In today’s car scene, many people attempt to look unique in the silhouette of uniform conformity. Many have tried, some have made it, and few have mastered it. A slew of factors, ranging from money to responsibilities, can hinder and even shut down the most loftiest of dreams. However, when a person does decided to divert resources to accomplish his or her dreams, something incredible happens. Immediately, everything is justified, if not overly worth. This is the case for Mark Enriquez and his Evo X GSR. A beautiful medley of quality parts and skilled craftsmanship makes this car literally unique.
One aspect of this car that truly makes it stand out are the wheels. Calling upon wheel manufacturer, Rotiform, Mark picked up a set of TMB’s hailing in at a healthy 19×11 with custom offsets all around to maintain an aggressive stance. Teaming up with JSUTAI, Mark then went to customize the wheels further with matte gold faces with contrasting “Dubai Gold” lips. Although, I am a self proclaimed aficionado of wheels, I’d be hesitant of running these SOLELY from the possible unwanted attention from Johnny Law. Finally, Rotiform Forged Aluminum Caps top it all off.
Sitting pretty ain’t easy. Fortune Auto Coilovers were quickly mated with Swift Springs(12K Front/14k Rear) to increase the stiffness of the ride. Rather than going the route of air bags, a Muller Air Cup System graces the front which Mark keeps at the lowest setting for all purposes, only raising it up when necessary.These utilize a metal cup that acts as the bag, providing less play, makes no sacrifices to the car’s handling, and in the event that the air system were to fail, the car would just become static and driving is still possible thanks to the coilover springs.
Aero pieces such as the Varis/Runduce front bumper and sideskirts were added onto the car’s exterior, one of Mark’s favorite things. A Varis rear diffuser and the Do-Luck trunk fill out the back end of the car. The “shark-like styling” that debuted on the current Evo was, to Mark, even more aggressive than that of the Subaru STi, a debate I refuse to touch on. In addition, the stability controls and Active Yaw Control were perfect for the ever-changing East Coast conditions, a good addition to the already useful AWD capabilities of the Evo X. Finally, Mark adds a Origin-Lab front splitter underneath the bumper, the crowning point to the lower fascia of the car.
A Varis Carbon Hood sits over the engine while YR-Advance Air Dam allowing better respiration into the powerplant of the car
The interior of the car is blessed with many small details that add refinement to the overall car. A Keys Racing wheel is usually mounted on the Works Bell quick release and hub combo. In the background, a Fortune Auto shift knob in Neo Chrome matches his lugnuts and is very similar to the color of the quick release. Custom Dry Carbon vinyl wrapped panels cover the dash and a Pro Sport Boost Gauge relays information to Mark about the conditions under the hood. A Sparco Harness Bar in custom Magnesium Gold guides the Takata 4 point racing harness to keep Mark safe and secure in his Bride “Japan” Venus racing seat.
Peeking into the engine bay, some of that magnesium gold revisits you. Reminiscent of the Sparco harness bar, Mark color matched the Cusco strut bar as well as the aluminum valve cover. Other established names add their quality parts to the mix. An AMS FMIC and associated piping, as well as a GReddy catback exhaust, and the Cobb Accessport, allowed Atlantic Motorsports to tune this car to 370awhp/350awtq respectively. Blitz caps and covers sprinkled in give the car a nice amount of shine and brownie points. A note of warning though, Mark suffered from a known condition of “More Power, More Problems.” The more power he laid down, the more money he spent on parts replacing them. After the rebuilding a transmission and fixing the rear differential, he has laid low in terms of pushing his car.
Finally, Mark would like to give special thanks to the people and companies that helped him along the way and helped make this all possible. Without them, this could have easily became a dream deferred. However,stay tuned in the future for Mark says there are more plans. Rotiform is working with him to create absolutely unique, 1 of 1, wheel design, Fortune Auto USA is to create a full air cup system. In addition, JSUTAI and APAC will be again handling the body work and paint. Finally, Mark is looking for power upgrades via Atlantic Motoring, his go to shop since Day 1.
Special Thanks:
Rotiform
JSUTAI
Bulletproof Automotive
Highend Performance
Xclusive Alliance
#SoTrendy
Wheels/Tires/Suspension:
Fortune Auto 500 Gen 4
Swift Spring upgrade Custom
spring rates (12K front, 14k Rear)
Muller Air Cup System (front only)
Whiteline Adjustable Camber Arms
Cusco Front Strut Bar
Cusco Rear Sway Bar
Cusco Center Underbody Brace
Rotiform TMBs 19×11 (all around) Custom Offsets (front/Rear) 3 Stage Powdercoat
“Dubai Gold” colorway
Rotiform Forged Aluminum Caps
Dunlop Direzza 265/30/19 (all around)
Muteki Extended Lugs Nuts (Neo Chrome)
Girodisc 2 Piece Rotors (front/rear)
Brembo OEM Colormatch
AMS Steel Braided Brake Lines
Exterior:
Varis/Runduce Front Bumper FRP
Varis/Runduce Side Skirt and
Underboard FRP
Varis Rear Carbon Diffuser
Do-Luck Trunk FRP (Colormatch)
Varis Carbon Hood
YR-Advance Air Dam
Custom Dry Carbon Vinyl roof wrap
Origin-Lab Front Splitters
Custom Projectors Low Beam
Tint (yellow) “Cataract Eyes”
JDM Windor Visors (Front/Rear)
Interior:
Keys Racing 330mm Deep Steering Wheel
Works Bell Quick Release (blue)
Works Bell Short Hub
Bride “Japan” Venus (driver)
Bride Seat Rail (driver)
Custom Dry Carbon Vinyl Wrap Panels
Pro-Sport Boost Gauge
Turbo XS Shift/Knock Light
Sparco Harness Bar Custom Color (magnesium gold)
Takata 4 Point Racing Harness
TR-1 Suade Shift Boot (white stitches)
Fortune Auto Neo Chrome Shift-Knob
Engine:
AMS Front Mount Intercooler
AMS Lower Intercooler Pipe
AMS Engine Mounts
AMS “Wide Mouth” Downpipe
AMS Test Pipe
Greddy Spectrum Elite Catback
Exhaust Cobb Accessport
Dyno Tuned 370awhp 350awtq (Atlantic Motorsports)
Greddy Version 2 Electric BoostController
AEM Cold Air Intake Box
APR Carbon Cooling Panel
Titanium UCIP (Neo Chrome)
Blitz Pipe Stopper
Blitz Radiator Cap
Blitz Chrome Oil Cap
Carbon Spark Plug Cover
Tein Hood Damper
Cusco Strut Bar Custom Color (magnesium gold)
Aluminum Valve Cover (magnesium gold)
Password JDM Dress Up Bolts
YR-Advance Manifold Heat Shield