You ever been so invested in something that even if it ends kinda poorly, you still want to defend it? Exactly. This car embodies that feeling. It’s the Matrix Revolutions of cars—a car that, done right, is everything you’d want without the crappy parts of being a car person. Ladies and gentlemen, we once talked about why you’d want to own one of these cars, but now you’re here to learn how to modify one. We’re talking about the shoebox, the big chonker, the proverbial LAST Mitsubishi that we could ever love. We’re talking about how to modify a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.
Before diving into modifications, we need to go back and understand why the Evo X was birthed into this world. First off, if you type in “Mitsubishi Evo X fail,” it seems like they all blow up. Don’t get scared, we’ll figure it out. The Evo X came to us in 2007 with a new motor. The legacy and community behind the Mitsubishi Evo cars were a bit skeptical. The jump from a 4G63 to a 4B11T wasn’t well-received, but Mitsubishi was on the decline overall. The efforts put into the Evo X were to keep the model alive with enough improvements to maintain demand.
What we saw was a four-door sedan with nearly 300 horsepower, 300 ft-lbs of torque, bigger brakes, wheels, tires, and a bigger BADUNKADUNK. Despite being less than two inches wider and 0.7 inches taller than its predecessors, it looks substantially bigger on the road, probably due to that trunk. It was heavier by about 300 lbs, but for $30,000, you got a more refined version of its previous generations, losing some of its aged soul but feeling more comfortable.
If you haven’t bought one yet, remember that a lot of what you’d want in the Evo X is now available in newer cars without Mitsubishi’s drawbacks. The X is great, but the added weight comes from safety features and steel materials around your noggin to improve safety scores. If you’re looking for something brash, the ten probably isn’t your answer. The 8 or 9 is. But if you’ve got a kid on the way and want to relive the college days without actually going back to those parking lots, you get an Evo X.
But you’re here to know how to modify one, not buy one. Let’s get into it.
The 4B11 is a properly good motor to throw power at. The upgraded aluminum block, new turbocharger, forged rods, and stronger internals make tuning easier. Flash tunes from VR Tuned and Cobb are common (which you can buy at MartiniWorks.com). Pair that with an AMS intake and a single exit exhaust from ETS or Greddy, and you’ll have around 300 horsepower to the wheels.
So how do you modify a Mitsubishi Evo X? Maintenance is necessary right out of the gate. Don’t buy the tune immediately. Quickly realize the previous owner probably had some questionable modifications. Fix those, get a baseline, and then go for wheels, tires, and suspension first. After ensuring the car is reliable, you can add a flex fuel kit, downpipe, exhaust, intake, and tune.
The Evo X sits in a soft spot for many older enthusiasts, but newer generations don’t pick these up as much. Maybe it’s the price point or the looks, but for me, the Evo X can be one of the best-looking generations Mitsubishi has ever produced. It just requires the right owner.
Whether you’re looking to build one or already have one, be sure to check out our build threads over at MartiniWorks.com.
I like to slappa da wheel. Also, I drive a 2020 Toyota Supra. No, its not manual. The engine is from BMW.
