What a Drag
A lot can happen in a quarter of a mile
By Jackie Liu
Photography by James Tate
As any car enthusiast will tell you, building race cars can be an addiction and no one Joneses more than the boys at Automotorsports (AMS) in Chicago. They were one of the first shops in the Midwest to buy an Evo VIII and right away began R&D on forced induction, quickly making news in the tuner community as countless Evos began setting performance records with their turbo kits. The car continued to serve as a test mule for their product line and, by 2005, it served triple duty as a drag car, road race car and street car. That winter, they stuck with their decision to keep it as a drag car and made 4G63 history.
The chassis has been reworked to reduce weight and the car has a carbon fiber roof. The engine was built to be responsive, quick-revving and able to boost right away. The 2.1-liter short block has been treated to a 2.5mm overbore, uses a stock crankshaft, Groden aluminum rods and Ross Racing 2.5mm overbored pistons with a compression ratio of 7.8:1. Because the engine produces so much power, AMS also O-ringed the deck of the block and used AMS/TMS high-strength head studs for additional sealing around the cylinders. The 4G63 valve events are regulated by JUN 272-degree camshafts attached to AEM cam gears, which sit on a CNC ported Cosworth cylinder head. Cosworth 1mm overbored valves, double valve springs, titanium retainers and keepers are ideal for a high-revving engine.
A GT42R turbo is attached to a custom stainless steel exhaust manifold, and the 48psi of boost is controlled by a TiAl 44mm wastegate. The AMS fuel system uses a Weldon fuel pump and Fuel Lab fuel pressure regulator, and eight PTE 1000cc/min injectors. The VSR intake manifold uses a twin-rail design that allows for the primary injectors to fire at partial throttle and a second set to fire off under boost. The massive aluminum race intercooler is flanged for a TiAl blow-off valve. A small radiator and lightweight battery reduce weight, while the engine relies on an AEM EMS to keep everything operating smoothly.
AMS also swapped out the stock clutch and driveshaft for an Exedy triple plate carbon clutch and CTG carbon fiber driveshaft, and upgraded the axles to DriveShaftShop Stage V rear axles and front axle bar. A Quaife torque-biasing front differential provides power to both drive wheels and creates a nearly perfect 50/50 power split in all conditions, which is twice the power of an ordinary open differential.
The interior includes an AMS custom built roll cage, Status seats, Diest fire suppression system, Stroud window net, an AEM UEGO air/fuel ratio gauge and serial port gauges, and an in-dash tachometer, oil/water/boost gauges and a shift light--all by Auto Meter. Wilwood Drag Race front and rear brakes provide maximum stopping power. Fifteen-inch Buddy Club Racing QF wheels are fitted to Mickey Thompson ET Drag tires.
The result? A claimed quarter-mile time of 8.97 seconds and a claimed top speed of 165mph.