Project Mitsubishi Evo vs. Nissan GT-R Feature Video

Project Mitsubishi Evo vs. Nissan GT-R Feature Video

By Edmunds Video Productions | Published December 18, 2009

3:52 min

Can a modified Mitsubishi Evolution beat a Nissan GT-R around the Streets of Willow and still be livable enough to drive every day? Find out in the Inside Line Project Evo Versus Nissan GT-R Feature Video

Project Mitsubishi Evo vs. Nissan GT-R Feature Video

By Edmunds Video Productions | Published December 18, 2009

3:52 min

The challenge was simple enough: With the right enhancements, can an Evo beat the Nissan GT-R? In practice, it's a bit more complicated.

The plan: Over the course of a year, Inside Line would take a Mitsubishi Evo 10 and modify it to defeat the mighty Godzilla around the Streets of Willow race track in California.

The last stock Evo GSR we tested set a best time at this 1.8-mile track at Willow Springs international Raceway of  of 1 minute 32 seconds and 51 hundredths. The GT-R time to beat:  1 minute 25 seconds and 68 hundredths.

To match the GT-R's significant acceleration advantage, we estimated Project Evo would need about 430 horsepower -- or 139 extra horses.

The catch? -- Project Evo still had to be livable enough to serve in the Edmunds long-term fleet,  ferrying kids to school and picking up the dry cleaning. It had to be as real-world friendly as the GT-R that it would be stacked up against.

So we'd use street tires, pump gas and maintain the full interior. There'd be no ripping out the back seat or air-conditioner to save weight. Ride height adjustments were also forbidden.

Tall order, and  to do it we started with a Garrett GT30R Turbo and a 3-inch downpipe. Then came Cosworth camshafts, an AEM intake, and a full AMS exhaust and upgraded intercooler. We also upgraded the clutch and flywheel to handle the extra power. Persistent tuning by Road Race Engineering ultimately achieved  430 horsepower  as confirmed by a trip to the chassis dyno.

With power stuff done, it was time to address cornering grip and braking. We fitted wider tires and lighter 18-inch wheels, then added roll stiffness with a set of AST coil-over suspension pieces by Vorshlag. Additional stopping power came from brake hardware by Stoptech and Project Mu.

On paper, Project Evo had been much improved, but it was still the underdog compared to the GT-R. The  Streets of Willow would be the ultimate test.

How did Project Evo do? To Inside Line’s very pleasant surprise, Senior Road Test Editor Josh Jacquot turned a best lap of 1 minute 25 seconds and 31 hundredths. That’s right, better than the original GT-R time.

Then it was the GT-R's turn to defend itself. Its best time? 1 minute 25 seconds … and 22 hundredths.

So the GT-R still managed to win, but oh so barely. We expected Godzilla to thwack Project Evo like the frightened citizens of Tokyo, but it didn't. Turns out, it came down to balance, superior grip and the consequent ability to better handle the tricky technical elements of the Streets of Willow.

So our plan fell just a tenth of a second short. But a quick calculation of each car's five fastest runs showed that Project Evo actually had a faster average lap time. We'll go ahead and call that a victory then. And better still, we can pick up the kids from school after the track.