AIR RIDE SUSPENSION GUIDE: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

So here it is: the, ahem, lowdown on everything air ride suspension has to offer… it’s time to get down.

It’s true to say that nothing has changed the show scene over the past decade quite as much as the availability of amazing air ride kits. But, while there are plenty of modern innovations, that’s not to say that the idea of air suspension is a new thing. Air ride systems have been around for about as long as cars themselves. Initially conceived to allow carrying heavy or uneven loads in relative comfort, there are examples as far back as the early 1900s. Various aftermarket kits have been on sale since the 1920s, and it became extremely popular with American bootleggers and whiskey trippers in the ‘30s and ‘40s for maintaining stock ride height with a boot full of moonshine.

Nowadays, of course, you’ll find OEM applications on everything from buses and HGVs to expensive SUVs and saloons. In short, air ride is far more common than you might think; it’s not some sort of underground dark art and, to be honest, it’s not particularly special either… until it comes to the world of modified car culture, of course.

But the question still remains, why should you look at air ride suspension as an option for your weapon of choice? Well, if you’ll excuse the pun, here’s the FC lowdown.

Air ride suspension guide

What is air ride suspension all about?

Air suspension is the only truly practical way of drastically changing your ride height on the go but, although many forum ‘experts’ will scoff, it comes with more benefits than simply being able to dump your car into the weeds. Yes, of course it makes your car look cool, there’s no denying that, but that doesn’t mean it has to come with a huge compromise on performance. Old skool hydraulic systems tend to offer a whole load of compromises but air? Well that’s a different animal. The best quality modern vehicle-specific kits are built with performance in mind and, in most cases, will not only offer better handling than standard, but very often they’ll boast greater tuneability than coilover or spring and damper set-ups too.

The truth is that, just like performance springs, modern airbags are progressive – the more they compress the stiffer they get – and this dynamic spring rate offers plenty of performance potential, especially combined with an optimal damper set-up. In fact, air ride was popular in drag racing and NASCAR as far back as the 1950s. There’s also plenty of race cars and drifters running air suspension right now, more than you may think.

When it comes to tuneability, with air suspension the ride can be firm and tight, soft and comfortable or anywhere in between. You can increase the pressure to firm up the ride for the circuit and then drive home in the lap of luxury, all at the push of a button. Then again you could just want to run your car super low but with the benefit of actually being able to get on your drive – a really novel concept we’re sure!

Air ride suspension

How does air ride suspension work?

There may be a few different configurations out there but the principle of how air ride works is always the same. Unlike ‘closed’ system hydraulic suspension, which uses a specific amount of fluid pumped (at extremely high pressure) from a sealed reservoir to rams on each corner, air suspension employs an ‘open’ system where air is used, expelled and replaced.

In a street-car system this cycle all centres around an air tank. The air is transferred via valves or solenoids to each airbag, lifting the vehicle as the pressure increases. The same air is expelled to the atmosphere when the time comes for lowering.

The idea is that a compressor will keep the tank topped up at all times, and the tank acts as a reservoir for the bags. Obviously, a bigger tank means more air in reserve for numerous rounds of lifting and lowering, while a larger compressor (or multiple compressors) will fill the tank to the optimum pressure faster.

Theoretically it is possible to run a system directly from a compressor, although it would take almost forever to ramp up enough pressure to raise the car. Some race cars and trucks have also been known to employ a type of closed system by doing away with everything bar the bags and using an externally mounted valve to fill them. On a road car, though, this isn’t exactly practical – after all, in-car adjustability is the whole point.

Air ride suspension

What components are needed for air ride suspension?

Airbags

An airbag, or to give it its proper name, an air spring, is just that – a simple pneumatic spring. Its job is to replace the standard coil, whether that’s in a coilover-damper configuration or a separate spring and damper set-up. Essentially this process is simply swapping out a coil for a spring that can be adjusted with air pressure.

There’s two common types of bag design – double convoluted bags and sleeves. The former, also known as bellows bags and donuts, are the most common these days and nearly always found used on the front suspension. These have a shorter stroke than sleeves but a superior load capacity and a more progressive spring rate. Tapered or rolling sleeve designs may turn up on the rear where clearance is an issue or if a higher lift is required. These are smaller in diameter than bellows bags and generally have a smaller load capacity.

Nowadays, all bags are designed specifically for liner travel and this means that they’ll expand and contract upwards and downwards rather than simply blow up like a balloon. They’re also suitably durable and contrary to popular belief they’re not at all easy to burst and will hold well over 100psi. On a road car that’s more than you’ll ever need.

Shocks

The big advantage of air ride systems over hydraulics is that standard handling can be improved or, at the very least, be retained. This has a lot to do with air being easily compressible to absorb bumps (unlike hydraulic fluid) but has even more to do with the system being able to retain a proper damping set-up.

All modern vehicle-specific air ride kits come with matched shock absorbers; many are supplied by well-known aftermarket manufacturers in the form of stripped-down coilover units. Some even have camber-adjustable top mounts and, as you’d expect, come with multi-stage adjustable damping and all the trimmings.

If it’s an older car you’re building, then there may be the rare occasion where a specific kit isn’t available. In most cases universal items can be adapted for your application relatively easily. Some universal kits will come with a range of dampers already installed, others will have bags with a simple provision (like a hole in the middle) to retain a shock absorber. The point is, with air ride you’ll always keep some sort of damper, and that’s obviously pretty vital for handling.

Tanks

The air tank is the business end of the operation – it’s the air supply to the bag on each corner. It’ll be no more complicated than the air tank on your average workshop compressor, though, albeit with a few more fittings. All you really need to know is which one to choose for your particular application.

In the old days, tanks were mostly made from steel and hidden away from view but now we tend to regard them as more of a showpiece. For this reason there’s also plenty of alloy items available in a number of bare, polished and painted finishes. Some are even skinned in carbon fibre or have all their welding polished out for a seamless look. Of course, it doesn’t hurt performance when all these are relatively lightweight too.

Generally speaking, air tanks are universal items and available in a range of sizes; this offers a trade-off between boot space and a system suited to repeated use. The more air in the tank, the more you can mess about with that ride height without waiting for a top-up. Some companies also offer tanks that are specifically designed to save space by fitting in a spare wheel well.

It’s worth remembering that every kit will come with a tank, some will offer a choice, but custom tanks are also getting more popular than ever. We’ve seen everything from adapted nitrous bottles, scuba tanks, fire extinguishers and even beer kegs. Anything that can safely hold air at high pressure could be a viable option.

Compressor

The simple job of keeping enough air in the tank is one that falls to a 12-volt compressor. Various sizes are available, and many people use more than one for rapid tank filling. After all, the faster the air is replaced, the more you can use your suspension. Compressors are inherently noisy too; another argument for using multiple units and keeping them running for an absolute minimum of time. At the very least you’ll want to take this into consideration when you’re looking for a place to mount yours.

Controlling how much pressure the compressor pumps into the tank is also crucial. On the more basic systems a pressure switch between the compressor and tank is used to cut power when the optimum psi is reached. Systems with digital management will often have the pressure switch incorporated into the manifold and a tank pressure display on the controller. In both cases, though, this will make refilling the tank to the desired pressure automatic.

Valves

The valves have the purpose of controlling the airflow from the tank to the bags and, in many cases, they also have the job of expelling the air upon lowering the car too.

The simplest manual systems come with paddle valves, which look like switches and are designed to be mounted within easy reach of the driver. On the back they’ll have a feed from the tank, an output for the relevant airbag and an exhaust port to dump the air. It’s a simple, reliable and cost effective set-up but one that does come with a few compromises.

Because the airlines need to go through the valves it requires running them into the cabin during instillation. If your tank is in the boot, for example, you’ll have a feed from the tank to the dash and then another back out to the rear bags. Due to the small diameter of the paddles, raising the vehicle can be a little slow too.

Air ride suspension

Solenoids

These are simply electrically operated valves and designed to eliminate the need for paddle valves in the cabin. They’re a little more expensive, of course, but enable the use of electrical switches, or switch boxes, and don’t require any airlines being routed inside the passenger compartment. In some configurations these are individually mounted directly to the air tank (that’s why you see some tanks with four threaded fittings in the front) and in other kits solenoids are supplied mounted-together in a manifold (or solenoid block) with an exhaust port and single tank feed. These make installation a far easier job.

Air ride suspension

Digital Manifolds and Management

To be honest, nowadays you’ll likely be wanting one of these. Designed not only to make instillation as easy as possible but to ensure day-to-day use is much more user-focused, digital management is fast becoming the norm, especially for daily-driven modified projects. Again, a digital management system will incorporate a manifold containing a collection of solenoids to control the airflow to each corner. But they’ll also be designed to work with a simple plug ‘n’ play wiring loom to take over management of the compressor functions and the power to the whole system. Many also include a handy feed for a second compressor and, although they’re all essentially universal systems, very often these are engineered so there’s only two or three wires that needed to be hooked up to the actual car. In other words, for DIY installations, they make life much easier – although that will inevitably come at a premium price.

Most professional installers will admit that home mechanics who can fit a set of coilovers and wire in an amplifier will have little trouble fitting a digital air ride kit.

Each system works around an electronic control module designed to add a whole host of extra features. These digital set-ups are on the cutting edge of functionality and allow trick touches like automatic levelling and adjustment, pressure monitoring, physical height monitoring (via height sensors), lift-on-start and emergency auto top-up.

Digital Controllers

Designed to work in conjunction with the management system, the controller negates the need to mount paddle valves or switches in your dash.

Some of the high-end management systems – like the 3H and 3P kits from Air Lift Performance – also employ Bluetooth so you can use your smartphone or tablet as a digital controller (via an app).

Perhaps the most important feature on digital controllers, not to mention the main reason why they’re so popular, is the ability to program a number of ride height pre-sets. This means you can reach the desired level either automatically on start up or at the touch of a button; something that definitely can’t be achieved with a paddle or simple solenoid-based system.   Gauges

Pressure gauges are important in any budget paddle system to keep a check on what’s going on at each corner. These offer the only way of knowing the ride height without physically getting out and having a look… assuming, of course, you know the optimum pressure for each bag. Most air ride gauges offer a dual readout so it’s rare that you’ll need a separate item for each.

Air ride suspension

Height Sensors

The vast majority of air ride systems, including those with digital management, are based purely on monitoring and maintaining a pre-set pressure in each airbag. There are a few, however, that rely on electronic height sensors mounted to each corner of the chassis to automatically maintain a constant ride height no matter the load, distribution or amount of passengers. This is a well-established idea that works well in changing vehicle conditions, but the best next-generation systems can monitor both ride height and air pressure. The latest 3H Management kits from Air Lift Performance are designed for exactly that and use a complicated algorithm incorporating height and pressure information to keep the level constant at all times.

Airline and Fittings

The airlines have the job of connecting all the other components together, and most air ride kits include a good few meters made from commercial, DOT-approved plastic. Now, although no one likes to hear the word ‘plastic’ when it comes to holding their pride and joy up off the tarmac, it’s actually far safer than it sounds. After all, they’ve been using exactly the same stuff on HGVs for years – and that’s usually on the brakes!

Commonly available in 1/4-inch and 3/8-inch diameters, the thing to consider is that bigger lines equal faster inflation of the bags, but this may come at the cost of overshooting your target pressure more easily. Whatever size you use, all modern airlines are designed with simple instillation in mind. Kits will always include premium-quality, push-fit hardware making it a simple case of cutting the line to the correct length, and pushing each end into the fittings. That’s about it.

Hard Line Installs

For maximum flash at the local show ‘n’ shine, many prefer a ‘hard line’ install which, for the most part, is exactly what it says on the tin. What they don’t tend to shout about so loudly is that replacing some or all of your plastic lines with copper or stainless steel piping is easier than you might think. In fact, it’s not unlike making up a brake or clutch line and, provided they are the same diameter, they’ll even push into the same fittings. Simple.

Arguably hard airlines offer no real performance benefits because there’s no noticeable flex in the plastic airlines anyway. They’ll almost certainly require more fittings (with an increased risk of leaks around the joints) too, but there’s no denying they can make any boot install look amazing.

Air ride suspension

Air ride suspension configurations

2-Way and 4-Way systems

The first thing to consider is exactly what type of kit you’d like to go for. Nowadays 4-Way systems are by far the most popular and, as you’ve probably guessed, these allow for precise adjustment of each corner individually.

2-Way systems, in which the bags on each axle are hooked together, were popular in the past, particularly in the US, because of the ease of fitment and the fact you only need two valves or solenoids – one for the front and one for the rear. The downside is that we actually have corners and roundabouts here in Europe, and a 2-way system can magnify body roll in any bend because the loaded airbag on the inside will always try to transfer the air to its unloaded partner. To put it bluntly, 2-Way systems aren’t always the most practical in performance cars and everyday drivers… although if you’re building a quarter-mile-munching hot rod they could still be useful.

Air ride suspensionAir ride suspension

Basic 4-Way set-ups

Nowadays most cars go for a 4-way system. We’ve also talked about the fact that some systems incorporate digital management and others use valves or solenoids, but what’s important is that each configuration takes a different approach to installation.

It’s also good to remember that each of these set-ups can be adapted to your particular application with different size airlines and tanks, or the use of multiple tanks and compressors. In their very purest forms, though, there’s four basic ‘single-tank-single-compressor’ set-ups: manual (paddle valve), solenoid-controlled, digital-pressure and pressure/ride height-sensing digital management systems. Here’s what they look like…

Air ride suspension maintenance

Air suspension systems don’t require much more maintenance than a set of coilovers – just a quick check over once in a while to make sure nothing is rubbing, worn or broken. Despite what you might hear, leaks and split bags are extremely rare. A properly-installed kit should last a lifetime as long as you remember one little rule – moisture in the system is the enemy. Basically speaking, fluid getting into a digital manifold is bad news for your wallet and things will get even worse if that fluid freezes in the airlines – the worst case is that it’ll expand and split the plastic pipes.

The problem is that all compressors create moisture and it will often accumulate in the tank before being pushed around the whole system. Luckily all modern tanks should utilise a separate valve at the bottom, which should be periodically drained. It’s best to do this after ‘airing out’ your car and, in most cases, this will shed any fluid lurking in the system. Some kits also come with various water traps to be installed in between the compressor and tank or the tank and manifold.

Top contact: www.airliftperformance.com

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Electric Lincoln arriving in 2022 with three more EVs on the way, electrified lineup by 2030

Lincoln’s the last luxury brand standing in Ford’s orbit, and the Blue Oval has a roadmap for the historic brand.

On Wednesday the future of Lincoln was laid out with four new electric vehicles on the way, a lineup of electrified choices by 2030, a hands-free driver assistance system, Lincoln boutiques, charging network agreements, and a focus on China. Here’s where Lincoln’s going.

Ford uni-body EV platform for mid-decade

Ford uni-body EV platform for mid-decade

In 2022 the first electric Lincoln will arrive, the first of four new vehicles, and it will ride on a new flexible electric vehicle architecture. One of two new dedicated EV platforms being developed by Ford. The first electric vehicles will be based on the automaker’s current anchor products with derivatives to come. Ford said an electric Ford Explorer is on the way during the automaker’s Capital Markets day in May, and used an Aviator as an example of another potential EV. The two new EV platforms being developed by Ford are capable of underpinning smaller crossover SUVs and full-size body-on-frame trucks, all part of the automaker’s more than $30 billion investment into electrification by 2025.

Despite the new four electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids are an important step in the transition to electric vehicles, according to Lincoln. The automaker plans to electrify its entire lineup by 2030—meaning plenty of hybrids and plug-in hybrids—and predicts half its global vehicle sales will be electric in about five years.

Lincoln’s partnered with Electrify America, along with other charging networks, to create the Lincoln Charging Network. A plug-and-play experience for owners similar to what Ford’s set up for the Mustang Mach-E, though it will be managed via the Lincoln Way smartphone app.

Lincoln Nautilus_Alexa Built-In via Lincoln Enhance

Lincoln Nautilus_Alexa Built-In via Lincoln Enhance

Future Lincolns will be connected cars with always-on technology based on a new electrical architecture and cloud-based computing with a tech stack based on Google’s Android operating system. Over-the-air updates will enable new features and functional upgrades. A version of Ford’s BlueCruise Level 2 hands-free driver assistance system will be rebranded Lincoln Active Glide and available on future models. Hands-free Alexa will arrive on Lincoln models this fall.

Lincoln Zephyr Reflection concept

Lincoln Zephyr Reflection concept

Lincoln Sketch_Interior Space

Lincoln Sketch_Interior Space

Lincoln Sketch_Interior Sanctuary

Lincoln Sketch_Interior Sanctuary

While the Lincoln Zephyr Reflection concept shown in April at the Shanghai auto show won’t be coming to the U.S. it gives an indicator of the automaker’s future design direction, global design director Kemal Curic said. Minimalist body panels, lighting element across the entire front end connecting the headlights, and large glass roofs to allow natural light into the cabin will potentially define future Lincolns. Inside, future models will feature coast-to-coast screens that will include various themes to reflect the driver’s mood.

Lincoln is looking to offer personalized services and benefits for its customers. It’s testing mobile and vehicle detailing and or cleaning via a subscription service in Houston, Texas, and might expand or scale the test beyond the Lone Star state.

Lincoln boutiques and dealerships

Lincoln boutiques and dealerships

One of three Lincoln sales take place remotely via the automaker’s remote sales platform. It will double down on this and build out a start-to-finish experience on Lincoln.com, including financing, trade-in, accessories, and fees. Executives told Motor Authority this is not a direct-sales approach and will still go through local dealerships.

Lincoln boutiques and dealerships

Lincoln boutiques and dealerships

Lincoln boutiques and dealerships

Lincoln boutiques and dealerships

Lincoln boutiques and dealerships

Lincoln boutiques and dealerships

To reach new and existing customers in new ways, boutiques called Vitrines are being created in locations outside of traditional dealerships. These boutiques will be placed in high-end retail and dining locations and there designs are inspired by glass display cases. Customers can stop in to view vehicles in a lifestyle retail-free environment.

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MODIFIED EVO V: THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

As a member of exclusive Lancer owners’ club, Team Emperor Motorsports, Rowie Landicho has dressed his imported modified Evo V in the most exclusive of Japanese parts, creating a JDM machine that reigns supreme.

Fast Car magazine. Words: Dan Bevis. Photos: Renz Dimaandal

When it comes to finding inspiration for your project build, there are few better places to look than motorsport. Whether it’s the lurid team liveries or the functional lap-time reducing aero parts, there’s always going to be something you can take from a race car and apply to your own modified ride, albeit often with a watered-down twist. The other great thing about aping a thoroughbred racer is the sheer diversity of classes, series and machines that you can draw from. Right from the Formula 1 elite to grassroots drifters, there’s just something endlessly cool about racing cars. One man who is no stranger to the allure of circuit-shredding-chic is Los Angeles-based JDM fanatic Rowie Landicho.

“For me, it’s always been the Super GT series in Japan that has got my juices flowing,” grins the 28-year-old sales and marketing specialist. “The cars are all based on models you can buy for the street, including JDM legends such as R35 Nissan GT-Rs, Honda NSXs and Toyota Supras, but there’s also true supercar exotica like McLaren F1s, Lamborghini Murcielagos and Ferrari 458 Italias, but with much more extreme engine tuning and wild aero packages.”

Modified Evo V

And it was by fusing his love of Mitsubishi’s mega-saloon and the unhinged downforce generating bodylines of his favourite Super GT contenders that resulted in his latest eye-popping Lancer build – the wide-arched fifth generation Evo on these pages.

“As a loyal member of the Cali-based Lancer owners’ club Team Emperor Motorsports, I’ve had Evos for a while now, my first being a tenth generation model that I modified extensively with rare Japanese parts,” Rowie explains. “That car was displayed at SEMA and also won the coveted ‘Judges Choice’ award at the Mitsubishi Owners Day event in 2015. It was a cool car, but eventually I decided to move on and start another project.”

Being a diehard Lancer nut, Rowie knew his next steed would come with the iconic Evolution badge, but his initial thought was to step back a couple of models and go for either an eighth or ninth generation car, but then an opportunity arose that he simply couldn’t refuse…

“Back in November 2017 I had the chance to acquire an Evo V,” he recalls with a grin. “I say acquired, because I didn’t actually pay for it – I did a trade with the owner for a bunch of rare ARC Evo X tuning parts and a host of uprated suspension mods that I removed from my old build. He had recently purchased a Final Edition Evo X and just didn’t have the time to work on the V as well, so he was keen to do the deal.”

As you can imagine, for the price of a few parts, the Evo that Rowie ended up with was a far cry from the immaculate street and circuit slayer that it is today.

Modified Evo V

“It had been sitting in a garage gathering dust and cobwebs for around five years,” he laughs. “In fact, when I first saw the car, it was under a tonne of random garage junk. Let’s just say it wasn’t exactly a cherished collectable, that’s for sure! But even so, I immediately saw potential in it, so had to snap it up.”

As a Japanese import, the Evo is right hand drive, which for a JDM fan in the US is popular option as it retains the authenticity of the original car as it came from the motherland. However, it does pose a challenge to drive on the street, as the USA is a left hand drive country, so you are effectively driving on the wrong side of the car, although the kudos gained in hardcore JDM circles is often a worthy trade-off. But before Rowie could experience any of the thrills from behind the wheel, he had some serious work to do.

Having not run for more than half a decade, the Mitsubishi had a host of electrical gremlins that needed sorting before Rowie could begin the car’s transformation, so he took the ailing Evo to tuning specialist KT Motoring to diagnose the problems and get the engine firing on all cylinders.

Modified Evo V

“Once the 4G63 was up and running again it was delivered to Dennis at Denz Mechanical to go full steam ahead with the restoration of the corroded bodywork,” says Rowie. “We started by dropping the now healthy motor and painting the refreshed engine bay in OE Mitsubishi Medium Grey, which was a colour that would later feature throughout the interior and rollcage.”

The ‘cage itself is a Cusco 13-point item with custom Enticed Motorsports pillar gussets and gorgeous Chasing J’s titanium door bars. Combined with the flocked dash, Beatrush rear seat delete and carbon parcel shelf it really adds an authentic motorsport feel to the cabin. The other items that channel the Evo’s inner racecar are the uber rare Ralliart Recaro RS-G bucket seats.

“I’m a sucker for rare and discontinued parts,” laughs Rowie. “My favourite mod is the seats, which I believe is the only set in the US. In fact, if I ever decide to sell the car, I’d definitely remove them and save them for my next Mitsubishi project.”

And while the seats may be the pinnacle of the Evo’s rare parts list, they are by no means the only ones, and are merely the tip of the JDM iceberg…

“I’ve always prided myself on using only the best JDM parts and, throughout the build, I was able to source some of the rarest parts available for the CP9A chassis, such as an ARC titanium strut bar, ARC intake box, ARC oil cap, ARC spark plug cover, ARC heat shield, ARC front-mount intercooler and titanium cat-back exhaust and an ARC shift knob,” Rowie highlights, pointing out the jewels in the Evo’s crown.

Modified Evo V

But aside from the copious amounts of hard to come by under-bonnet bling, the thing that makes Rowie’s modified Evo V stand out so effectively is the body kit.

“Since I first got the car, I’d always planned to fit it with the Varis ASSO wide body kit,” Rowie remembers. “It’s by far the most aggressive kit available for the V and has similar styling to the Super GT racecars.”

The kit is a limited production item and was sourced as a special order from Japan by Jonny Grunwald at TCP Magic USA and was an essential ingredient in ensuring the Evo was accepted to be part of the exclusive 2019 Toyo Treadpass arena at the 2019 SEMA show.

“Getting accepted to display at SEMA was a real honour, but meant we now had a tight deadline to work to in order to get the car finished and ready of the show,” Rowie says. “So while Dennis got busy with fitting the kit and painting the exterior in OE Lexus Super White, I began installing the ever-growing pile of bolt-on mods that was slowly stacking up in the corner of the workshop.”

Modified Evo V

As well as the host of rare ARC parts, the engine got a thorough working over with an uprated CTR-X650 Comp turbo, HKS camshafts and cam gears, a set of ID1000 fuel injectors fed by a Walbro fuel pump and a remap for potent E85 fuel. The result is a conservative but super responsive 380bhp and 360lb ft of torque.

To tame this beefier powerplant Rowie wisely opted for a Project Mu big brake kit at the front and uprated Project Mu discs and pads at the rear. Working alongside a set of similarly branded braided hoses they ensure the Evo has ample stopping power for either road or track – something that Rowie is keen to experience in the near future.

“Many of the cars built for SEMA end up being pampered show ponies,” Rowie laughs. “And it would be very easy to follow suit and wrap the Evo in cotton wool now it’s complete, but I’ve built it with driving in mind and I’m itching to try it out on the track.”

Which is why he has forgone the usual show car route of airbags for a more traditional track set-up for the suspension including Fortune Auto 500 Series coilovers, Whiteline anti-roll bars and polyurethane bushes.

“The suspension set up, combined with the functional aero of the bodykit and the huge Voltex wing, should make the Evo a real weapon on track,” Rowie beams. “It’s been a privilege to have another car on show at SEMA, but for me cars are meant to be driven, so that’s exactly what I plan to do.” And who could blame him? If we had an awesome track-tuned Evo, dressed in the finest parts that the Far East has to offer, we’d be doing the same.

Modified Evo V

Tech Spec: Modified Evo V

Engine:

2.0-litre, 4-cyl, 16v 4G63, Comp Turbo CTR-X650, HKS camshafts and adjustable cam gears, KT motoring E85 tune, custom test pipe, ARC Titanium cat-back exhaust, ARC intake box, ARC front-mount intercooler, ARC blow-off valve, ARC oil cap, ARC spark plug cover, ARC radiator shroud, ARC heat shield, Garage HRS clear cam gear cover, HPS couplers and clamps, Koyorad radiator, custom candy red valve cover

Performance:

380bhp and 360lb ft torque

Suspension:

Fortune Auto 500 series coilovers, Whiteline anti-roll bars and drop links, Whiteline bushing Kit, Whiteline rear control arms, ARC Titanium front strut brace, Mine’s rear strut brace

Brakes:

Project Mu 4-pot forged calipers with Project Mu slotted 355x32mm discs (front), Project Mu Club Racer discs (rear), Project Mu Club Racer pads and Project Mu brake lines

Wheels & tyres:

10.5x18in Volk Racing CE28 Club Racer II Black Edition wheels with 295/30/18 Toyo Proxes R888R tyres, Rays centre caps

Exterior:

Lexus Super White paint, Varis ASSO wide body kit – front bumper, front splitter, front canards, front arches, vents, rear quarter panels; carbon-fibre bonnet, carbon-fibre boot, carbon-fibre rear spats, Voltex Type 4 1600mm wing with custom wing stands, Titanium body kit hardware, Depo headlights wrapped in yellow film, Ganador Super Mirrors, APR carbon-fibre side splitters

Interior:

Mitsubishi OEM medium grey painted interior to match the engine bay, Cusco rollcage with custom Enticed Motorsports pillar gussets and custom Chasing J’s titanium door bars, Ralliart Recaro RS-G bucket seats, custom flocked dash and door panels, custom gauge pod with Defi boost, oil temp, oil pressure, fuel pressure gauges, Beatrush floor bar, dead pedal, map box and partition panel, custom carbon-fibre deck lid, Willans harnesses, ARC columnar shift knob, Pioneer head unit and speakers, Works Bell hub and quick-release adapter, Works Bell leather 330mm steering wheel, Chasing J’s titanium steering wheel hardware, custom red anodized steering wheel hanger, custom carbon-fibre floor plates

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