Let's cut to the chase-no bullshit storylines or random babbling about history. This Mitsubishi is one badass bitch! Wait, did I say bitch? How could I assume this EVO is female? If the contoured wide hips out back and the gracious, Pamela Anderson-sized, bulging fenders up front don't give subtle gender clues, perhaps you need to go check yourself!
If the name APR Performance of Irwindale Calif., rings a bell, you're not alone. APR first graced the covers with its widebody Celica GT300 in May 2003, only to reappear once again in September 2004. Sporting the trademark crimson red paint job, the shop enticed (or perhaps teased) our readers with the newest widebody concept, the MR2 Spyder S-GT kit.
The 2005 season will be no different for the APR crew. They continued to reinvent the wheel, debuting another wild creation at the 2004 SEMA convention. The company known for producing some of the sickest widebody kits outdid itself once again on the Mitsubishi Evolution VIII. Dubbed the "APR Evil-R," the exterior was completely restructured with APR's newest widebody kit. Coming face to face with the front, you immediately notice the EVO's hunkered stance. A representative from APR stated: "This newest kit was track-tested and has made significant improvements to many lap times. For those putting out massive amounts of horsepower, increasing traction is the most important factor for faster lap times."
Completing the transformation is a widebody front bumper; and APR Performance widebody side skirts, and front and rear fenders that increase the overall width by 45mm on both ends. Also integrated on both fenders are wheel turbulence exhaust ports-and you thought this kit was just for aesthetics! In order to increase front-end down force, APR Performance carbon-fiber wind splitter, canards and side-skirt splitters were added. Fortified in the rear is a APR Performance widebody, drag-reduction rear bumper combined with a carbon-fiber rear diffuser, ever so slightly exposing the HKS Hi-Power Carbon-Ti exhaust system. Rear-end down force is maximized with an APR Performance carbon-fiber GTC-300 EVO-spec wing that is 67 inches wide. Additional exterior upgrades include a set of APR Performance carbon-fiber Formula GT3 mirrors, JDM EVO VII taillights and a SEIBON vented carbon-fiber hood. Sticking to APR's tradition, the EVO was slathered with BASF's Custom two-stage red paint performed by TPR Autobody. Stickers and graphics are credited to Vinyl Mayhem of Hesperia, Calif.