Stunningly agile, yet able to generate substantial power from a small package, the Lancer Evolution personifies martial arts on the open road. Vivid Racing's aggressive Evo X is definitely the breed's seventh-degree black belt, conjuring images of roundhouse kicks and sweeping back-fists with its big turbo power, lowered stance, and vibrant aura.

Vivid Racing used the Mitsubishi to develop parts over the course of a few months, then hurriedly transformed it into the eye scorcher you see here in a few weeks to debut at the 2008 SEMA Show.

Vivid Racing works closely with performance part manufacturer Agency Power Industries (API), so the X was used to beta test the Agency Power turbo upgrade kit. A twin-scroll Garrett GT35-R turbo with a .82 A/R is the kit's primetime player. The kit also includes a custom tubular header that features an AFI merged collector and a CNC-machined stainless steel half-inch thick flange, twin external Tial 44mm wastegates, and a three-inch downpipe.

The kit is designed to work with an Agency Power cold-air intake and factory front mount intercooler, or it can be configured to accommodate a custom high-flow vertical bar-and-plate core front mount intercooler for maximum horsepower. Since the Vivid crew was eyeing big power, they bolted up the big FMIC and Agency Power CAI.

Vivid Racing also developed and installed a CNC-machined aluminum high-flow fuel rail, upgraded injectors and a direct replacement pump capable of supporting 600whp. The trio of parts is now offered as an optional boost-up fueling package. On top of that, a set of Kelford cams were dropped in the 4B11. They are a staggered with the intake checking at 268 degrees of duration and the exhaust providing 274.

A GReddy Profec B2 boost controller tempers the flow and Vivid Racing tuned the spirited 2.0-liter with an ECUTEK ECU flash on its Mustang all-wheel-drive dyno. "Our car was tuned on 91 octane, and at 22psi the car made 402awhp,"quipped a prideful Dan Mermelstein. "Being that the Mustang Dyno reads low, that is about 440 to 450 on a DynoJet on pump gas.

"At 402 all-wheel horsepower, that is around 500 crank horsepower. And we plan to turn up the boost for sure; 22psi is just getting started."

The Evo gets its hunkered stance from a set of JIC Magic FL-TAR Race coilovers that are so adjustable that Einstein himself would have a hard time calculating the possibilities. Other footwork enhancers include Agency Power billet aluminum rear adjustable control arms and a full, front and rear Rotora brake upgrade. The big binders feature six-piston calipers and 355x32mm two-piece slotted rotors, steel braided brake lines and Performance Street brake pads in front and four-piston calipers out back.

Rolling stock consists of 18x9.5 AME TM-02 aluminum, and since the car was destined for SEMA duty in the Toyo Tires booth, Toyo R1-R rubber of the 265/35 variety were strapped on. The R1-Rs are glue-sticky ultra high-performance tires with a 140 treadwear rating.

The most fearsome mod was the body tuning attack. Vivid combined a wild Porsche GT3 green with the first-in-America Valdi Sport Test & Service aero kit. The kit includes an aggressive front fascia, side skirts, and a sculpted rear valance. Some well-placed canards and an APR Performance carbon fiber wing round out the aero treatment.

Like a true kung fu hero of the Old West, the Vivid Racing Evo X has ridden off into the sunset via feverish bidding on eBay. In this case, it's enjoying the twilight in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, boosting amongst the sand dunes.

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