The fact that the owner of this '03 Mitsubishi Evolution VIII doesn't have a penis shouldn't concern you. What should concern you, though, is the fact that you do have a penis and if this EVO ever appears in your rearview mirror, you might as well start coat checking that lil' fella because there's a high likelihood you'll be owned by someone sans one, better known as a woman, or in this case, Jennifer Jar.
She owns this four-cylinder-powered wonder and calls it her daily driver. As much as I'd like to say that she'd be laughing it up as she downshifts past your slow car, I would be leading you astray because Jennifer seriously tries to transcend the battle between genders. She simply wants to race, whether or not her competition has something dangling in between their legs, or sports some inner plumbing.
"Most of my friends are guys," she explains, "I'm not sure if they're intimidated by me being a woman in a 'man's world' because, in truth, I don't care about the whole gender issue. I love tuning cars, and if you're into the same thing, then you and I will get along fine."
The reason tuning is so universal, encompassing all types of ethnicities and both genders, is simple. When the roar of turbocharged horsepower comes out of a motor, the tingle you feel throughout your body as you turn the key is the same no matter who is behind the wheel. Jennifer has managed to build an impressive Evolution in a little under a year, and she gets that same exact tingle every time she starts her car. It's magical, planetary, and downright sweet to the tooth.
Featuring a set of HKS cams, HKS adjustable cam gears, and a Helix three-inch downpipe, the 4G63 engine in Jennifer's EVO pushes a stout 344 horsepower to its wheels. She oversaw every single part adjustment, installation, and even got her wrench on when the situation called for it, or when the physical aspect didn't play a factor. For example, she helped install the Walbro 255 LPH fuel pump, HKS suction intake, and GT Spec radiator shroud among other things. But she left the installation of the GReddy upper intercooler pipe, ARC front-mount intercooler, and JIC full titanium three-inch exhaust to the experts.
Her ultimate plan for the car is to race it at Super Lap Battle time attacks. The EVO has already gained some experience between the chicanes of tracks throughout the East Coast, where Jennifer resides. She's also taking classes at high-performance driving schools, where she races the EVO on a full course and learns the intricacies of a track under the supervision of a professional driver. This is where she also honed her feel for the suspension.
"The more I race my car, the more I know how it's supposed to handle. There were many times where I knew something didn't feel right or something wasn't the way I had anticipated," she recalls, "This is why I'm so thankful for the guys at Fortune Auto, because they're the experts in dealing with a car's ride and feel. I just go to them to fix my concerns about the suspension."
It also helps that Fortune Auto is her main sponsor and dropped the EVO atop a set of Fortune Auto coilovers, which came with customized valve settings for both track and street. The coilovers work with Fortune Auto camber plates and a 25mm rear sway bar to maximize performance. Also, the set of gold 18x9 Advan RS wheels, and Nitto NT01s (track) or Falken Azenis (street) make for an under-the-chassis combo that is sure to turn some heads-if not by sheer g-force alone.
"Installing the thicker rear sway bar and using the Nitto NT01s solved all my slipping problems on the track," Jennifer says, "We also changed the camber and suspension height to beef up the stiffness."