Mitsubishi Evo IX

I think 864hp in a Mitsubishi Evo probably suffices, and the detailed specification on this road legal machine is so exhaustive I can't begin to understand how much time and effort has gone into it. The bit that interests me though is the little line that says 'Exe-tc suspension'. Exe-tc is a company that has won nine World Rally Championships, eight of them with Citroen. It was founded and run by a bloke called Graham Gleeson, a maverick genius of a man who became a great friend to me, and who sadly died two weeks ago. I'm going to his funeral today. I love the fact that some bad-ass Mitsubishi fitted with the ultimate everything runs Exe-tc: it's a fitting tribute to Graham. We developed a suspension system for 996 and 997 Porsches together - that was some of the most enjoyable work I've done. I say 'we'. I just drove the car and gave feedback. Listening to him deconstruct the way a road car's suspension should work - how ride comfort and suppleness were the holy grail - was manna from heaven for me. We used his systems in VLN races at the Nordschleife in a 997 Cup car for several seasons with real success and then finished the 2011 Nurburgring 24 hours the highest placed 3.6-litre Cup car and 20th overall. It was small beer to a bloke with World Championships to his name, but he still made us feel like rock stars. I love the fact that I can crack open the PH classifieds, peruse the fast Mitsubishis, type Exe-tc into the search function and see his legacy out there, still being the best in the business. Today's going to be tough. One thing's for sure: heaven now knows much more about rebound damping than it did a few weeks back. Source: pistonheads