This weeks sticker car is a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII RSII stickered up to look like the #8 vehicle Alistair McRae and Co driver David Senior drove to a 14th place on the Monte Carlo Rally, their debut with the team.
The highlight of Alistair and Davids year came at the following Swedish Rally where they finished fifth, after which it became obvious that the car was never going to hold it’s own against the Peugeot 206’s which would win their 2nd Championship on the trot. Just before the end of the season Alistair damaged his liver while training on a mountain bike forcing him to miss several events and by the end of the season Mitsubishi withdrew from the World Rally Championship completely.
The Evolution VII seen here at Castle Combe a couple of years ago was built on the larger Lancer Cedia platform than the Evolution VI. To compensate for the 150lb weight gain handling improvements were engineered by introducing an active center differential, more effective limited-slip differential and front helical limited-slip differential.
A standard Evolution VII was quoted by the factory as producing around 270hp though the actual figure believed by the contemporary press suggested over 295hp was more likely with acceleration from rest to 60 mph in less than 4.8 seconds and a quarter mile time below 13 seconds.
RS features included titanium alloy turbocharger while an option was close ratio five speed gearbox. This particular car has a long list of modifications to improve performance, handling safety and styling most significant of which include an enlarged 2.2 liter 134 cui Stroker Engine, up from the original 2 litre / 122 cui, Skunk S2 Cams, HKS GTII 7460R Turbo, Indigo-GT Club Intercooler, Hydra Nemisis ECU which together help bring the power up to 455 hp with over 500 ft/lbs of torque.
The car is fitted with a six speed gearbox, Exedy Twin Plate and Clutch and Evo IX differential to help transmit all of that power to the wheels which are Rota Grid 18″ x 8.5″.
The list goes mods goes on and on, save to say this car is well above factory spec and obviously gives the owner a lot of pleasure going on the considerable sums of money he has spent on it since buying it from a dealer in 2007.
Thanks for joining me on this “2.2 Stroker” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !
