Improving the Breed (evo's 6&6.5 inside)

[rZm]

Imagine, for a moment, that cars were a part of the animal kingdom. The Pontiac GTO would be a rhino, the Nissan GTR would be a lion and the Honda Civic would be a meerkat. So how about the Tommi Makinen edition Evo VI (a.k.a Evo 6.5)? Napoleon Dynamite would be proud when I say, it’s a combination of all three of those animals. I guess you could call it a “rhiokat”. At this point, even David Attenborough would be scratching his head, but bear with me. It all starts to make sense when you look at the Evo 6.5’s performance pedigree. Straight-line speed? Tick. Four-wheel-drive traction? Tick. A relatively low kerb-weight? Tick. Razor sharp handling? Tick. There are very few cars in the world today that can boast each one of those attributes. Just like the “rhiokat”, the Evo 6.5 is a rare breed. So rare, in fact, that only 2500 were ever sold worldwide.

Luckily, one of those 2500 Tommi Makinen Editions has found its way into Aaron Dryden’s garage. All of the purists out there can breathe a sigh of relief, Aaron is one of you. He has not only kept the car in immaculate condition, but has also shown a great deal of restraint when making modifications. It’s with good reason too when you consider the price of a well maintained, factory spec Evo 6.5 is actually increasing on the second hand market. That’s not the only reason though, most of the components on the car simply don’t need changing. Just take a look at some of the standard equipment: lightweight 17”x7.5” Enkei wheels, aluminium Brembo brake callipers, forged aluminium control arms, lightweight aluminium bonnet, titanium wheeled turbo, adjustable rear wing, Recaro seats. Evidently, there is more than one reason why this car cost $AU 79,990 when it was first released 8 years ago.

Don’t get me wrong though, Aaron has done more than apply a coat of wax to his Evo 6.5. Under the bonnet, upgraded 3” intake piping and 2.5” intercooler piping ensure the engine is never short of breath. The increased volume of air is then given free passage through a high-flowing, 3” HKS turbo back exhaust. The added power and torque is optimised with a Garage HRS Cyber Evo ECU and the end result is 215kw (about 300whp) at all four wheels on 20psi. That’s enough power to propel this 1360kg (3000 pound) car down the quarter-mile in 12.4 seconds. The performance benchmark Aaron set when he began to modify the car was a sub 13 second pass. Needless to say, he wasn’t expecting to get there so soon, or with so few mechanical changes. Aaron says he likes to “keep it clean, keep it original, but make it go like a rocket” and he’s certainly achieved that. Aaron’s goal has since changed to an 11 second pass and he told me, “it must be in full street trim (including street tyres). I believe if you do it any other way then you can’t call it a real 11 second street car”. If the way the Evo responded to the other modifications is anything to go by, he’ll get there with an oil change.

Still, there’s much more to an Evo VI than brute power. What truly defines the driving experience of this car is its road holding and razor sharp handling; it’s dynamic ability. Aaron describes the way the car drives in two words, “raw performance”. He says the driver has a direct connection with the car and that “it feels like you do everything, there’s no technology making you look good. It all comes down to driver skill and it’s a blast!”. The addition of some stiff Ohlins coilovers, Cusco rear strut brace and Cusco rear sway bar all come together to enhance that connection between man and machine.

Aaron says he has his brother, Cory, to thank for his choice in car. When Aaron was looking at buying a WRX it was Cory who suggested he take a look at the Evo. Ironically, they both ended up with an Evo VI; Aaron the Evo 6.5 and Cory an EVO VI GSR. They’re very similar cars but, when you compare them side-by-side, you can identify some subtle differences. The most noticeable of these is the front bumper; on the Tommi Makinen edition the fog lights have been replaced by large air ducts designed to aid engine cooling and aerodynamics. The interior has also been given a re-trim in red, complete with Tommi Makinen decals. However, there are also some changes that you won’t be able to see. The titanium wheeled turbo, for example, has been re-engineered to improve low-end engine response compared to the GSR.

Aaron told me that having two Evo VI’s in the family had been a positive experience so far, albeit with a bit of sibling rivalry. He assured me, “its all just fun and games though, you know how brothers are. We really don’t mind who is quicker or who owns the better car”. Cory, if you’re reading this, Aaron told me his car was faster. That may change before too long though as Aaron will be keeping any future modifications to a minimum to preserve the value of the car. Cory, on the other hand, has more sinister intentions. Unlike Aaron, he’s not worried about scratching up his front bumper and plans to continue modifying the car for the race track. Just like the Tommi Makinen edition, there won’t be too many components that will warrant changing. With cars like this, you don’t need to do an engine swap or radically change the suspension setup. In most cases, that would be taking a step backwards. All you really need to do is enhance what’s already there; improve the breed.

Aaron says, “I would like to thank my brother Cory for the motivation and advice. I would also like the thank Nick and Neal from Neal Lowe Motorsports for their great service and advice”.

[JT]

ficava com qq um... lol

[rZm]

Eu cm ñ tenho orçamento para qualquer um, fiquei-me com uns recaros's azuiles iguais aos das fotos

[Legolas]

k abuso... k dupla... k makinoes...

[WolfDesign]

ainda é dos meus evo's favoritos