With the world now feeling the effects of post-Covid rush, it remains to be seen how the general pace will pan out these couple of years. As far as the car industry is concerned, one thing’s for sure - prices of performance cars have held steady, and those produced in limited quantities have reached figures we least expected.
Referring to an example closer to home, we found a listing on Facebook Marketplace - a pre-facelift Mitsubishi Airtrek Turbo R. Back in the mid 2000s it went head to head, vied for attention with the equally practical, power-packed Subaru Forester. This was the time where Germans perfected the art of minimising turbo lag on their big motors, despite attaching noticeably smaller snails on their big cc powerplants.
And it seems the progression of technology doesn't have a direct relation to desirability. Pedal to metal motion while waiting for the turbo to spool seems all the rage now in a period where instant, literally electrifying power can be had even in MPVs. The craving for old school mechanical activities is very much alive and kicking, which brings us to visit the Airtrek Turbo R, which happened to be the first car I drove out of the local driving centre at 18.
Having 280bhp and well over 300Nm on tap for a new driver sounds like a kamikaze on blindfold, but without this car I would not have the eagerness to learn about the world of JDM machines. It was dubbed the Evo 7 SUV - the same, albeit slightly detuned 4G63 2-litre turbocharged motor mated to a very sluggish automatic gearbox. Steering felt detached (wobbly at times) and did not inspire much confidence even when there’s grip munching on all four corners.
But the sheer brutal power alone was reason enough to leave a lasting, positive impression. Which is why we dissected this unit to understand what previous owners did to this car to extract even more juice. A claimed 500bhp is always a sign that it has been through countless tunes, and likely that we will need to have additional mechanical sympathy for one nearing two decades old.
Based on visual inspection, the top-mounted intercooler has been replaced with a front-mounted one, which translates to even more turbo lag if not tuned accurately. Most stated mods emphasise on those that improve handling, like new tyres and suspension - a good sign as you wouldn't want one that drives like an inflated balloon with its lip loosened.
Is this a go or no go? It’s a tough call (as always with pre-owned cars with performance credentials), but given that modifications on the car are relegated to an engine swap at max because the shell is Airtrek through-and-through (yes, the threshold is set lower in Thailand as base-spec cars can be like Lancers converted to Evos) it is a go from Drive Krub. Now, where do we bring the family next? It’s an important call and routes need to be well mapped - 5.5km/l ain't a pretty figure!
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