"X" MARKS THE SPOT. Does this mean that the new EVO X is the treasure that high-performance enthusiasts seek? The first iterations of the EVO (I-VII) were available throughout the world. It wasn't until 2003 when Mitsubishi finally decided to bring the first EVO VIII to the states. The EVO VIII won over new Mitsubishi consumers while building a solid performance enthusiast following for the future.

We were simply amazed with the increase in peak power by swapping out the factory filter with a K & N drop-in filter element. We witnessed a gain of 14.8 peak horsepower and 7.0 lb-ft of torque over stock. The largest power gain was witnessed at 5,500 RPM, where the 4B11 engine power output was increased by nearly 25 horsepower.

Although still in the prototype stages, the Design Craft system generated some good power figures. By increasing exhaust flow, the engine was able to reduce pumping loss and produce an additional 14.9 peak horsepower pushing peak power to 293.7 horsepower and 294.1 lb-ft of torque.

It is hard to believe that oil alone can generate power and had we not performed the testing ourselves we wouldn't believe it either. By swapping out the factory oil with five quarts of Royal Purple 5W-30 weight synthetic oil the Mitsubishi peak power increased to 300.9 horsepower, a stunning increase of 7.2 horsepower. Looking at the dyno curve you can see that the engine was able to generate more power throughout the powerband from beginning to the end. The Royal Purple oil reduced friction allowing the engine to produce more power.

The Evolution X is the latest creation from Mitsubishi to hit U.S. Shores. Unlike the EVO VII, VIII and IX, which are identical vehicles with minimal changes over the three generations, the EVO X is a completely new car from the ground up. The largest change for the X model is the new 4B11 engine. Besides the engine, the chassis has gone through major changes as well. The EVO X exterior appearance is completely different and according to the technical specifications the "X" has grown both in size and weight when compared to the previous generation. This has generated quite a buzz on the internet as to whether or not the X will surpass the performance abilities of the EVO IX.

New 4B11 Engine
The most significant difference between the previous 4G63 and the new 4B11 engine is the engine block. Unlike the 4G63, which used an incredibly robust cast-iron design, the 4B11 block is made from aluminum. However, Mitsubishi took steps to help increase the durability of the new block by using four-bolt mains and extra-reinforced ribs in the aluminum casting. The 4B11 block also features a semi-closed deck design furthering the block's rigidity. The internal components of the EVO X engine have been reinforced to withstand high levels of boost. Mitsubishi also omitted the use of a balancer shaft in the 4B11 engine to cut down on rotating mass and reduce the overall weight of the block. Compared to the 4G63 engine, the new EVO X engine is 27.5 pounds lighter. The 4B11 retains a 2.0-liter displacement but features a square design; 86.0 mm bore and 86.0 mm stroke (4G63 engine: 85.0 mm x 88.0 mm). The compression ratio has been increased by 0.2 points over the 4G63 to 9.0:1. Up top, the EVO X engine uses Mitsubishi's MIVEC technology on both the intake and exhaust camshafts. (Previously, the 4G63 only featured the MIVEC system on the intake camshaft.) The 4B11 cylinder head also uses direct-acting valvetrain, which eliminates the need for the roller rocker arms and hydraulic lifters previously used in the 4G63. Also new on the 4B11 engine is the use of a timing chain instead of a timing belt to drive the camshafts. From the factory, the 4B11 engine is rated at 291 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque at the flywheel, a slight power increase over the 4G63 engine. According to Mitsubishi, the 4B11 engine produces more torque than the 4G63 throughout the powerband.

The Players
Finding performance parts for a new platform is not an easy task. This is especially true for a vehicle that has barely been on the dealer floor for a month. We tested a couple of simple performance components that made a surprising amount of power on the EVO X.

The first component we tested on the EVO was a K & N drop-in filter element. Since K & N works closely with most of the car manufacturers, they will often receive pre-production vehicles to get a head start on research and development. K & N had its performance air filter available before the first EVO X arrived on the showroom floor. The K & N drop-in filter features a cotton-gauze filtration element sandwiched between two epoxy-coated aluminum wire screens. The cotton gauze is treated with a specially-formulated oil, increasing the filtration efficiency of the air filter. The drop-in K & N filter will not void the vehicle's warranty. Best of all, the filter never needs replacing and can be washed and reused. The filter is also backed by K & N's million-mile limited warranty.

The second item tested was Design Craft Fabrications' (DCF) 3-inch exhaust system. This free-flowing exhaust system features mandrel-bent piping for increased exhaust airflow. The muffler canister is constructed from lightweight stainless steel and covered in a carbon-fiber shell. Unlike the factory system which features a dual-exit design, the Design Craft system exits only through the passenger side of the rear bumper. Besides the increased exhaust flow, the DCF system is substantially lighter than the factory exhaust system (18.5 pounds versus 35 pounds stock). The DCF exhaust requires no modifications and bolts up to the factory mounting locations.

Having experienced favorable test results in the past with Royal Purple synthetic oil we opted to put it to the test again on the EVO X. The EVO had only 350 miles on the odometer but according to Mitsubishi the first oil change needs to be performed at 500 miles. We chose Royal Purple's 5W-30 weight oil which is the same oil weight recommended by Mitsubishi. The additive package that Royal Purple uses in its synthetic oil increases the lubricity in turn reducing friction and parasitic drag. Along with the Royal Purple oil we replaced the factory oil filter with a K & N Performance Gold oil filter. This filter features a resin-impregnated media providing maximum filtration. The high-flow oil filter also incorporates an anti-drain back valve (where applicable) which helps eliminate dry starts and prevents drain backs into the crankcase during engine shutdown. The best feature of the K & N oil filter is the sturdy one-inch wrench nut mounted directly onto the canister making oil filter removal quick and easy.

The Dyno
Having never tested an EVO X before we did not know what to expect from the 4B11 engine. We were pleasantly surprised to see the Mitsubishi baseline at 264.0 horsepower. According to Mitsubishi, the 4B11 engine is rated at 291 horsepower at the flywheel. Our guess is that Mitsubishi slightly underrated the 4B11 engine and is likely to be producing on the order of 310 horsepower at the flywheel. After performing three baseline runs (all within a one-percent variation) we moved forward with the first performance component.

The K & N Filter's drop-in nature allowed the new filter to be installed in under a minute. Testing showed that the peak power output of the 4B11 engine increased by a whopping 14.8 horsepower. On the dyno, the K & N filter generated increases as high as 25 horsepower. From 5,200 to 7,000 RPM the K & N filter really shined with gains ranging from 10 to 25 horsepower over the OEM filter.

Up next was the DCF exhaust system. The exhaust note of the DCF system gives the EVO X a nice rumble when the accelerator is smashed but is hardly noticeable at idle. On the dyno, the DCF system pushed the peak output of the EVO to 293.7 horsepower and 294.1 lb-ft of torque. The DCF system produced nearly identical power numbers compared to the stock system up until 5,500 RPM. Above 5,500 RPM the DCF system came alive. From 5,500 RPM to 7,000 RPM, gains as high as 20 horsepower were recorded.

The last of the power upgrades to be performed on the 4B11 engine was replacing the original factory engine oil with Royal Purple synthetic oil. After draining the old oil we topped it off with 5W-30 weight synthetic oil from Royal Purple. The factory filter was also replaced with a high-flow K & N oil filter. After allowing the oil to warm up to normal operating temperatures, we let the rollers rip and this time the Mitsubishi broke the 300 wheel horsepower barrier (300.9). The 4B11 engine output was increased throughout the entire powerband from 2,500 RPM all the way until redline. The most significant increase was at 6,050 RPM with a jump of 12 horsepower over the stock oil.

Bottom Line
The EVO X has proven to generate good power numbers with simple performance components. Of the three products we tested, two of the products (drop-in filter and oil) are basic tune-up parts that most people can install by themselves. If this is a precursor of what to expect from the 4B11 engine and simple bolt-on components, you can bet there will be others who will jump on the EVO X bandwagon. As more parts become available for the vehicle we will be first in line to test them. Stay tuned.

	HP LEVEL	HP INCREASE	% INCREASE	TOTAL
BASELINE	264.0	-	-	-
TEST 1 K & N Air Filter	278.8	14.8	5.6%	14.8
TEST 2 Design Craft Exhaust	293.7	14.9	5.3%	29.7
TEST 3 Royal Purple Oil	300.9	7.2	2.5%	36.9
FINAL POWER	300.9	36.9	14%	36.9