Go fast and look good.
That is not the official motto of Work Package Racing – the team behind this Mitsubishi Lancer GSR Evolution III from Malacca City, Malaysia – but it should be.
The owner of the Evo, Hadri Hamzah – who I met at Retro Havoc this year – has two goals for his car. First, crack an 8-second quarter-mile pass at a Thai drag event later this year. There’s a good chance that will happen, considering the Lancer’s best ET on slicks to date is a 9.07-second pass.
Secondly, Hadri wants the Evo to retain its show car look.
That second point becomes clear when you take a look inside. This thing is immaculate. It’s still a drag car – the full Undersix roll cage and Kirkey seat are testament to that – but everything is super clean and well put together.
This is not surprising when you consider that Workpack is mainly active in the field of car detailing.
The bodywork is clean, with only a custom Tuan Carbon Fiber wing added to the original Evo III kit – no factory spoiler. Even the acrylic windows are free of scratches and swirls, which is surprising for a race car.
The Evo isn’t trying to be a show car – as ironically it is at a show. It’s trying to elevate its drag car bones as best it can.
Under the hood, the Lancer is still powered by a 4G63, but now in a specification that’s a far cry from how it left the Mitsubishi factory. Highlights include forged Wiseco pistons, forged R&R connecting rods, HKS camshafts and a beautiful intake manifold from JM Fabrications.
The party piece is a massive Precision turbocharger mounted to a custom tubular exhaust manifold that positions it directly behind the grille for direct airflow. The turbo system also features a Precision wastegate, a large front-mounted intercooler with custom Undersix piping, and a TiAL blow-off valve.
I’m not sure if the Workpack team are into BBQs, but if so, the flame-breathing bonnet-exit exhaust (also from Undersix) would certainly come in handy on the strip.
How much power? The Evo runs on leaded VP Racing Q16 drag racing fuel and produces more than 1,100 horsepower. Power is routed to Hoosier slick-shod 15-inch RAYS Volk Racing TE37s via a PPG dog box, Quarter Master twin-plate clutch and an upgraded driveshaft from The Driveshaft Shop. A Simpson parachute slows Hadri down.
While Malaysia’s drag racing scene is still young, cars like the Workpack Racing Evo prove that the country has something to offer on an international level. With more power to squeeze into the engine lineup – hello, nitro – and weight to shave from the current 1,204 kg (2,654 lb) chassis if Hadri so desires, there’s still plenty to be gained.
Toby Thyer
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