4g63 - Best bang for buck 4cylinder?

This will be the start of a small series of posts of tributes towards some of the greatest motors we've seen in recent decades when it comes to making power for cheap and without too much complexity (everyone's already thinking LS1 at this point I'm sure!). We will be covering our top pick for each size (ie: 4/6/8 cylinders).

To start us off with the top dog 4cylinder, the 4g63 wins our vote!

The fact is - you simply won't make gobs of horsepower with any other 4 cylinder for less money than you will with a 4g63. Even with stock internals this powerhouse has made over 700whp and taken cars well into the single digits in the 1/4 mile.

The 4g63 is a Mitsubishi motor, introduced in the form we're familiar with in the late 1980's. It has truly become a legendary motor to the point it was still being put in the Mitsubishi Evolution up until 2008 with relatively minor internal revisions.

You might be asking - what makes this motor so great? Well we'll tell you!

These motors that are predominantly come factory turbo - absolutely love boost. Many of the stock parts can be used even after doubling the cars horsepower! Things such as the stock motor internals, the manifolds, and more. This cuts costs by a ton and really allows for some serious budget minded builds!

You can buy cars with the factory turbo 4g63 for next to nothing! The most common of these come from the Chrysler/Mitsubishi joint venture in the 90's - Diamond Star Motors, also known as DSM.
DSM's were the product of Chrysler and Mitsubishi coming together which resulted in a several different vehicles - the most notable being the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon, and Plymouth laser. 

Besides some styling differences these cars are essentially the same. Stock, these cars made just under 200hp from the factory which was fairly decent for a stock 4cylinder at the time. They're also fairly heavy - weighing around 3000lbs or more depending on the model/options. Better yet the top models came in All-Wheel-Drive.

The going price these days for a decent one of these cars seems to be around the $2500-$5000 range depending on how modified and how clean the car is. Anything less and you start running into cars that might be more of a project - which there's nothing wrong with. You can find a decent 90-94 DSM for $1000 or less not running and get it on the road yourself for cheap and also put the car together the way you want.

You can start out with a stock 4g63 - and by taking advantage of the massive amount of used parts constantly being sold by enthusiasts - you can have a 300-400whp car for very little. I have my own DSM experience - and with just a 16g (stock turbo from a 4g63 mitsubishi evolution III, unported stock housings) I ran fairly consistent mid 11's. This all still using stock parts such as a the block with stock internals, intake manifold, a 95-99 dsm exhaust manifold,  95-99 mass air flow sensor, o2 housing, transmission, etc. The only costly parts of that setup was the tuning software and fuel system which still ended up totaling less than $1000.

That said though - you shouldn't just go buy a beat up old 4g63 DSM and start throwing parts on it and raising the boost. These cars have a stigma for being unreliable and tempermental.  In my own opinion - this is far from the truth!
 The engineers who designed the motor were probably not sitting there thinking "We need to design this motor so that after decades of neglect and lack of maintenance some kid can throw parts at it and raise the boost and it'll still be reliable."

Often times people will get one of these cars, and immediately start throwing parts at it such as bolting on a bigger turbo with a boost controller and raising the boost. Then they wonder why it breaks on them right away and start blaming the car for being unreliable.

The fact is, and this goes for any car, these cars are 20 years old now give or take a few. Hoses, bearings, belts, wires, nuts, bolts, etc are all very worn out by now if they have not been serviced regularly - and many of these cars haven't as they're cheap enough to be "throw-away" cars to a lot of the younger people that have been buying them in the last 10 years or so. It's very important to make sure maintenance is up to date and that you follow a proper mod path!

I personally have never had any major issues with my car that weren't there when I bought it. I did a LOT of maintenance and fixes after buying it. I've since put over 15k miles on it last year and 20+ mid 11 second track passes and lots of street abuse and she takes it like a champ. Now she'll hopefully be making lots of 10 second passes this year with the new setup!

It just boils down to taking care of your car!

With all that said though - there are other 4g63 platforms as we've mentioned. The DSM is not the only way to go, although it is pretty much the cheapest. The 4g63 can be found in other vehicles such as mitsubishi evolutions, mitsubishi galant vr4s, and there are even hyundais running around with them!

There is such a massive aftermarket for the 4g63 as well as a massive following of enthusiasts. There's very few thing you can't find used for around half the price if you don't mind dealing with the riskier buying/selling with private parties and used parts.

People will often say that you can't build a fast 4cylinder for the price of a fast 8cylinder. This is true in most cases, however there are many times where the 4g63 will still end up being cheaper than a v8 making similar power. Granted if you're wanting to run deep into the single digits you are starting to get to the point where maintaining a reliable 4g63 will become difficult and more costly than a v8.

There are other 4cylinders out there with great potential - however you just won't get the bang for your buck with them that you will the 4g63! The 4g63 is truly the small block chevy 350 to the 4 cylinder world!

What do you think?!

Jeremy Clarkson fired by BBC! Top Gear to continue...

T-T-That's all folks!

It has officially come out that as of tomorrow, March 25th, that BBC intends to say goodbye to Jeremy Clarkson after over two extremely successful decades of him hosting Top Gear.

It is widely accepted that Clarkson was the driving force behind the immense success of Top Gear. While the show was popular in it's earlier format, it did not become the hit sensation it is today until it took a bit more of a humorous approach and featured Richard Hammond, and James May along with Clarkson. 

Following the recent 'fracas' from our last post on the subject, BBC concluded their investigation and found that Clarkson did in fact verbally and then physically insult a staff member on set after completing a taping session. The actual confrontation is reported to be over the fact that Clarkson was upset that there were no steak and chips at the hotel they were staying at, as they had quit serving hot food.

In a move somewhat unexpected by many fans however, BBC has said they plan to continue production of Top Gear without Clarkson. They're looking for a suitable replacement and have reportedly been looking at radio star Chris Evans for filling that role.

It's no secret though that BBC is likely to see some massive backlash from fans at their decision. Also in speculation is whether Hammond and May will also leave the show to follow Clarkson who certainly will have no shortage of offers.

Do you think the right choice was made? What do you think the overall result of the BBC's decision will be to the Top Gear series?

Top Gear won't air: Jeremy Clarkson in hot water!

No doubt you've heard all the buzz over the scandal on the Top Gear set where Jeremy Clarkson is rumored to have had a scuffle with a producer. Clarkson has been suspended and many fans have been petitioning for his reinstatement and awaiting to find out the fate of Top Gear.

Now today we have word from the BBC network that the new Sunday Top Gear episode will not air and that the remaining two episodes for the season will also be pulled. This is looking dangerously like a cancellation. Will BBC really completely pull the plug on its most popular show over this incident?

Has Jeremy Clarkson finally managed to find the straw that is breaking the camels back?

Clarkson is no stranger to being in the hot spot however. Besides a lot of controversy that Top Gear has been in (Argentina, USA, etc), Clarkson has been in his own as well. One of the most notable was the accusation he faced last year of using a racial slur in a take while filming for Top Gear for which he ended up issuing a rare apology. See the footage of the take below.

 

 

Now with this scuffle over his head - has he finally pushed the BBC network and the producers of Top Gear over the edge?

 

Jeremy is no doubt a great entertainer however he manages to get himself into these situations too often.  Though he has been taking a very relaxed position on the whole current situation from what he has said to the public/media thus far - even to the point of joking about it a bit via his twitter. 

 

We'll be interested to see how this plays out!

What do you think of the whole situation?

Mustang driver who hit spectators charged with murder. Shocking video footage!

An illegal street race turned deadly February 25th when a Mustang GT was street racing against a Nissan GTR when the driver lost control and hit a curb and went into a crowd of spectators.

Three spectators in total were struck by the car and two ended up being pronounced dead.

Both vehicles fled the scene after the incident however after being publicly named as being sought by police - Henry Michael Gevorgyan, the owner of the mustang, turned himself into police custody Saturday night.

Henry Michael Gevorgyan

Stories are currently conflicting as to whether Gevorgyan was the driver when the incident occurred. He is currently being held in jail with bail set at two million dollars and has been charged with murder.

Los Angeles has a very active underground street racing scene and this incident is sure to put it into the spotlight and could be a lead into more legislature/action against street racing. 

See the original footage of the crash below.

NHRA vs Street Outlaws!

So there's a good chance if you're into the modern racing scene especially grudge/street racing - you're probably familiar with all the buzz around the NHRA's bout with participants in the Discovery Channel's Street Outlaws series.

On February 13th, the NHRA sent out letters to racers featured on the Street Outlaws show who also possess NHRA racing licenses. These letters essentially threaten to revoke these licenses due to their involvement in promoting illegal street racing. The same letters were received by all who have participated. 

See the letter below:

The NHRA has received massive backlash from the racing community over their choice of action. Many of those who have received the letter have scoffed at it and basically issued a "Do your worst" to the NHRA. Others feel under pressure in a tough spot wanting to keep their licenses and ability to race at NHRA sanctioned tracks.

It's important to remember the NHRA's core mission. The NHRA was founded by racers who predominantly raced on the streets and recognized a need to work together to promote official tracks being established and maintained for a safe fun place to race. Thus the NHRA was born and many tracks came about. Over the years the NHRA has evolved into the primary authority when it comes to drag racing all around the country with a huge number of NHRA sanctioned tracks.

The backlash over the NHRA's shot at Street Outlaws comes with many people saying the NHRA is overstepping its boundaries and authority. It has been pointed out that the NHRA's Mello Yello racing series featured on ESPN is pulling in barely a fraction of the ratings that Discovery's Street Outlaws series has been generating.

One thing to keep in mind as well is that in recent years there has been a huge spike in popularity for grudge, no prep, or "run what you brung!" styles of racing which often end up involving racing on the streets as well as racing on a track. 

Is it possible that people are just getting bored with the often predictable styles of racing that the NHRA promotes? People are enjoying the thrill and unpredictable nature that come with grudge/no-prep/street racing. The NHRA does have a market in any of these and thus as their fan base grows the NHRA's shrinks.

 

 

So, as many have raised the question - is it about money? Is the NHRA bitter that they are losing not only money but also the "control" they've had over much of the drag racing community over the years? 

Thom Taylor, over at HotRod.com, wrote about a call they had to Geno Effler, the head of PR for the NHRA, to get some feedback about the whole situation. Geno laughed when asked if it was about the poor ratings of their show vs Street Outlaws and said it just boiled down to the fact they felt that Street Outlaws was reflecting poorly on them and their mission about being against street racing.

It's also important to keep in mind that on Street Outlaws - while the racing action is set up to look like illegal street racing, it is common knowledge even among all the fans that it is staged. The racing itself is very real. However the show receives permits to use the sections of road/highway that is being used for racing. Off camera they do also have tech inspections for vehicles and on-site medical/fire staff in case of emergencies.

So granted there is no actual street racing going on - however the NHRA maintains that the way the show is presented in the end still promotes street racing. It's easy to see their point from that end as when the show is aired it is presented as illegal street racing.

 

Many fans and recipients of the letters believe the NHRA is stepping out of bounds with these actions. Racers have stated that they aren't going to let the NHRA tell them what they can and can't do when they aren't at an NHRA sanctioned track.

Either way it's safe to say that from the reactions of fans and many of the participants in Street Outlaws that the show isn't going anywhere. Many are calling the NHRA's bluff and even if they do follow through and revoke licenses - many have claimed they simply don't care.

 

It's highly unlikely this battle is over yet and it'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

 

What is your opinion? Is the NHRA overstepping their boundaries? Has Street Outlaws gone too far in their promotion of street racing? Tell us what you think!

R6 runs and escapes from the police, and still gets busted! Shocking footage!

They say you can't out run the radio - but it seems that this guy did just that!

Though can you talk about bad luck? 

Three police within about a 20 second span at the beginning of the video where the chase begins!

As you can expect, our rider speeds off after he sees the first car pull out after him. He seems to have a hard time putting distance between the cops and himself at first. It's worth mentioning he's on a 99-02 R6 - not the fastest of the 600cc bikes in this day and age. Still plenty of speed to get yourself into trouble with - which is exactly what happened here!

Through he was arguably driving fairly recklessly, it's what got him away from the fuzz. 

But... he still got caught!

Derek Kellett was arrested by the Greenville County Sheriff's Office and charged with five counts of reckless driving.

Where did he go wrong? Well he ignored what we would like to think is common sense!

What did he do right after his escape? He uploaded the chase footage from his helmet mounted GoPro onto his YouTube account.

Now, we aren't taking sides or saying that we're condoning this sort of behavior. However it seems like common sense that you shouldn't upload chase footage right after escaping, under your own YouTube account. 

An anonymous tip to the Sheriff's Office led them to the video and quickly discovering that it was Derek Kellett who recorded and uploaded the footage. Though unconfirmed by an official source - buzz on social media claims he was also bragging about it and self-promoting the video.

He has since been released on bond. Hopefully he learned from this life, or better, common-sense lesson!

Watch the original chase footage below.

Ford Focus replacing the Evo in the US market?

Ford's recent announcement to bring the AWD Ford Focus RS to the US market 

has generating quite a lot of buzz among auto enthusiasts!

Ford has kept a lot of its 4 cylinder performance tech out of the US in the past.

One of the most popular examples would of been the Ford Escort Cosworth RS that to this day maintains a legacy that sits up there with kings such as the early Evos, Rx7s, supras, and others.

Let's talk about what is probably one of the most interesting concept to us enthusiasts: the hunk of metal that is going to be housing all the explosions that power this beast!

Details are not finalized/released on the 2016 RS but we do know it will use the

 same 2.3L ecoboost motor being used in the 2015 Mustang. Using this information we can make some fair guesses at its power output. The 2.3L ecoboost is advertised to put out 310bhp and 320lb-ft of torque in the 2015 Mustang. So it'd be fair to guess that it'll make at least those numbers in the Focus RS which even if left at that would make for one fun packed ride!

This leads to a prime question that many auto enthusiasts have been debating.

Up until the announcement of the revelation that the Evolution will cease production - the Evolution and Subaru's WRX/STi were the head of the 4 cylinder AWD enthusiast market.

With one of the kings of the 4 cylinder and AWD automotive world taking its leave of the market - many are questioning if Ford's AWD Focus will help fill that void at least in the US market. The 2015 Mitsubishi Evolution from the factory is rated at 291 horsepower and 300 ft-lbs of torque with a curb weight around 3500lbs depending on which trim you're looking at.

The current Focus ST comes in at a curb weight around 3200lbs. 

It's safe to say we will see that go up to around the Evolution's weight numbers with the AWD drive-train. This is not to say there could be weight increases or reductions in other areas of the car since there's a lot changing besides just its drive-train. It's probably safe to say though that with the additional power the 2.3L is making that it already has the Evo beat in that regard.

There are many other key factors though that play a part in overall analysis of the quality of cars besides factory stats though - at least to we enthusiasts who modify our cars. Some of these being such things as durability, how easy the vehicle is to work on, the cost and availability of aftermarket, and more. One thing people loved about the Mitsubishi Evolution was how much power it could reliably make on the stock block and turbo with proper supporting mods and tune.

If the Focus RS AWD could nail all these and maybe even do them better - is it possible that it will fill the space in the enthusiast market that the Evolution is leaving behind?

What do you think?