Owner: Mark Aquino
Location: Middle River, Maryland. USA
Vehicle: 2010 Mitsubishi EVO X SE
Horsepower: 425 hp
Car Club Affiliation: Xclusiv Alliance
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dheanswer
Instagram: @dheanswer

Photography Credit: Kevin Choi (kcimage.net), Thomas Million (TMill Photography)

STORY
My love for the Mitsubishi platform started early on in my life. When I was first attending university, my first vehicle of choice was a 1989 Mitsubishi Lancer. At the time I was new to the car game, so naturally I customized my lovable car without a focused direction. Sparking my curiosity for the brand, I looked into the Mitsubishi lineup and the Evolution instantly caught my attention; versatile motor, aggressive body lines, forced induction and most of all, the championship racing heritage. At this point, I knew it was inevitable for me to acquire one in my future.

After graduating from university, I immigrated with my family to the United States in late 2009. Upon landing my first job with a sufficient stable income, it was time to purchase a car. I couldn’t afford an Evolution at the time, so I settled for a suitable alternative - a 2008 Sunset Pearl Mitsubishi Eclipse SE. The car had style and functionality, but it lacked power. Even after adding some minor bolt-on modifications - a cold air intake, headers and header-back exhaust - the car felt lacking. The handling still seemed pretty rough even after installing lowering springs and adding a strut bar. Nevertheless, during the time I discovered the power and the camaraderie that Internet forums of specific cars have. Within no time I became the trendsetter of my peers, organizing local gatherings and sharing the latest products and style from Japan.

Several long months went by and with them and a new found career opportunity, I was still unsure whether to pull the trigger on an Evolution or not. Destiny was in play on a crisp morning in early December 2010. I received a call from the General Manager of a regional Mitsubishi dealership asking if I was interested in an offer to trade in my Eclipse. I told them I would think about it. I was uneasy for the next few days because I knew this was my chance to acquire my dream car, a brand new unmolested Lancer Evolution. Finally, I got the courage to head to the dealership only to find out that the Lancer Evolution X SE I wanted was being picked up by its new owner the same day. The dealership did not give up, they took down my information and asked for my preferred color. The dealership came through a few days later as I signed the paperwork for my long awaited dream car to be delivered the next day. December 31st, 2010, I finally picked up my 2010 Evolution X SE in Phantom Black.

I chose the SE because it fit the budget. It had the SST transmission that I wanted and Bilstein Shocks/Eibach Springs combo. I had number 171 out of 340 made. I enjoyed the Evolution in its natural factory version for some time, while doing extensive research on modification style and parts from multiple Internet sources and trusted friends. At this time I joined Capital City Evolution, the local Evolution owners group where I discovered a family that’s always willing to help. With a unique, focused vision of my car, the build commenced. I wanted an aggressive daily driver, marrying function with form. Over the winter of 2012, I began to envision my plan for the EVO. I traveled all the way down to VA Beach to buy the rare M-Sport Bumper. That bumper is the only one in the USA. I ordered the Chargespeed wide-body kit from Bulletproof Auto and was ready for a change. I also did a lot of research myself before ordering SSR SP3 Wheels in the right size and offset. I brought the car over to APAC and had Derrick and his team paint, fit and install the bumper and wide-body. By the time of completion, my bronzed-out SSR SP3 wheels arrived from Japan. I chose a set of Falken RT615k as my tire of choice.

After the car was featured in Modified Magazine, a lot of sponsorship opportunities opened up. With the help of KU Connection, I was able to get a set of Toyo Proxes R888. I also got a set of SSR GTV02 in Matte Black and a set of Fortune Auto coilovers with Muller Cup Kit. I brought the car over to Brian at Zury Fabrications and had him fabricate custom wing mounts for my center-mounted Origin Lab wing. I came across Robbie Harper who supplied me with a set of titanium wing mounts.

Looking back at Hyperfest this year, I was really happy with the way the car performed compared to the year before. I was lacking power in the straightaway though. The next big step was to upgrade the turbo and with 60k miles closing in, I had to upgrade a couple of parts while I was doing the build. Moore Automotive is located in Fairfax, VA and is well known for their customer service and tuner, Chris Hoover. This place is the mecca of EVOs. I brought the car over and got them to install a GT3076r turbo, Cosworth MX1 cams, upgraded timing chain, Tomei valve springs, upgraded metal pulleys, TiAL external wastegate, an o2 dump downpipe, ID1000 injectors and Cosworth Fuel Rail. Since it's my daily driver, I was tuned to a conservative 425 whp/349 ft-lbs of torque. I was really happy with the work they'd done.

The EVO has all quality parts and no expense was spared in the build. I believe that power is nothing without control so I purchased a full set of Cusco underbraces, Whiteline heavy-duty sway bar, Whiteline camber arms and Whiteline end links. As of now, the car is track ready, daily driven and most importantly, it's built according to my taste. Owning an EVO was once a wish, building it was just a dream, imagine driving it =).

ENGINE/PERFORMANCE
GT3076R Dual Ball Bearing/Twin Scroll Turbo
ATP Downpipe with Custom O2 Dump Tube
TiAL (44mm External Wastegate, Q Blowoff Valve VTA)
Tomei Valve Springs
Cosworth MX1 (Cams, High Flow Fuel Rail)
ID1000 Injectors
Upgraded Timing Chain
Upgraded Metal Pulleys
DW65c Fuel Pump
HKS Suction Pipe, Oil Cap
ARC Airbox
Grimmspeed 3-Port BCS
Coltspeed Engine Cover
AWRPerfomance Engine Bracket
YR-Advance (Manifold Heat Shield, Turbine Duct, Oil Gauge Hook, Air Scoop)
Forge Motorsports (Power Steering Reservoir, Coolant Reservoir)
Radium Engineering Oil Catch Can PCV Side
Titanium Catch Can Crankcase Side
APR Carbon Fiber Cooling Plate
Ultimate Racing (Resonated Test Pipe, Cat-back with Custom Quad Tips)
PW:JDM Carbon Fiber Fuse Box Cover
AMS Upper Intercooler Pipe
Blitz Piping Stopper
Titanium Dress Up Bolts
Tein Hood Damper
MAP Firewall Heatshield
SSP Aluminum Undertray
Jun Auto Radiator Cap
Project Mu Brake Fluid Reservoir Sock
GReddy 4-inch Front Mount Intercooler
Cobb Accessport, Pro-Tuned by Chris at Moore Automotive

DRIVETRAIN
Twin Clutch SST
SSP Metal Filter

WHEELS/TIRES/BRAKES
SSR GTV02 Matte Black Finish
Toyo Proxes R888
Rays Dura-Nuts Blue Lugnuts
Girodisc 2-piece Rotors f/r
Project Mu NS400 Brake Pads f/r
Custom Painted Brembo Calipers f/r
AMS Stainless Steel Brake Lines

CHASSIS/SUSPENSION
Fortune Auto 500 Series Coilovers with 13k Springs
Muller Cup Kit System
Bag Riders Cup System Management Kit
VIAIR 400cc Compressor
ACCUAIR 3 Gallon Tank
Cusco (Power Brace Front, Power Brace Floor Center, Power Brace Floor Rear Side, Power Brace Rear Member Side, Power Brace Rear Member)
ARC Front Strut Bar
Whiteline (Endlinks, Heavy Duty Sway Bar, Rear Camber Arms)

EXTERIOR
Chargespeed (Front Wide Fenders, Wide Body Rear Blister Panels, Carbon Fiber V2 Side Skirt Extensions)
M-Sport Front Bumper with Carbon Fiber Canards and Color Matched Carbon Fiber Lip
Seibon Carbon CW Carbon Fiber Hood
Ganador Color Matched Super LED Mirrors with Amber Side Markers
Kosky Custom Blacked out Headlights with Red Demon Eye
Showstoppers Carbon Fiber Rear Diffuser
Perrin Shorty Antenna
Origin Lab Carbon Fiber GT Wing
IParkHarder Blurple Custom Titanium Wing Stands
Zury Fabrications Custom Aluminum Custom Wing Mounts
LED Taillights
Cusco Ventilation Panels
Coltspeed Wipers
Vortex Generators
JDM Amber Side markers
Varis Carbon Fiber Door Pillars
Sony Rear View Camera
Carbon Fiber Exhaust Shields
PW:JDM Bumper Quick Release Kit

INTERIOR
Cusco Bride Vios III Silverback Seats FIA Approved
Takata Race-6 Harness
Cusco (6 Point Rollcage, Steel Add-on bar for harnesses, Carbon Fiber Add-on bar in X Brace Configuration)
Personal Trophy Steering Wheel with Anodized Blue Bolts
Works Bell (Short Hub, Yoshioka Edition Quick Release System)
Autometer Rollcage Mounts
AEM Wideband
Defi Boost Gauge
Coltspeed GT-Shifter
Bride (Shift Boot, Arm Rest Cover, Front Door Panel Cover and Side Pocket Cover with Custom Stitching, Rear Door Panel Cover and Side Pocket Cover with Custom Stitching)
Carbon Fiber HVAC Panel
Carbon Fiber SST Shifter Panel
Beatrush by LAILE Aluminum Rear Panel with Custom Bolts
Custom Alcantara Rear Bottom Seat Delete Cover
ARC (Titanium Shift Knob, Titanium Diamond Emblem)
Weather Tech Mats
Pegasus Racing (Helmet Hook, Steering Wheel Hook)
YR-Advance Carbon Fiber Paddle Shifters

AUDIO / MULTIMEDIA
Blaupunkt Blue Magic TL170 Speakers F/R
Sony (BT-600 Head Unit, Rear View Camera)

COMPETITION EVENTS/CLASSES/RESULTS
Wekfest - Mitsubishi Class - 1st
Tuner Evolution - Mitsubishi Class - 3rd
Hyperfest - Track Build - 1st
Offset Kings Chicago - Track Build - 3rd
V5 Spring Show - Mitsubishi - 1st
King of Mitsu - Overall - 1st
EvoXForums BBQ - Evo X - Best Exterior and Best Interior

FAVORITE MODIFICATION
The wing mounts. I drew it on a piece of paper as an idea. It was definitely my personal touch on the EVO.

SPONSORS
AWR Performance
SSR Wheels
Toyo Tires
Fortune Auto Suspensions

SHOPS
APAC The Shop
Moore Automotive
Zury Fabrications
King Mitsubishi