There was no fooling around with the transmission, either. While the engine was being de-stroked and rebuilt, Concon sent his trans to Ohio-based Shepherd Transmissions. This operation is regarded highly in EVO circles, finessing transmissions that are described as being "like a Swiss watch." Our man went for the full REM/ISF treatment (isotropic superfinish: it treats and evens out metal surfaces at the microscopic level, thereby creating less friction and less heat; see sidebar) on the gearset, rails, and hub/sleeves. He also cherry-picked his ratios: First and Fifth from an EVO IX; Third and Fourth from the EVO VIII; and a 4.11 final drive. There's also an Exedy clutch and flywheel, plus a Quaife limited-slip differential up front. Tuned with an Apex'i Power FC D-Jetro ECU, Concon now has 742 all-wheel hp at 7,400 rpm and 603 lb-ft of torque at 6,900 rpm under his right foot. He's done the quarter-mile in 10.8 seconds, with a terminal speed of 140 mph. On street tires. In full trim. Sweet.
Concon has also sunk around $30,000 into this car, so he was probably happy to get his own wrenches out, like when fitting a Cusco suspension, the front anti-roll bar from an EVO V, the rear anti-roll bar from an EVO VII, and a pair of EVO V strut braces. Except for a TrevTec-made four-point chromoly roll cage, he also did a lot of the interior work, including the electronics-fitting Apex'i Commander gauges, an Alpine CDE 103DT head unit, and a set of Infinity 6.5-inch speakers. Not a stretch for Concon. By day, he is a surveillance technician. Can't be sure what that involves, but it might be a good idea not to dis his car-he might be listening.
Concon is director of Team Hybrid's Las Vegas chapter. "Being a part of Team Hybrid means having to trust the Hybrid formula and over 15 years of tradition. We cover all aspects of the build." Thankfully, this doesn't mean swapping in a B18C or doing a crazy taillight conversion. Today, it's about bringing performance back to the streets, in functional Team Hybrid style.
"A lot of people ask me why I would build a Mirage. There are no parts," says Concon. "But that's where the fun is-finding parts that aren't available in the U.S." Seems that Concon likes to scour the world for good stuff, hence the Ferrari-red paint job (it was Ferrari silver before that), and the upscale HRE wheels. Or sometimes modifying parts to make them fit, like cutting EVO V side skirts to match the rest of the build. Too bad the exterior has more black vinyl than an S&M convention.
The Team Hybrid formula seems to have worked big time for Concon. His once-unassuming Mirage has won 18 awards, was used for Manley Racing's 2010 catalog, and has made several appearances at the SEMA show. So where to go from here? "A full widebody kit, colorchange, and more horsepower," says Concon. "Maybe 1,000 hp some day. It's not easy to build a show car and at the same time race it and keep it street-friendly, but my car is still getting love since 2003." Maybe that's because, to paraphrase Jackie Chan, people ask: "What is it?"