The appearance of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution on American blacktop was possibly the most anticipated event of 2003. Whether or not Mitsubishi was really going to bring the infamous vehicle stateside was what kept thousands of forum posts at the top of every import message board. One such message board was EvolutionM.net where Steve Prussman was a regular. EvolutionM is the epicenter for everything related to Mitsubishi Lancers so when they confirmed the rally car’s arrival, Steve decided to take on the turbocharged beast and purchased one in Blue By You. All wheel drive, a twin-scroll turbocharger, 50/50 viscous coupling transfer differential, a rock solid bottom end.. what’s not to like?

Everybody loves their car the first couple of months they have it. You wash it, wax it and treat it better than their own girlfriend. Steve loved his Evolution but it wasn’t long before he wanted more. With plenty of modification knowledge from the EvolutionM community, Steve knew he had to start with the basic supporting modifications before tackling any power components.

Steve began his modification process from the bottom up. The soft factory springs and McPherson shocks were scrapped for a set of Tein Type Flex Coilovers. The Tein suspension provided higher spring rates, 16 way damper control and ride height adjustability. Most people think the factory Brembo brakes are enough to handle any power you can throw at it but Evolution owners know.. the more stopping power, the better. Steve upgraded his factory brakes with a set of Brembo Slotted Rotors, Hawk HPS Front Brake Pads, Hawk HPS Rear Brake Pads and a Technafit Stainless Steel Brake Lines.

As beautiful as the exterior of the Lancer Evolution is, subtle changes can make it look amazing. Steve added a set of JDM Smoked Headlights, a set of JDM Mitsubishi Evolution VII Tail Lights, a black front Mitsubishi emblem and a Rear Bumper Exhaust Shield. To further individualize his Blue Evo, Steve replaced the factory Enkei wheels with 18″ x 9″ Gold Advan RS with GT-R Face wheels and Falken Azenis Tires.

To deal with well known synchro issues in the Evolution 8’s transmission, Steve looked to the best in DSM transmissions, John Sheppard. A Sheppard Racing Tranmission with a Evolution 9 First Gear, Shepperd Racing Stage II Transfer Case and Helical Limited Slip Differential were installed to put any transmission worries to rest. To make sure he was getting as much power to the wheels as possible, the factory clutch was replaced with a Exedy Hyper HD Triple Carbon Clutch. Steve then further enhanced the drivetrain with Technafit Stainless Steel Clutch Lines, a B&M Short Shifter Kit and B&M Shifter Bushings.

To extract the most power from the factory Mitsubishi turbo, Steve started by having the factory throttle body and turbo ported. He then installed a K&N Typhoon Intake System, a set of HKS 272/272 Intake/Exhaust Camshafts and a HKS Full 3″ Turbo Back Exhaust to help his 2.0-liter engine breathe. To gain more exhaust flow and improve top end power, SS Autochrome Performance Headers were installed and the factory 9.5 hotside was swapped out for a Mitsubishi 10.5 hotside. The installation of an AMS Race Intercooler and Helix Intercooler Piping provides a cooler intake charge while an AMS Mini Battery Kit sheds 20 pounds off the front end. Lastly, the Evolution was tuned by AMS and a Hallman Pro Manual Boost Controller was installed to control boost levels.

We’re not sure if its the builds or the great photography but Las Vegas is representin’. Now that we think about it, it’s probably a lot of both.