughout the inside barrels, offering loads of information to raised perceive and optimize the dealing with. In whole – and making an allowance for the engine – there are 50 sensors across the automobile.

The suspension setup is designed round MCA Gold Sequence coilovers that had been custom-built for the applying, and chro-moly RaceFab arms. Big Alcon Racing brakes function in any respect 4 corners mounted on Brypar billet uprights, with adjustable break up through Tilton in-car bias management.

For some motive, I solely managed to snag one image of the inside, however apart from the FIA-certified roll cage and Tillet B8 carbon fiber seat paired with a Sparco 6-point harness, Momo steering wheel and Tilton 600-series pedal field there’s not an entire lot to it.

Underneath the Voltex Tilton Model GT dry carbon hood, a Mitsubishi 4G64 engine has been constructed as much as 983whp. It’s primarily based on a Bullet Race Engineering billet block that includes JE pistons, CP-Carillo connecting rods and a Brian Crower 102mm stroker crankshaft. Up high, the MotoSpeed race-spec cylinder head is stuffed filled with Brian Crower parts.

The turbo is a BorgWarner EFR 9280, the consumption is a Plasmaman merchandise, and the dry sump system is from Norris Design. Gas supply comes through a Radium Engineering cell fitted with three Ti Automotive pumps that offer a staged FIC injector setup that may provide every of the engine’s cylinders a 3,100cc gas shot. It’s all managed by means of an Emtron KV8 ECU.

Energy finds its strategy to all 4 wheels through a Momentum Motorsport Quaife QBE6U sequential gearbox with a Geartronics paddle shift system. The driveline additionally encompasses a Tilton Engineering twin-plate clutch, Quaife diffs, plus Degree 2 driveshafts and a carbon propshaft from The Driveshaft Store.

All the things has been constructed from the bottom up at Auto-Gruppen and completed so with brilliance. I did point out earlier that the automobile was arrange for the tracks right here in Sweden, however the final purpose for the crew is to take the the Evo abroad. The World Time Assault Problem in Australia is in Auto-Gruppen’s sights, and Nader did give me a touch of a potential go to to Tsukuba Circuit in Japan someday sooner or later too.

If that occurs, I’ll cover in Nader’s suitcase and see the automobile in motion myself.

Alen Haseta
Instagram: hazetaa