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>> Under the hood, 530whp is made possible by means of a Forced Performance turbo, a 2.4L stroker and 1,000cc/min AMS injectors, all tuned with the help of AEM’s Series 2 management.

which is to go a whole lot faster than what Mitsubishi’s accountants and engineers thought he should. By all accounts, 530whp was quite tolerable, but the road-going suspension left Zhang for want: “The handling was no good,” he says bluntly, “so I asked some friends and shops what to do.” All of that advice led to a completely revised suspension that’s based upon TEIN Super Racing coilovers and the company’s EDFC electronic damping control system. Front and rear sway bars from Whiteline were also added, as was just about every bushing the company’s ever made for the Evo chassis. It didn’t happen right away, but the suspension was ultimately dialed in, eventually meeting Zhang’s approval. The Evo’s stopping prowess was equally addressed, fitted with an AP Racing kit and Project Mu pads at each corner. All of this is recessed behind a set of WedsSport SA-60M wheels dutifully wrapped with Nitto NT01 rubber.

Zhang has since transplanted himself from Seattle to Shanghai, but his Evo remains stateside waiting for its owner’s return. As it turns out, though, Zhang doesn’t have the sort of patience his Evo does and has already embarked on an entirely new project. “I came back to China, but I hated to part with my Banana Voltex Evo,” he says. “So, I built another [one], this time a Green Apple Voltex Evo.” Zhang goes on to explain how the new car will be even more powerful, more aggressive, and that once completed, will make up a small part of his newlyestablished, Shanghai-based race team, LC Motorsport. “I’ve already ordered the engine and the car is almost done,” he says of what he believes will result in the fastest Evo in China. “Building something like this is like [taking care] of a baby; you’ve got to be careful with every detail, and have a whole lot of money.”

Must be nice, right? But we have to give Zhang props for having great taste and the ambition to build two track-ready Evos. Now, he just needs to either fly us out to Seattle or China so we can drive ‘em. Preferably China, Mr. Zhang…

[TUNING MENU]

2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

OWNER YAQI ZHANG HOMETOWN SEATTLE, WA/SHANGHAI, CHINA POWER 530whp ENGINE 2.4 liter 4G63 with 9.0:1 Wiseco pistons; R&R connecting rods; K1 Technologies stroker crankshaft; ACL bearings; AMS seals, head gasket, head studs, oil pan, timing belt, water pump, air filter, spark plugs and 1,000cc injectors; GSC valves and S1 cams; AEM cam gears, Series 2 engine management and boost control solenoid; Gates accessory belt; Forced Performance ball bearing turbo; Extreme Turbo Systems intercooler, downpipe and battery; HKS SQV3 blowoff valve; custom intercooler piping, oil catch can and boost controller; JDL Auto Design O2 dumptube; Tomei exhaust system; Walbro 255lph fuel pump; Koyo aluminum radiator; Samco Sport radiator hoses; ARC titanium spark plug cover DRIVETRAIN twin-place clutch; strengthened gears FOOTWORK & CHASSIS TEIN Super Racing coilovers and EDFC; Whiteline sway bars, bushings and roll center correction kit; Cusco front bar; Tanabe front lower under bar BRAKES AP Racing big brake kit; Project Mu pads and lines; ARP extended studs WHEELS & TIRES 18x10" +20 WedsSport SA-60M wheels; 275/35R18 Nitto NT01 tires; Project Kics Neo Chrome lug nuts EXTERIOR Voltex Cyber Version widebody aero, dry carbonfiber canards, front spoiler, front diffuser, rear diffuser and rear spoiler; JDM Evo IX rear bumper; Seibon carbon-fiber hood, trunk, shark fin and antenna; 3M carbon-fiber roof wrap; Gandor carbon-fiber mirrors; Lamborghini Giallo Orion Mic Yellow paint INTERIOR Bride Vios III Low Max seats and rails; Sparco harnesses and harness bar; Key!s Racing steering wheel; NRG quick-release hub and short hub adapter; ARC titanium shift knob; custom carbon-fiber center console; Defi gauges and OLED link display; AEM UEGO wideband controller; Eclipse audio system; Focal speakers THANKS YOU English Racing for my motor and tuning; Kansai Motorsport for the kit; JSM Auto Sport for my upgraded arms; Carrozzeria Motorsport for service and parts WWW forcedperformance.net; tein.com; aemelectronics.com; nittotire.com

(A~BO~MOON!)

TWO BROTHERS WHO SHARED A VISION OF COMBINING STANCE AND DRIFT

WORDS Steve Enomoto PHOTOS Colin Waki hat the hell is

WA~Bo~Moon? It’s pretty typical to see many Japanese drift teams plastered with a ridiculous squad name, bask in their 15 minutes of fame on the track and then disappear into thin air. But for Team A~Bo~Moon, they present themselves in a way that tells us they’ll be around in the drifting scene for years to come. With their hardcore style and countless drifting awards, these boys have one thing that other lackluster drift teams lack—consistency!

Before getting into the name A~Bo~Moon, here’s a little bit of history about the team. Remember those online videos of adolescent Japanese kids drifting their bicycles; sliding their rear tires and skillfully mimicking cars? A~Bo~Moon actually started off drifting bicycles! These junior high kids made up a large portion of the young drifting scene. They would religiously attend drift events as well as sneak out at night to go watch local drifters do their thing on mountain roads. Without the ability to drive a car, they studied the art of drifting by pure observation. They absorbed drifting any way they could. And when they turned 18, the bicycles were ditched and they finally got their driver licenses. It was game on! Brothers, Akinori (younger) and Tomonori (older) Satsukawa, could finally unleash their pent up passion for drifting and put together their own team. A new generation of skilled drifters was born.

The name A~Bo~Moon is a derivative of Akinori’s nickname A~Bo, and the rest was just combined with Sailor Moon’s “Moon” aspect. To us, it hardly makes any sense but we must consider that many Japanese corporation names are made up in this kind of fashion.

The team quickly grew in their Hiroshima neighborhood, but in order to join the club, several boundaries had to be set to maintain their public image. One very important criterion was that everyone on the team is required to drive a blue R32 Skyline sedan. A perfect theme since R32 Skyline sedans were a great platform for drifting with plenty of power and aftermarket support. Currently, there are between ten and fifteen team members, each with their own styled version of the four-door Skyline.

Most of the members came to battle with variants of Nissan’s inline six RB engine, whether RB20, RB25 or RB26 under their bonnets. By having this sort of consistency in chassis and engine, it became a strategic advantage when it came down to competing. They never ran out of parts or were forced to forfeit due to a breakdown since any component can simply be borrowed from each other’s rides.

Another team prerequisite is that the vehicle must be set at a specific ride height and wheel stance. All team members must use 215-series tires with 17-inch rims for the front and must have pulled metal fenders (FRP is banned in competitions due to its fragile nature).

The list keeps going, as each R32 has to be equipped with a full body kit

>> All A~Bo~Moon must run RB motors. Here’s a look at Tan-Tan’s RB25. >> Come at us, bros! >> There’s a small strip of glass behind those stickers.