Since the donor car arrived at the workshop in September 08, I had no idea that it would turn out to be this good. You know the thought …….. can it be done here, do we have the expertise, etc? Well, what you see before your eyes may look foreign made, but believe me it’s done here, locally! And guess what, I am the one sitting in the co-drivers seat! Lucky me. Ok, enough said. I have been pestered by the boss to write about the car and what it feels like to be driven in it. The first thing you will ask, ‘Why a Gen 2 for rallying?’Why not buy a Subaru Impreza or Mitsubishi EVO? Well, following the government ‘advise’ we have decided to ‘Buy Malaysian’ and to me personally, it’s just as good or even better than the Impreza or Evo’s for the task at hand and it is much-much cheaper to build.
As can be seen, the shell was stripped to bare metal, with all unwanted bracket and other fittings bits removed. Surprisingly the Gen 2 shares the same dimensions as the Evo’s, as such, no cutting and lengthening of long shafts was needed. The wheel arches was remodeled and widen to get the long suspension travel needed for rallying while the rear end was cut to make way for the rear diff carrier. Next came the roll cage, engine mounts, seat mounts, extended fenders, wings, vented bonnet and then the shell was taken to the painter. Noteworthy is that the components; such as the engine mounts, suspension mounts etc. is a one-off, machined from chunks of aluminum and steel.
The Evo 6 engine was sponsored by Links Power and was built with all manners thinkable in getting the most and safest amount of horses sustainable by the Gen 2. The engine is mounted as far back in the engine bay to get as much weight to the center of the car for better stability, mounted next to it is the oil and coolers. This allows better air flow as well as protecting it from any damage during competition. A Hewland dog engagement gear box is mated to the engine to transfer all the engines power to the wheels reliably. Motec system with anti lag is icing on the cake, with the graph on the dyno showing going well beyond the 300bhp mark with plenty of usable torque starting early in the rev range. That’s as good as it gets.
| Specification | |
| Model | Proton Gen2 |
| Engine | S4PE 1.3-litre |
| Engine Upgrade | 4G63T EVO 6, tuned to 300bhp, ARC intercooler M8 Motec |
| Transmission | Hewland Dog box 5 speed H-pattern |
| Exhaust | 3-inch straight flow |
| Suspension | Reiger suspension system |
| Brakes | Grippen (front) Brembo (rear) |
| Rims & Tyres | Enkei Competition & 205/55-16 |
| Garage | High Speed Rally Team (HSRT), Links Power, Felda, Proton, IBIL, Silverstone, Permai Spray |
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When it comes to body styling for Honda Jazz enthusiasts, most will opt for a more sporty looking kit, like those from Mugen or J’s Racing. I did mentioned most, for what we have here are two Jazz owners who does not like running with the pack, and had thus immerse themselves in the VIP culture.
What we have here is a Black and White Honda Jazz, which I’ll refer to as Ebony and Ivory. Both owners are close friends, and as the saying goes, great minds think alike, and as such, both Ebony and Ivory does share many similarities in their modifications. And when I mentioned that both owners are totally immersed in the VIP culture, I wasn’t kidding as both rides are fully loaded with VIP’s accessories.
Firstly, both Ebony and Ivory had received a total exterior make-over with the fitment of W-Blood bodykit, which comprises of the front and rear bumper, side skirting, side panels for doors, front hood scarf and spoiler. The name might be kind of weird, but after viewing the car’s front bumper design, I sort of understood why …. as most VIP enthusiasts would get a nose bleed from just how cool it looks! The kit fitted to Ivory is the Ver-1, while Ebony are those from the Ver-2. Both versions are very much similar, only difference that is noticeable is the styling of the front lip. Besides these, Ebony and Ivory had a couple of other items added, such as; smoked front lamp, smoked LED rear light, DAD mascot affix on the front hood and an exclusive ‘H’ logo at the rear.
| Specification | |
| Engine | L15A i-VTEC |
| E.C.U | Standard |
| Transmission | 7 Speed Automatic |
| Exhaust | Custom |
| Suspension | Tein Adjustable |
| Brakes | Skyline R32 |
| Rims & Tyres | Garson Black Mafia & Falken 215/35ZR-18 |
| Exterior | W-Blood Ver-2, smoked type front and rear light |
| GARAGE | DAD Automotive Sunway, K-Car Star |
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Toyota is one of the pioneer in the Japanese car industry that was bold enough to produce sports car in an era when European sports car rule supreme. Their first big break to the mainstream is when the Toyota GT2000 were first introduce to the world in the 1960’s James Bond movie, “You Only Live Twice” starring the best Bond of all time, Sean Connery.
From then onwards, Toyota had continued building sports cars and this had spawn into several different models to suit the demands and taste of consumers. Among them are the entry level Celica, the legendary Levin / Trueno and the big daddy of them all – the Supra. However, it’s the small mid engine sports car that truly gave Toyota its place among sports car legend – the MR2.
| Specification | |
| Engine | 1ZZ-FED 1.8 litre VVT-I |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | Trial turbokit, TD04 turbine, ARC intercooler with water spray, SARD 360cc injectors, Arospeed fuel regulator, Walbro fuel pump |
| Transmission | Stock 6 speed manual with TRD clutch |
| Exhaust | Trial ceramic coated manifold, 5Zigen muffler |
| Suspension | Tein Type Flex with EDFC, 4 point strut bar |
| Brake | Stock disc with Endless brake pads |
| Rims & Tyres | Volk Racing CE28 15” rims, Bridgestone Potenza 195/55 tyres |
| Exterior | TRD front bumper, C-One carbon hood, SARD rear spoiler |
| Interior | Defi meters, Pivot shift light, A’PEXi turbo timer |
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This featured Toyota Celica is another fine example that showcased the creativity of our very own performance car enthusiasts, starting on a project with an end result that is out of the norm. Darren, the owner loves being different, and this is clearly shown from the car that he drives.
| Specification | |
| Engine | 2.0L |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | 1JZ-GTE Conversion, Custom Intercooler Piping, Walbro 255lp/h Fuel Pump.
|
| Transmission | 4-Speed Automatic, Supra Rear Axle
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| Exhaust | Custom Stainless 3 ½” Piping, SuperSprint Exhaust |
| Suspension | PRS Sport Adjustable Suspension Kit, PRS Pillow Ball Mount |
| Brake | 4 Pot Front, 2 Pot Rear |
| Rims & Tyres | Two-Piece 17”, Yokohama |
| Garage | PPA Auto Puchong, Dera Mike Subang, Ah Kong (Tuner) |
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What make an Evo special? This question pops up in my mind whenever I see one of them on the road. Strip off the rear spoilers and replace the front bumper with stock bumper and the Evo would look like any family car on the road. It has four doors, a decent sized trunk and seats five comfortably. The main difference is – it had a 280ps motor with all-wheel drive, all which give this “family sedan” the performance of a supercar.
| Specification | |
| Engine | 4G63 |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | HKS camshaft with valve springs, HKS adjustable cam pulleys, HKS suction kit, HKS SSQV blow-off valve, Spit Fire earth cable, Hot Earth spark plug cover, GReddy spark plugs, HKS oil cap, GReddy oil catch tank, aluminium radiator, HKS Type-R intercooler with piping kit, SARD fuel pump, SARD fuel regulator.
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| Transmission | Stock 5 speed manual gearbox, HKS twin plate racing clutch
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| Exhaust | Full set Trust exhaust system |
| Suspension | Tein Type Flex fully adjustable absorbers, Cusco 3 point strut bar, Cusco anti-roll bar |
| Brake | Project U disc rotor, Endless brake pads |
| Rims & Tyres | Volk Racing RE30 18”, Yokohama Advan Neova 265/35/18 |
| Garage | NIL |
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The MRS, and its predecessor, the MR2 proved to the world that Japan could build a near perfect mid-engine roadster without the huge price tag usually associated with this type of cars. Instead of putting a huge V8 engine in its bay, Toyota decided that their entire mid-engine car needed was a small high revving engine with 50:50 weight distributions, which translate to a joyous drive without the high cost of a supercar. The first generation MR2 is powered by the popular 4AGE and 4AGZE engine which found fame with the Levin family of cars. Later model introduced the 3S-GTE engine which makes the MR2 a very powerful mid-engine sports car. The last of its breed, the MRS used a rather sedate 1ZZ-FED 1.8 liter engine, taming the car a little but nonetheless, retains its good handling characteristics.
| Specification | |
| Engine | 1ZZ-FED 1.8 litre VVT-i |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | NIL
|
| Transmission | Stock 5 speed automatic with sequential shift gearbox
|
| Exhaust | Custom manifold, custom muffler with quad tips |
| Suspension | TRD absorbers and springs |
| Brake | Stock |
| Rims & Tyres | Estatus Eastmax VS-Style 18”, Falken ZE912 215/35/18 |
| Garage | NIL |
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What can I say? Nowadays certain groups of car enthusiasts are more into body styling as opposed to the amount of horses that lies under the bonnet of their car, and this isn’t something new, what’s new is that there is a new breed that had sprouted, and this group are into VIP styling, a trend that was started approximately thirteen or fourteen years ago by a team named BlackCockroach in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. FYI at that time many VIP cars were tied to the Japanese mafia, better known as the Yakuza. With the growth of this trend, another team emerged; VIP Company, helmed by Taketomi, the eventual owner of Junction Produce, a leader in VIP styling in Japan.
| Specification | |
| Engine | 2.5 DOHC V6 |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | NIL
|
| Transmission | Stock 4 speed automatic
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| Exhaust | Custom Stainless Steel Piping, Fabulous Twin Tip Muffler |
| Suspension | Tanabe Air Cobra Suspension Kit |
| Brake | Stock |
| Rims & Tyres | Fabulous 20” Polished Profound Series, Yokohama ECOS 245/35 |
| Garage | Bidtrade.com.my/Central Cushion/JL Plus Entertainment |
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It’s 2007 and the most anticipated movie of all time to hit the cinema for a kid who grew up in the 1980’s was the Transformers, an action movie that was a dream come true, watching their beloved animated characters come to live. Although die-hard fans of the animation series criticized the movie as not being true to its origins, it did deter millions of fans from flocking to the cinema to watch this blockbuster.
David is one of the millions of Transformers fans who had watched the movie and fell in love with it. Although most kids (or kids at heart) dreamt of being Optimus Prime or Bumblebee, David prefers to be one of the bad guys!
| Specification | |
| Engine | 3S-GTE |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | Garret turbine, Top Gun plug cables, ZerOne silicone hose |
| Transmission | Stock 5 speed manual |
| Exhaust | Custom 3” pipe with HKS Hiper Drager muffler |
| Suspension | Tein adjustable shock absorbers, Tein adjustable pillow mounts |
| Brake | Stock |
| Rims & Tyres | RSR 17” / Falken 215/45/17 |
| Exterior | Carlos Sainz special edition front hood, “Barricade” colour scheme |
| Interior | Elevo steering wheel, aluminum gear knob, PRO boost meter, A’PEXi turbo timer |
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The brand name Suzuki had long been associated with motorcycles for most Malaysian and trying to associate it with a car will undoubtedly cause a momentarily pause. But then again, this was way back in the past, before the Swift and Vitara was introduced into our Malaysian market. Both models at one time were enjoying brisk sales, but alas, it did not last long, that was until the new Suzuki Swift codenamed CBA-ZC21S landed on our Malaysian soil.
First introduced as a CBU model the CBA-ZC21S Suzuki Swift caught the attention of many car enthusiasts with its good looks and subtle engine performance, and was an instance hit with those looking for a sporty supermini,
| Specification | |
| Engine | 1.5 Dohc |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | NIL |
| Transmission | Stock 3 speed automatic |
| Exhaust | Custom Stainless Steel Piping, Custom Muffler with Twin Tip |
| Suspension | TEIN Super Street |
| Brake | Grippen 4 Pot Caliper, Crossed Slotted Rotors (Front) Skyline Twin Pot Kit (Rear) |
| Rims & Tyres | Advan RS 17-inch 5 lug, Bridgestone Potenza RE001 215/40 |
| Interior | NIL |
| Garage | NIL |
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This featured car needs no introduction; especially to all you performance car enthusiasts out there as it has been in the motorsport scene for years and with all its victories in the WRC is by now considered an icon by the motoring fraternity. Even in standard form the EJ20 engine with a capability of pumping out 265hp with a torque of 350Nm would readily satisfy those with a spirited driving style. Coupled with its boxer engine unique sound that had become one of its trademarks, it is with no surprise that the Subaru Impreza is one of the more popular choices for many a performance car enthusiasts here in Malaysia.
| Specification | |
| Engine | EJ20 |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | 2.2 stroker kit, port and polish head, STi piston, STi camshaft, STi 1.2mm metal gasket, STi injectors, STi spark plugs, Walbro 255lph fuel pump, AVO 314 turbo, HKS front mount intercooler, 65mm APS CAI, Apex’i air filter, STi oil catch tank, custom made oil cooler, custom made intercooler water spray, Greddy Type RS blow off valve, Sard adjustable fuel regulator. |
| Transmission | Manual 5-Speed 4WD, Ogura Racing Clutch |
| Exhaust | Custom made downpipe, Apex’i silencer valve, Apex’i 2.5 stainless steel pipe, Blitz Nur Spec muffler |
| Suspension | Tein Superstreet with pillow ball |
| Brake | 4-pot AP Racing caliper, 2-piece AP Racing disc rotor, Project MU brake pad (front), OEM brake with Endless brake pad (rear) |
| Rims & Tyres | 17-inch Work Emotion CR Kai, 225/45R17 Bridgestone Potenza RE001 Adrenalin tyres, Rays lock nut. |
| Exterior | Stock with adjustable 22B model spoiler |
| Garage | GT Auto |
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Not many of us are lucky enough to own a high performance car that would get your adrenalin flowing whenever you floor the accelerator. In reality most are just scraping through making the monthly installments on a car that is not what we desire, but rather what we can afford. But after a while, savings will eventually be accumulated and with creativity, knowledge and patience this daily means of commute can be transform to a ride that is close to one that you would dream of owning.
This scenario applies to Shimi, the owner of this featured Perodua Myvi, an ordinary looking car that had been transformed to one that is extraordinary, in terms of performance.
| Specification | |
| Engine | K3-VE 1.3-liter |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | 4E-FTE 1.3-liter, HKS SSQV blow off valve, Apex’i air filter, Lancer GSR fuel pump, custom made fuel rail. |
| Transmission | 4E-FTE |
| Exhaust | 2-inch pipe, A’pexi sport muffler |
| Suspension | Stock with GAB coil spring |
| Brake | Stock (front), Toyota Levin (rear) |
| Rims & Tyres | BSA 17-inch, Falken Ziex 205/40R17 |
| ECU | Stock with A’pexi Blue Screen SAFC I |
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Seeing is believing, right? A year 2004 Proton Gen.2 with its 1597cc S4PH engine fitted with turbo kit producing, let’s say approximately 185hp (260Nm of torque)… and I’m sure that many of you guys would be interested to know the details! Yet before getting into the details, I would like to say that the owner has definitely proven himself to be a pure mod enthusiast driven by passion and determination taking into consideration the time and money spent on all the R&D (that includes the trial and errors) in creating the right recipe for the turbo kitted S4PH. Guess that’s the reason behind the name ‘Xenon Motorsports’! Guess most CamPro powered car owners would recognize that name, right?
| Specification | |
| Engine | Campro S4PH-T |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | Customized Hybrid Turbine / Mitsubishi VR4-RS Intercooler / Apexi Customized Cold Air Intake Box / HKS SSQV II / Sard Fuel Pressure Regulator / Siemens 570cc Injectors / Denso Iridium Spark Plugs / P&P Stage III / 77mm Pistons / metal gasket / Mod Throttle Body / P & P Intake Manifold. |
| Transmission | 5MT – Final Drive 4.025 / Triniti 6-puck clutch |
| Exhaust | Custom + Custom Turbo manifold and downpipe |
| Suspension | HWL + Custom Adjustable Coilover |
| Brake | AXT |
| Rims & Tyres | Advan RG II (Rep) & Bridgestone Adrenalin RE001 205/50R15 |
| ECU | GReddy E-Manage |
| Garage | Xenon Motorsports & GT Auto |
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The Golf GTI was and still is a legend among legends, having won many international awards and had managed to receive good reviews, even from the most discerning automotive journalist that ever lived on this planet. It was the car introduced into the European market, showing just how good a small hot hatch can be in terms of performance and styling, which is comparable or even better than some of the sport coupe found in the market.
| Specification | |
| Engine | 2.0 TFSI |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | BMC Carbon Fiber Intake, Forge Blow-Off Valve, S3 Fuel Pump Revo Stage 2 ECU Map, Pumping 1.5bar and approx horsepower 260bhp
|
| Transmission | DSG 6-Speed
|
| Exhaust | 3” Piping, Milltek Quad Pipe Exhaust |
| Suspension | KW |
| Brake | Porsche Cayenne Turbo 6 Pots Conversion |
| Rims & Tyres | Work VS-XX 19-inch / Hankook S1 Evo 225/35 |
| Garage | Obermaier, Racecraft, 7th Gear Sunway |
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It is unlikely that a four door model like the Honda EK model would ever grace the cover of a performance car magazine, reason being, during the early day of its launch, Honda had introduced it as a family salon, targeted to those who wanted to ferry five adults in comfort and with a booth space that is second to none. As award winning as it may be, the EK four-door model just wasn’t deemed to be a performance model unlike its sibling, the EK9 Type-R, which has only two doors, three if you count the bonnet.
| Specification | |
| Engine | 1.6L Single Cam VTEC |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | B20B+B16A Conversion, Custom Intercooler Piping, Walbro 255lp/h Fuel Pump, Garrett GT35 Turbo, JE Piston, HKS Airfilter, Denso Iridium Plugs, HKS Oil Cooler, Cusco Oil Catch Tank, HKS SQV Racing, ARC Racing Intercooler & Radiator, Tial Racing, Power 800cc Injectors, HKS F-Con V PRO, HKS EVC Boost Controller, Defi, Apex’I, GReddy, Pivot Gauges & Indicators, Dynojet Wideband Commander, TEIN Engine Hood Damper.
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| Transmission | 5-Manual VTEC, Type-R LSD, Ogura Clutch Kit
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| Exhaust | Custom Stainless 3” Piping, Fujitsubo Exhaust |
| Suspension | TEIN Type RA |
| Brake | Spoon 4 pot Calipers, PRO/M SCR Rotors |
| Rims & Tyres | DC5 Rims, Michelin Pilot Tyres |
| Garage | N1 Racing |
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Back in 2000, Proton made a brave leap to the 21st Century. After decades merely reproducing copycats of Mitsubishi (and one Citroen) models, Proton finally introduce its homegrown product which receive good response from the public. Although aesthetically, I might say flawed, like a Frankenstein monster with bits and pieces from other cars being put together to form a car, like the front grill which resembles to those of Alfa Romeo, and an overall design which look like a Volkswagen Bora, it is still a superb achievement for Proton.
One thing that everyone agrees is that the Proton Waja has an excellent chassis which is tuned by the Proton owned Lotus company, but the original 4G18P engine is a little bit of a let down. The original Mitsubishi sourced engine, with only 100hp on tap, took a lot of effort to move this car which in fact is as big as the previous generation Volvo S40.
| Specification | |
| Engine | 4G18P |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | 4G92 MIVEC, K&N open pod filter, 10mm plug cable, Pivot Raizin voltage regulator, Arospeed cam pulley
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| Transmission | Stock 5 speed manual gearbox with LSD
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| Exhaust | Custom thermo wrap, custom 2.3 inch pipe, A’PEXi muffler |
| Suspension | Tein fully adjustable absorbers
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| Brake | Stock MIVEC front disc, standard rear disc |
| Rims & Tyres | Ultra Light 16 inch, Michelin 205/50 |
| Garage | Millennium Motorsports |
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Lan understands the distinction between true performance and the ‘wow’ factors when it comes to modifying a car. Apart from this daily-driven monstrosity Evo 7, he occasionally pilots a 700Hp monster Satria GTi Evo on the Sepang Circuit straight, trying to beat the next guy to the ‘Christmas Tree’ light during the Sepang Drag Battle event. As such, it is with no surprise that his daily commute, a Mitsubishi Evo 7 is modded to develop more power than a Ferrari 360 Modena!
At stock standard the Evo 7 4G63T engine produces an estimated 280Hp@6500rpm, but, because the engine is from the Mitsubishi Evolution series, the potential of conjuring up more horsepower than an Italian supercar isn’t that fictional, as was proved by engine tuners across the globe, and with this in mind, this is exactly what Lan did.
| Specification | |
| Engine | 4G63T |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | 2.2L, HKS 272 Cams, Aluminum Pulleys, Oversized Valve, JE Pistons, Mahle Rods, Garrett GT35 Turbo, Tial Wastegate and Blow-Off Valve, Custom Header, ARC Intercooler, RC Engineering 1200cc Injectors, Walbro 255lp/h Pumps, Sard Fuel Rail and Regulator, Motec M800 ECU , AVC-R, MAP Sensor 3Bar.
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| Transmission | 4AWD, 5-Speed, Cusco LSD, Ogura Twin Plate Clutch and Flywheel.
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| Exhaust | Custom Stainless Steel Banana Manifold, 3 ½” Piping, Apex’i Hayabusa Exhaust |
| Suspension | HWL
|
| Brake | Brembo |
| Rims & Tyres | Advan RG II 18”, Falken Azenis 245/40/R18 |
| Garage | Faroib Autosports |
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The Mitsubishi Mirage Asti can be considered a rare gem of a car here in Malaysia, for how many of these do you see plying on our Malaysian roads? I can say that spotting Ferraris and Lamborghinis hurling down our streets is more of a common sight if we were to compare.
The heart of the Mitsubishi Mirage Asti is a 1600cc four cylinder engine that is capable of producing an estimated 175 hp with premium fuel. The reason behind the high horsepower output is no secret as the 4G92 engine is equipped with the advance MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing Electronic Control) system, which was developed by Mitsubishi Motors and is considered one of the highest output production engine in the market today, lifting its status alongside Honda’s VTEC system and Toyota’s VVTI.
| Specification |
|
| Engine |
4G92 1.6L MIVEC |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE |
JUN Type I Camshaft, Crower Titanium Valve & Springs, HKS Adjustable Campulley, Port & Polish Job, RaceCraft Airfilter, Ogura Flywheel, Evo 3 Injectors & Fuel Pump Swap, Oil Catch Tank, Apex’I RSM |
| Transmission |
4-Speed Tiptronic, Ogura Clutch Kit |
| Exhaust |
RalliArt Manifold, 2½ Stainless Steel Piping, N1 Spec Muffler |
| Suspension |
HIT Adjustable Absorbers |
| Brake |
Stock With Brembo-like Covers |
| Rims & Tyres |
Advan 17-inch / Silverstone Synergy 215/45/R17 |
| Exterior |
Evo IV Hood, Spoiler, Custom Skirts, Custom ‘Widebody’ Panels |
| ICE |
Kenwood Double DIN DPX-550, Rockford Fosgate Amp, Mamba Speakers, Anaconda Speakers, Sony Tweeters |
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