RAG
RAG, short for Ras-al-Ghul, leader of the League of Shadows. Aptly named as the flag-bearer of the LOS team. This car belongs to our very own Zafar, aka. Mad Scientist Tuner. Built to outdo the limited edition factory produced fq440, the car is built to run a custom MST tune to tease out 488bhp (estimated) and a cardiac-palpitations-inducing 415 lb.ft of torque from low down all the way to the redline. Diamonds. Built for fun. Lots of fun... and punishment of unsuspecting bearers of the 6 star emblem.
Pic courtesy of Leon Muli.
RAG
The fledglings
Where it began
About RAG
This guy Zafar is full of surprises. We call him Zack. One day we are hard at work on Hachi (Toyota AE86, the real hachiroku) and Tyrant (Glanza V). The next day, we wake up to a message that he “let-go” of Tyrant but is happy that it is still within the fraternity. But that is a story for another day (page). Enter Ras-al-Ghul, fondly referred to as RAG. A 2008 Evolution X MR, packing circa 300 rearing stallions. Power reigned in and directed to the street through a 6 speed twin clutch SST transmission delivering that final drive to some meaty XXR528 18s, shod in 265 wide sticky toyo proxes tires. Day 1 and the crew was super excited to welcome the new member. True to form, RAG always delivered that choke-hold + punch to the stomach + kick to the back of the neck type acceleration guaranteed to suck you into those Recaro seats. I am sure this is exactly Omer Halilhodzic had in mind when he was penning down the first evolution X concept. Friggin’ Brilliant.
The transformation
Not Stock
Over the next couple of months, RAG metamorphosed into a meaner brute. We saw the application of the Hinomaru - flag of the rising sun Livery; tracing to its deep JDM roots. Next came suspension upgrades – Bilstein dampers were the weapons of choice. These would be a step up from the OEM items Supported by Tein lowering springs all round. These are the lengths modders go to in search of that ground effect. Every millimeter counts. Additionally, Whiteline RCA (roll center adjuster) kit was selected to complete the package. This kit is designed to correct roll-centre geometry using specially engineered ball-joints and tie rod ends. What does this mean? That RAG can still maintain that sharp and crisp steering response adjusted for this new height and higher cornering speeds.
Mad Scientist Tuning
Homebrew Tune
Custom homebrewed tuning during this time was executed by yours truly, MST. Mad Scientist Tuning (MST) runs the mapping for this and a couple other fast EVOs in the local scene. RAG had sterling performance in the last three public appearances under Club TT Motorsports: 2016 Masinga TT, TGRV TT and Nyaribo TT featuring in the top echelon of the known performance cars in the country.
Rebuilding an icon
Engine Refresh
Fast forward to 2017. One engine failure later, the die has been cast for a bigger power rebuild. Inching closer to what many may only imagine as an FQ500. Stop, no need to google it. Nothing rolled out of the Mitsubishi Motors assembly plant with such a moniker. This will be a creation of MST. The mod list for this engine refresh looks pretty interesting.
Engine Mods:
Wiseco pistons
Brian Crower con rods
GSC valves intake and exhaust
Brian Crower valve springs
GSC s1 cams
20g turbo
Full exhaust – 3 inch bore
Injen fully enclosed intake
DW 1100cc injectors and
DW 305 pump
Construction in Progress!
The Head
While some of these mods were fully intended, some were discovered as we went along with the build. For instance, during the valve grinding, it was found that the exhaust valves in cylinder 4 had slightly bent and were not sealing properly. Some may have seen this as a problem, but for Zack, this was an opportunity to improve the build further... New GSC valves set including GSC Power Division viton valve stem seals, tight and shiny; to be sprung shut in place by high tension valve springs from Brian Crower and Titanium retainers. This will allow perfect synchrony with the GSC higher lift S1 Cams for that slight bump in the effective redline and at the same time avoiding any floating valves at these high thresholds.
Head work: Fitting of the valves, springs, seals and retainers. For those who have not experienced it, do not try this at home. You better pay a professional to have this done at some workshop. Not Zack. He enlisted help from the LOS team, sometimes requiring up to three individuals to compress the spring, fit the retainers and locks. Painstaking process. Once done, it was looking oh-so-glorious!
RAG - Reveal, 1st public showing.
Finished Product.
Many suns and moons later, the rig is back on the road. But like any other project car out here, it is never really complete; there is always work in progress. Content development is in progress to fill out the blanks in this story. The engine is barely broken in, so fear not, there is time. Meanwhile, feast your eyes on the recently released RAG.
Many thanks to Erick Lesan for the awesome photos. More of his work available over at https://lesanerick.pixieset.com/petroholicsjanuarymeet/
Well, as the engine work is still in progress, you will just have to keep checking from time to time for updates to this section. We shall be happy to let you know as soon as these 503 odd stallions are released from the stables over at MST top secret location.
**Various photographers' work has been featured on this page. Picture Credits in no particular order:
1. Leon Muli
2. Ness Pixels
3. Nelson Jeremy
4. Ramah Nyang
5. Nick Thuita
6. Erick Lesan
Some of the pictures were size optimized during upload and may have cropped edges inadvertently affecting the respective watermarks.