On December 9, 2003, automotive history was rewritten on Japan's Tsukuba circuit as Eiiji "Tarzan" Yamada and the Sun Automotive/HRS Garage Cyber EVO blistered into the record books, setting a new track record. Dubbed as the fastest track in Japan, the CT9A Mitsubishi Evolution VII stopped the clocks with an amazing 55.801 seconds, shattering the previous record held by Jun Auto Mechanic at 55.9 seconds. But the celebrations would be short lived; ten days after the CyberEVO set a new record, Taniguchi "N.O.B." Nobuteru, powering the HKS TRB-02 Evolution, renewed the top record with a 55-second run. Nipping at the heels of Team HKS was Mspeed in their R-34, recording a time of 55.7 seconds. Two months later on Feb 1, 2004, HKS smashed their previous record with a 54.739-second run.
Driving Impressions: Tarzan Yamada
During my initial shakedown of the CyberEvo, the front end of the car was continually lifting up and down from the monstrous power after every shift. I was amazed at how torque-y the engine was while the vehicle proved to be easy to handle through the corners. I never seemed to lose momentum coming out of the turns. Taking the 700-hp car through the straightaway, it looked good as I posted 56.5 seconds during the first practice run. Back in the pits, the crew replaced the worn out tires with a fresh set while the boost was turned up. I felt comfortable with the vehicle and was convinced we were ready for the 2003 season-ending Time Attack.
In a mere blink of an eye the day to ensue battle had finally arrived. Entering the fist timed attack, the car sputtered and misfired with engine problems. The crew tore the engine apart and the news wasn't good. It looked like we were done for the day. With less than 30 minutes left in trial runs, the Cyber staff raced against the clock to find and make necessary repairs and to my surprise, brought the EVO back to life. As I executed my warm-up lap the car felt good. I took to the pedal as all 700 hp came to life. As I crossed the start finish line, the fist attack was clocked at 56 seconds flat. "Were almost there," I said. Back in the pits the crew made the necessary changes to the suspension and we were off for the final attack of the day. Screaming down the straightaway, I effectively cleared corner one, but missed the hairpin turn, which caused the car to barely clear the Dunlop to the second hairpin. I was determined to execute a clear run and minimize vehicle understeer throughout the run. As I crossed the line, I wasn't sure exactly what my times were but as I pulled into the pits, Takezawa-san [vehicle owner and investor] and the staff were high-fiving each other with enjoyment. From that omentit was obvious the Tsukuba record was broken. The time was 55.801 seconds.
Unleash The Beast
Unlatch the hood pins and it's obvious this 4G63 is built for one purpose and one purpose only-to win. The menacing 700-hp Mitsubishi power plant no longer sports the factory two-liter displacement. Punched out using a Jun Auto 2.2-liter stroker kit and full counter crankshaft, HRS Garage engineered the engine, knowing an increase in torque would prove beneficial for the EVO as it entered and exited the apex, thus achieving minimal loss of momentum. Running at excess boost levels and ear deafening rpm over an extended period of time can cause major wear and tear to any engine's internals. In a quest to strengthen the bottom end block, a set of Jun forged pistons and H-beam cross-section rods were securely fastened to the newly installed crank. Combining skill and years of developmental research, HRS Garage took the factory head and performed their custom port work, altering the combustion chambers to maximize horsepower. With a turn of the ignition, the 4G63 comes to life with a burbling sound as a monotonous "lub-dub" calling echoes out the rear three-inch Sun Auto/East Cloud custom exhaust, complements of a pair of Jun 272-degree camshafts and HKS adjustable sprockets. Utilizing an A'PEXi RX6TCW76P25 turbine and CyberEvo equal length exhaust manifold, boost lag is virtually eliminated as the CT9A screams down the circuit. Keeping in check with boost temperatures, an A'PEXi intercooler, using a custom GT-R core feeds dense air into an HRS Garage large-bore throttle body. Unique in characteristics, the CyberEVO wages war using an A'PEXi water-cooled wastegate, which aids in the safety of minimizing boost creeps and pressure spikes that are consistent with vehicles running at high boost levels. Car Station Marchff,ff,,fff,,f,, oversized pullies are spun through a full set of Power Enterprise Kevlar lined belts. What's a Sun Automotive vehicle without running a few of their own products? A set of Sun Automotive Hyper grounds (Hot Earth) and Hyper Voltage System (Hot Inazuma) supply consistent voltage throughout the vehicle at all times. To consistently burn a clean fuel/spark mixture Team Cyber uses an HKS Twin Power Ignition.