Until now, we’ve tried our best to share one or two new stories here every week. We’ve been trying to do the same on the other Gearbox Magazine sites, but we recently had an A-HA moment.

1. Instead of splitting 4-5 stories between 7+ sites every week, we should be running 4-5 stories on ONE site.
2. With everything on ONE site, we just opened the doors to ANY gearhead doing ANYTHING with his/her ride.
3. More variety means more opportunities to discover new ideas from gearheads around the world.

We might be moving, but this site – and all the stories we’ve run so far – will still be here and left in place. We hate broken links. The site will look different, though. Very bare bones. Check out what Rally Gearbox Magazine looks like for an idea.

We will still be very Mitsubishi-focused.
Remember, just about everyone on our team is a Mitsubishi owner. We won’t let you down.

Check out the Gearbox Magazine super-site.

You can browse stories by MAKE (Mitsubishi, Subaru, BMW, Porsche, Toyota, etc.)
You can browse stories by location (Phoenix, Boston, Hamburg, Adelaide, Tehran, etc.)
You can browse stories by USE (autox, drag, road race, ice racing, EV, collector, etc.)

There will be some bugs to work out during the transition, but we hope our Mitsubishi brothers and sisters will continue to be the heart and soul of Gearbox Magazine. Without you, none of this would have even come to be in the first place.

Go fast with class. Press on regardless.
Let’s take this gearhead thing to the next level.

Sincerely,

Brian Driggs
founder/managing editor

WHY is everyone so up in arms about the death of the Evo? Truly, the Evo died six years ago, when the last 4G63-powered Evo IX rolled off the assembly line at Mizushima. The Evo X, for all its rally-inspired finery, has more in common with a Galant VR4 (to the extent it’s been built on the Galant platform since 2005), and many of us only got those for a few years before they were deemed too fat/heavy to be competitive.

IS IT BECAUSE we’ve lost confidence in our ability to turn our own wrenches, keeping our cars on the road in the absence of a factory warranty (which, generally speaking, we voided as a matter of principle)? This author’s two GVR4s are 19 and 20 years old, respectively, and he’s not afraid. How many more Evo-inspired Mitsubishis are still up to their usual shenanigans, making owners of vehicles costing two and three times the price second guess their their decisions?

IS IT BECAUSE we identify with and believe in Mitsubishi, thinking they’re doomed (and we, in turn)? Maybe other manufacturers buy and sell subsidiaries left and right, but Mitsubishi plays their cards close. They still build cars, trucks (some of the best), trains, airplanes, air conditioners, televisions, lasers, and nuclear power plants. They have their own bank (which didn’t get bailed out, and actually contributed $9B toward the bailout of Morgan Stanley, by the way), as well as mining operations which support the automotive industry as a whole.

IS IT BECAUSE we don’t want to admit we’re all going to be driving hybrids/EVs or taking the bus in the not too distant future, turning a blind eye to the ridiculously-escalating price of gas? “Oh,” you say, “Another Toyota, Honda, or Nissan.” Aside from the Nissan Z, what sporty cars have any of them made recently? The R35 Skyline (MSRP $80K+)? The Lexus LFA (MSRP $375K+)?

Gone are the Type R, DC5, NSX, Silvia, and Supra. And how long since the Civic Si, Celica, or even RX-8 have been truly relevant? Seriously. Let’s rub a little salt in our wounds for a moment and consider the MX-5 Miata is probably the last uncompromising sports car within reach of those without trust funds. Oh sure, the Corvette, Camaro, and Mustang solider on, but at what cost? And how many badge-engineered fleet turds subsidize their very existence?

MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE we’re gearheads, and we’re sad to learn of yet another fun-to-drive model being relegated to the history books. In truth, the death of the Evo hurts because it reminds us we exist on the fringes of automotive irrelevance ourselves; it stands as the last bastion of unbridled performance available to the everyman.

We are the scrappy underdogs for whom the potential to build a world class giant killer with our own two hands has just been diminished. If we could spend upwards of $50K on a sport sedan, we’d all be driving M3s and S4s (and we know it). With the passing of the Evo, our options will be further limited.

THIS IS NOT a day to resign ourselves to cookie-cutter, hybrid-driving mediocrity, or to farty-sounding Subarus (just kidding, you know we love you guys), but to remember, fondly, the Evolution which symbolizes who we are and that for which we stand. We are gearheads. Form follows function; luxury and refinement should take a backseat to acceleration and lateral grip. Cars should be designed for drivers, mindless consumer cattle operators and their coddling, ancillary convenience features be damned.

THE EVO played a significant role in making many us who we are today, but we will not fade away with this model. We will not go quietly into that good night. We will continue to see the value in continuous incremental improvement over the status quo – to evolve – as Mitusbishi did – and will continue to do – no matter the platforms in our future. We are gearheads.

Go fast with class.

Gearbox Magazine exists to do three things and we’ve got a short post about it on GBXM.net.

I hope to get more DSM/Evo guys behind the wheel instead of in the engine bay. 

How do you split your time behind the wheel and in the engine bay?

What’s the most memorable Mitsubishi you’ve ever seen?

What’s your real name?  Where do you live?
My name is Phillip Weston and I live in Hamilton, New Zealand.

What do you do for a living?
I am a vehicle broker for NZ New Cars.

What Mitsubishi(s) do you drive?  How long have you had it/them?
I currently own a 1991 Galant VR-4 Evolution along with two 4^th generation RWD Galant Turbo coupes – one’s badged as a 1980 Eterna GSR while the other is a 1982 Galant GT. These are commonly known as the Plymouth Sapporo or the Dodge Challenger II in the States.

How does the GVR4 Evo compare to, say, the RS, or other GVR4 trims?
The Evolution VR-4 is the 2^nd facelift/revision for the 5-Speed manual E38A and E39A JDM Galant VR-4s, produced from October 1990 through to May 1992 – the RS existed from 1988 and was upgraded to ‘Evolution’ spec following the 2^nd facelift. There are other JDM variants available such as the Monte Carlo and the Super VR-4, both of which had black leather interior, which the other variants had lacked. The Evolution models sported hood vents and extra front bumper grilles, 510cc injectors, Big 16G Turbo, 4 bolt rear end with LSD, and larger intercooler and piping, amongst other smaller changes.

Do you know how many GVR4 Evos were built?
According to the Japanese Automotive Federation homologation papers a total of 5057 ‘Evolution’ examples had been produced, spread out over the standard VR-4, RS VR-4, Super VR-4 and Monte Carlo VR-4 models. This may seem like a large number compared to the total VR-4s imported into America, however there would perhaps be a small percentage of that 5057 still around today due to the amount destroyed in rallying or taken off the roads permanently.

What originally attracted you to Mitsubishi?
I would have to credit my love of Mitsubishis to my father, who managed our local Mitsubishi Motors dealership when I was growing up. I vividly recall him bringing home brand spanking new ‘demonstrator’ models throughout the 80s and early 90s, which sparked my interest in models such as the Tredia, Cordia, Sigma and of course, the Galant. Sadly Dad passed away October 12^th 2010.

How do you use use your Mitsubishi?
Very carefully! It is more or less in factory standard condition and traveled approximately 2000 miles a year, so basically sits in the garage unused other than on sunny days.

What are your goals for your Mitsubishi?
My goal is to basically have one of the most cleanest and original E39A Galant VR-4s around, I feel they are a dying breed and will be worth something in years to come. That’s not to say I will not be modifying it, however any mods done will be subtle, tasteful and most importantly reversible!

Considering your goals, can you tell us about a couple of your favorite mods and how they help you towards realizing the goals you’ve set for the vehicle?
Just the simple modifications – a K&N replacement filter has been fitted, the cat converter has been removed, the boost raised to about 15psi and Ferodo DS2500 brake pads fitted. These mods turned the car from a slouch into… well… something slightly faster than a slouch, haha!

How often do you get together with other Mitsubishi owners in person? What do you do?
I would say perhaps every few months with various local clubs where we primarily do track-days, though there have been various social events plus car show events I have been involved with.

Tell us about something really exciting you’ve done with other Mitsubishi owners.
To be honest I haven’t really done a lot with other Mitsubishi owners in my VR-4 other than turn up to a few meets, however beginning of 2011 the VR-4 will be on display with the MMC club of NZ at the ‘4 & Rotary Nationals’ where we will be demonstrating the whole Evolution range from 0 to X.

Tell us about a time something broke and what it took to fix it.
I haven’t really broken anything on the VR-4, just had a few little niggly maintenance issues like sticking calipers, worn bushes, leaking clutch fluid hose etc.

What is your embarrassment moment – that time you made a stupid mistake?
Pass. I make lots of stupid mistakes, it’s hard to keep track and remember the most stupidest one!

What is your finest hour – that time you saw it all come together perfectly?
It wasn’t with the VR-4, but with one of the coupes I spent the last three days leading up to a track day fabricating custom coil-over suspension, fitting a front mount intercooler, getting a larger exhaust made up, fitting race tyres and basically applying the finishing touches on the morning of the day – the car went better than expected without any trouble and I truly think those days of hard work really paid off.

What’s the best part about being a Mitsubishi owner?  The most challenging?
I guess being the best part is like being the underdog – no one really assumes that a four door family sedan is going to wipe the smile off a V8 owners face at the lights. The most challenging would be the constant upkeep and maintenance required!

Which Mitsubishi communities do you frequent most and why? (What’s your screen name?)
MMC Club of NZ, Galant VR4.org, Club VR-4 (more for 8G Galants) and Austarion as ‘fuel’ or ‘dirtygalant’.

How have you benefited from your involvement in these communities?
I have gained a wealth of information from these clubs, especially Galant VR4.org as between the lot of us we would have experienced just about any and every problem that could go wrong with the VR-4 and someone is bound to know the solution.

How do you try to give back to these communities?
I feel I have a lot of back ground knowledge of Mitsubishi and all the model and variants available so when I can I am more than happy to share any information that I may know.

What keeps you going; keeps you motivated to pick up your wrenches?
I guess picturing the goal that would be achieved at the end, but I enjoy the art of pulling things apart and subsequently putting it back together again.

What’s next for your Mitsubishi?
Essentially some more maintenance to tidy up a few areas (ie the hood has stone chips across it and interior carpet and mats could do with being replaced) and address the remainder of the small mechanical faults like a noisy rear diff and sloppy gear shifter.

Who has helped you the most along the way with the car?  Any mentors?
Definitely my father, who initially got me into cars and Mitsubishis, although he wasn’t very mechanically minded, he still shared a great passion of car ownership and all the Mitsubishi models which has rubbed off onto me. A few other guys have helped me out along the way, would like to shout out to Bart of mivec.co.nz who happily helped me out when I first moved to town, and my local mechanics Shaun of Elders Garage and Brett at Don Campbell Motors who have helped me out when I couldn’t quite tackle the work myself.

What areas of vehicle ownership are most interesting to you?
Being able to show off a vehicle which generally represents you and your personality, and being proud to own such an example.

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend?
Garfield Wright from tunersnation.com, he’s been supporting Galant VR4.org and deserves a free plug!

Are you on Twitter?  Facebook?  Where can people find you online?
Sure am, I tweet @thelifeofphil and my Facebook is facebook.com/te71se.

So there you have it. For 2010, all the Mitsubishi Evolutions I to X plus 1, the “Zero.” Big thanks to Phil for sharing such a clean ride with us all.

What about you?

• How do you like the way our Evolutions series turned out?
• Which Evos did we miss this year?

What are your biggest questions about sponsorships?

Kim Schuenman, who we interviewed in November 2009, and who ran GM Gearbox Magazine. We’re taking a page out of the GM playbook and shuttering that brand in favor of new, pursuit-oriented channels. Kim will be shifting gears to helm our new Diesel and Drag (racing) channels, both of which will be rolling out officially with the new year.

Dave Hymers, who runs EV Gearbox Magazine. Dave is introducing us to electric vehicle conversion projects around the world, which often feature some of the most amazing fabrication efforts. And, just like everyone on our team, Dave practices what he preaches. He’s built an EV gokart and is beginning his own EV conversion!

Our ad was answered by the following heroes.

Rob Douglas, who founded/owns/operates Mitsu-Media.com. Rob has been a sort of silent partner since the earliest days of Gearbox Magazine, helping us spread the word, generate interest, and brainstorm many of the ideas we’ve brought to market in the last year.

Stephen Burke is a member of the Rochester DSM One Lap of America team. He’s a seasoned gearhead with experience on the road, on the track, and on the web.

David “Nakazoto” Lovett answered the call from the far side of the world, stepping up to help us bring more stories from Japan! Dave also has a fantastic, 1967 Mitsubishi 360 van over there in Japan.

And then there’s me:

Brian Driggs, I’m the mad scientist who decided he wanted to hook up the jumper cables differently.

So there you have it! This is the Gearbox Magazine team going into 2011. We’re all looking forward to helping our gearhead friends around the world build high performance machines and high performance lives.

What do you think is the rarest Evo of them all?

What’s your real name?  Where do you live?
My name is Ryan Gates and I’ve lived in Minneapolis, MN, my entire life.

What do you do for a living?
I drive across the country to drive my car… listening to music a lot.

Image: rkcreative, inc.

Your website prominently states, “Follow you dreams, to the max!” What is your dream?
Haha, glad to see that someone noticed! That’s actually a quote from ‘Party Down’, the quote is something I really try to live by. My dream is to be happy, live well, and surround myself with my favorite people while doing what we all love. My main focus is on racing and driving fun cars, but there are a lot of other things I dream of doing… one of them is to live New Zealand with time to explore.

What originally attracted you the Evo X? How did you come to own yours?
Before I picked up the Evo X, I had a Wicked White Evo IX MR. It was my daily driver that I would occasionally take to the track. When the Evo X was announced, everyone was skeptical, usually pretty negative about it too, and I just kept thinkin’ there is no way Mitsubishi would make an Evo that’s worse. When Brookdale Mitsubishi up here in MN got their first Evo X in February 2008, I went and looked at it for awhile. That night I decided on a whim to put my Evo IX up for sale. In under 26 minutes, the car was sold – locally – for cash! That was it. I was getting an Evo X now, haha. The next day, Valentine’s Day, I had a new Octane Blue Evo X w/SSS back home in the garage. Pretty much fate ever since!

What’s your selection criteria for the events you run?
In the past, I tried to run the entire series of Redline T/A mainly to get out there as much as possible. In 2009 that worked out really well, but after a pretty disastrous and extremely stressful year in ’10, my thought process has changed a bit. From now on, I’ll be using the car for what I originally intended, fun! For 2011, you’ll see the car out competing for sure, but only at events I really want to attend… not limited to just Time Attack either.

What makes/models represent your closest competition? How does the Evo compare?
The obvious competitors are other Evos and STis, but in 2010 there were a few Nissan GTRs that stepped up and were quick. There are other cars out there too, some very fast BMWs and Audis, but those aren’t as common. I’d like to see more variety in my competition, look for that in 2011.

Tell us about a time something broke and what it took to fix it.
Well I have plenty of different situations I could give you here… haha. I’ll go with the latest story though – Super Lap Battle Finals 2010.

After spending over a month with the car cleaning, upgrading, rebuilding, restoring, etc., I took the car out to SLB feeling really good about finishing the year off with a great result. I didn’t make it out for Saturday practice, which was fine, because I spent the day going over all the little details on the car; making sure it’d be perfect for Sunday. So then Sunday morning Warm Up session comes around and I head out on a warm up lap before going all out to test the car.

Without even completing that warm up lap, the car just died… while cruisin’, too. So I coasted to a stop, got towed in, and then went to work in the garage to diagnose. My first thought was something electrical because it shut off so suddenly without any noise, but it turned out to be so much worse. I took the valve cover off to find the timing chain sitting there completely off the gears. It was laying there limp. The day was done, the guys at AMS confirmed that after they took a quick look over the car at the track. So now my Evo is currently at AMS getting fixed – new valves, pistons, headwork, etc.. There’s a quick look into my 2010 season, haha.

What is your embarrassment moment – a time you made a stupid mistake?
The first time I met Bryan from JRZ Suspension back in early 2009. Probably the most embarrassing moment I can think of. We were at Buttonwillow to get the baseline testing done on my new JRZ Triples. I was extremely under prepared. So much so, I had to run the car on track without harnesses and only two bolts holding my seat in place. Luckily Bryan is the best person I’ve had the opportunity to work with. He wasn’t quick to judge and we ended up winning that weekend!

What is your finest hour – a time you saw everything come together perfectly?
Hasn’t happened yet.

What’s the best part about sponsored racer?  The most challenging?
My favorite part is working with these huge companies! It’s always fun to see how well I can help them reach their goals, whatever they may be. You can use the same answer for the 2nd part of the question too, haha.

What keeps you going; keeps you motivated?
I dream huge so I’m constantly working to make it all happen. That, and I really enjoy cars… and hate failing. And a Guards Red GT2RS.

Image: Canibeat

What’s next for your Evo? Your team?
A lot of fun! Like I mentioned, after 2010 I’m really looking to get back to the root of all of this, fun. I’m working with a great film crew – Film Matters – to finally turn some of our ideas into a reality. These guys are great, so look for some cool content featuring the Evo and my Ralliart Sportback over the winter and throughout 2011. Beyond that, you may see me racing in a different series driving something with an engine in the back. Maybe.

Who has helped you the most along the way with the Evo?
My family has been huge. Always there for support and they’ve helped me with a lot of decisions over the past few years. Car wise… AMS Performance has always been there for me. Without them, the car would be no where near its current level of performance… it’s just so fast. This season, we developed the car on the fly, and with that there were a lot of little problems at each event. I can’t wait to show what the car can really do!

What aspects of competition are most interesting to you?
Winning.

Who are your sponsors and how have they helped?
I’m very lucky to have a good group of sponsors that all help out in different ways. The main thing my sponsors help with is car development. I push this car as hard as I possibly can, and anytime an upgrade is needed it’s the sponsors that step up with a new and/or upgraded part. Also, companies like etnies, Film Matters, Andy Blackmore Design, etc. keep it interesting for me. They’re they creative side to all of this and it’s cool to work with them to turn ideas into reality. Pretty soon here you’ll have a better understanding to what I mean by that.

Nitto Tires | AMS Performance | etnies | K&N | JRZ Suspension | RAYS | Girodisc | Carbonetic | JE Pistons
Evasive Motorsports | Mitsubishi Motors | Andy Blackmore Design | Film Matters | Cinesthetics | Phenom Global | Aeromotions

How did you get into the industry? That is, how were you able to cross over into the realm of being able to make a living as a wheel man?
It’s pretty simple… I just bought my Evo X and went to the track. Timing had a lot to do with my jump into the car industry, the Evo X was just coming out and people were really curious to see what it could do. I was lucky enough to grab the car early and start proving it’s worth to the masses with unique coverage online.

What advice would you give to those who would like to follow in your footsteps and race for a living? How do we go about doing that? What kind of role do sponsorships play and what tips could you share to help others achieve their dreams to that end?
The best advice I could give is to do it all for fun, be nice to people and provide something genuinely unique to your target audience. If you’re out there with the sole intent to make money, you might end up discouraged quite quickly. It’s extremely hard to legitimately make money while racing, especially if you’re starting from scratch. Like I mentioned earlier, I had timing on my side and there was a window of opportunity for me to prove what this new platform could do. I took full advantage of that, and did it for the right reasons, and thankfully things are starting to pay off.

We’ll be looking forward to seeing just Ryan – and his sponsors – come up with in 2011. Sounds like some exciting, right-brain thinkers have some big ideas. Big ideas rule.

Special thanks to Ryan for sharing his stories and advice and, again, to our friend Nathan at Mitsubishi for steering us in Ryan’s direction. None of us can do any of this alone, right?

How about you?

• What are your automotive dreams?
• How confident are you that you’re on-track to achieve them?
• How can the Gearbox community help you achieve them?