Creating a Monster: How to Build a 500 Horsepower Mitsubishi Evo 8

Having a 03-05 Mitsubishi Ev0 8 is a great thing. The 280 factory rated horsepower and all wheel drive is fun, for a while. Soon you will get bored with the factory 4G63 and you'll want more power. Most people spend their money on the basic upgrades at first, sometimes swapping out the factory turbo and injectors for a little increase in power. However, soon a person will become bored with these modest upgrades, and the 375 horsepower will only be fun for only so long. On the other hand you can almost never get bored with 500 horsepower, and the 500 horsepower will propel your Evo 8 into the low eleven second range and possibly the high tens in the quarter mile with the proper suspension and tire upgrades. In this article I will describe a proven parts combination to ensure that you're sitting right at 500 horsepower; this list is not for the faint of heart or frugal, as these mods cost some serious dough, but the rewards of having a 500 horsepower far surpasses the clam shells you have to spend to kill Vipers and Corvettes all day.

Evo 8 Fuel-- for your Evo 8's fuel system you're going to need at least 750cc Deatschwerks injectors, however I suggest 880 cc injectors in order to have a little extra fuel ceiling in case you over boost for some reason. The 750cc injectors will put you right at 500 horsepower at about 90-95% duty cycle. You will also need the aid of an upgraded high pressure 255lph Walbro in-tank fuel pump. A high flow fuel rail is optional for your Evo 8, but suggested from either Bushur Racing or AMS Performance. Don't forget the FIC Easy Tune fuel injector driver to ensure that those big injectors have good idle characteristics.

Evo 8 Turbo--for your turbo selection you can't go wrong with the Bushur Racing Red turbo Evo 8 oem replacement. This is an excellent turbo because it is simple and factory style with upgraded internals. It should make 500 horsepower around 30 psi of boost and has excellent spool characteristics; this turbo is also internally gated which adds to its simplicity. You will want to get the upgrades high boost internal wastegate as an option because this puppy flows 56 lbs of air a minute. There is also an optional hardware install kit that you will most likely need.

Evo 8 Exhaust--we will use a Shearer Fab tubular exhaust manifold flanged for an OEM Evo 8 turbo. This manifold is great because it has been dyno proven to produce 20 more horsepower over the factory Evo 8 cast iron unit. A Megan racing divided stainless O2 housing will be the beginning of your exhaust system from the turbo, from there I suggest a full AMS 3 inch mandrel bent downpipe, test-pipe (or high flow cat), and catback.

Evo 8 Ignition--the factory Evo 8 ignition system is capable of 500 horsepower, but you will need to switch to colder heat range spark plugs; I suggest BKR7E NGK spark plugs gapped at .028.

Evo 8 Intercooler and Intake--an upgraded intake manifold is a must such as the Driven Innovations short runner intake manifold and the use of a Bushur Racing 65mm throttle body is a must for your Evo 8's engine. A Bushur Racing 84mm mass air intake pipe will be needed and the intercooler setup is entirely up to you, but I suggest the HKS R-type front mount intercooler and piping set. An HKS super sequential blow off valve will do the trick for compressor surge for your Evo 8 and you will want to get the optional recirculation kit so you can discharge metered air back behind the mass air sensor to prevent stalling issues.

Evo 8 Bolt On's--a Gates Racing high quality timing belt is a must when you install a set of HKS 272 street/ strip cams which will be needed to make your Evo 8's 500 horsepower goal. A Snow Performance alcohol injection kit will be a must to keep those intake temps cool during dyno tuning or using 93 octane pump gas.

Evo 8 Management--Apexi Power FC fuel management controller will be your tuning device for the dyno on your Evo 8 in conjunction with an Apexi AVC-R electronic boost controller to ensure that your Evo 8's boost settings are proper, this is also a neat device because it will allow you to have gear activated boost levels also.

Evo 8 Clutch--a simple Fidanza 4 puck clutch rated at 511ftlbs of torque will do the job and I highly suggest one of their lightweight aluminum flywheels with replaceable friction surface.