Here in New Zealand we seem to suffer from an extreme case of mass tall poppy syndrome. We seem to be incapable of allowing others to fly and achieve greatness, without trying to bring them back down to earth with a thud. Take the recent winners of New Zealand Idol, for example (please! nobody else will. See? Tall poppy syndrome). These talented individuals were all shot down, having been elevated above the herd. This is the very reason I myself have never entered. Well, that and my complete lack of musical talent and co-ordination.

“This Evo, appropriately dubbed H8STY, can only be described as a wolf in sheep’s clothing”

Perhaps it was the fear generated by this syndrome that drove 22-year-old Aucklander Fong Zhou to build his understated and discreet Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution II RS. Then again, perhaps it was more the sense of smugness generated when you have a certain something hidden up your sleeve. For whatever reason, at first glance Fong’s Evo II deliberately displays nothing out of the ordinary. However, this Evo — appropriately dubbed H8STY — can only be described as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. And just like any other wolf in sheep’s clothing, Fong’s Evo is presented in a coat of white. This simple hue covers the factory Evolution II RS curves and the added Evo II GSR bumpers, a set of Evo III side skirts, Evo III GSR end caps and a modified Evo II boot spoiler. This restrained exterior hides the true nature of Fong’s creation — a 300kW-at-the-wheels street demon.

As the owners of many other Evos around the country will know, creating this amount of power is by no means an easy feat. The force-fed 2.0-litre engines that power these automobiles are renowned for their strength and power potential. However, the 500-plus horsepower of fury being generated at this 4G63’s flywheel is well beyond the manufacturer’s recommended operating limits. Making this figure possible without risking life, limb or injury is a concoction of strengthened internals replacing the factory components. These include a sparkling set of forged JE pistons, Eagle H-beam rods and ARP bolts, all coming together to create a more than sturdy bottom end. The head also received treatment along the same lines and now bears witness to some custom Stage 2 port work, a three-angle valve cut which, with the addition of the JUN-spec 272-degree cams and HKS cam gears, titanium retainers and ARP head studs, delivers effortless flow through the DOHC setup.

Keeping this Evo street-able would usually mean selecting a pretty average sized turbo. But Fong was willing to make a concession for the greater good — power. This is why now generating copious amounts of huff and puff (like any self respecting wolf should) is the tried and tested Garrett GT35/40 turbo, housed off a custom-made manifold fabricated by the talented Dinh at Spec2 Performance. You’ll also find a Tial 44mm external wastegate located off this manifold, which has been given siphoning duties to alleviate any unrequested puff for the huffer before spent gasses are sent on their way down the full 3-inch exhaust.

On the other side of the turbo, vast amounts of atmosphere is inhaled and cleaned of all impurities courtesy of a K&N air filter, before being suitably compressed and then forced into the large front-mount intercooler occupying the front grille. This takes the heat out of the charged air before allowing it onto the inlet manifold, with the occasional break in flow for the Blitz blow-off valve.

After starting a build like this it is very easy to get carried away, but Fong knew what he wanted and enforced his demands throughout the build. For this very reason you won’t find a huge fuel setup lurking at the rear; instead a simple Walbro 255lph fuel pump has replaced the factory item. The pump, although more than happily catering to the thirsty demands of this forced combustion package via a set of 880cc injectors up front, still means Fong doesn’t have to stop for gas every five minutes to fill up — further testament to the nature of this Evo’s streetability.

Controlling this discreet forced induction package is a 'bang for buck’ Link engine management system, with aid from an HKS EVC controlling boost duties. Fong, wanting to get the most out of these user-friendly units, enlisted the help of a regular name to appear in these pages: Andre Simon of Speedtech Motorsport. Andre managed to push this setup to a huge 302kW of street driven power, more than enough wick for a jaunt through McDonald’s drive-thru to pick up a few coffees.

“Andre managed to push this setup to a huge 302kW of street driven power, more than enough wick for a jaunt through McDonald’s drive-thru to pick up a few coffees”

All this power couldn’t have found itself a better home in Fong’s Evo. Being of the limited RS variety (don’t let the GSR door decals fool you! it’s a trick) it is gifted with, among other things, a lightweight shell coming in nigh on 100kgs lighter than the GSR version, and the rally-spec, close ratio 5-speed gearbox. Fong added a single-plate race clutch, which while creating a slip-free environment down the driveline, isn’t that demanding on his left leg.

Thanks again to the RS nature of this Evo, you will find a number of toys already installed, including front and rear LSD diffs ensuring appropriate power distribution to the hubs. The only addition Fong saw fit to make was a set of Tein fully adjustable coil-over shocks at each corner. These keep the 17-inch Enkei NT-03 alloy wheels sitting snugly under the guards and, more importantly, the 15-inch Enkei rims and semi-slick rubber Fong swaps onto the car to race.

The benefits of these rally-dedicated RS versions in most cases far outweigh the sacrifices, depending on the owner’s intentions for the car. However, since Fong’s intentions for the Evo were more daily driver than gravel basher, a few creature comforts were going to have to be re-enlisted in this particular RS. Bringing the Evo up to the comfortable street status Fong required are a set of Recaro SR-II front seats from the GSR version of the same model.

The addition of an Alpine MP3 head unit also helps to drown out the unbecoming road noise that the nonexistent sound deadening otherwise would. The only other additions have been all business. Now occupying the centre console is a set of gauges, while the aforementioned HKS EVC has found its way atop the steering column. With the vast numbers of Evos on the road these days, It seems to be a trend for owners to try to outdo one another and attract the most attention possible. Fong’s H8STY Evo II RS may not provoke great interest with its looks, but should with its power and performance.

To date Fong has managed to pilot the Lancer to an 11.02 @ 203kph pass down the strip — an agonising 0.03 off that elusive NZPC 10-Second Club status. It’s still a more than impressive time for a daily driven car. Should Fong ever give in to temptation and submit his Evo to a good dose of C16 and a retune to match, he’ll break into the 10-second bracket. Easily.

“To date Fong has managed to pilot the Lancer to an 11.02 @ 203kph pass down the strip — an agonising 0.03 off that  elusive NZPC 10-Second Club status”

Driver Profile

FONG ZHOU

Age: 22

Occupation: Self-employed

Previously Owned Cars: Mazda RX-7 S7, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, Honda Integra Type R, turbo Honda Integra DC2, Nissan Pulsar GTiR, ’82 Leyland Mini

Dream Car: ’79 Mitsubishi Galant with big power

Build time: 6 months

Length of ownership: 6 Months

Fong Thanks: Mum & Dad for the time off work, Andre Simon @ Speedtech Motorsport for the tuning, Dinh @ Spec2 Performance for the fabricating, my missus for putting up with it all, all my mates: Lewis, Dean, Allen, Nigel, Rich, Steven and Andy, and pretty much everyone who had to listen to all the bulls**t ideas (some worked, some didn’t) that came out of my mouth!

Tuning Menu

1994 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO II RS

Engine: Mitsubishi 4G63, 2.0-litre DOHC 16V, JE forged pistons, Eagle H-Beam rods, ARP rod bolts, balance shaft removed, balanced bottom end, JUN-spec 272-degree cams, HKS adjustable cam gears, Stage 2 ported head, titanium valve retainers, 3-angle valve cut, ARP head studs, K&N air filter, Garrett GT35/40 turbo, Spec2 exhaust manifold, 44mm Tial V-band external wastegate, 3-inch exhaust system, Blitz blow-off valve, Spec2 intercooler piping, Walbro 255lph fuel pump, 880cc injectors, Taylor 12mm leads, Link engine management system

Driveline: Factory 5-speed RS close-ratio gearbox, single-plate race clutch, factory RS front/rear limited slip differentials

Suspension/Brakes: Fully adjustable Tein coil-over shocks, Tein springs, factory 4-wheel disc brakes, EBC Yellow Stuff pads

Wheels/Tyres: Street — 17-inch Enkei NT-03 alloys, Dunlop 215/45R17 tyres, Race — 15-inch Enkei alloys, Dunlop semi-slick tyres

Exterior: Evo II GSR front/rear bumpers, Evo III GSR side skirts, Evo III GSR end caps

Interior: GSR-spec Recaro SR-II front seats, Auto Meter boost, air/fuel ratio & oil pressure gauges, HKS EVC boost controller, Alpine MP3 head unit

Performance: Dyno Power — 302kW @ wheels, 0-400m — 11.02 @ 203kph