Mitsubishi 311RS EVO X Debut at the 2013 Twin Cities Auto Show

Keeping it local, Minnesota native and racer Ryan Gates revealed the first edition of his Mitsubishi 311RS EVO X street and track machine at the Twin Cities Auto Show in Minneapolis this week. After a years of perfecting what Gates believes to be the perfect tune for his street and track car, he and AMS Performance have come together to build a limited edition of 11 very special tuners. The #1 car at the show was built and pre-sold to a super-secret anonymous buyer who will take delivery of the vehicle on (ironically) 3-11-13 while the remaing 10 are still up for grabs and will be available at select Mitusbishi dealers around the U.S, starting at $49,000.00.

Ryan Gates is a lifetime, albeit still very young, racer, having competed on 2 wheels as well as 4. Now a back up driver for Brumos Racing, Gates is preserving his roots in the EVO X and his relationship with AMS by developing these very special cars for the Mitsubishi fans and community. Gates was on hand during the public auto show that attracts around 200,000 people throughout the week to proudly show off his work and educate the fan boys. He still owns the prototype 311RS EVO X that he calls Car 0/0.

Starting with a stock Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, Gates has designed the re-tune around AMS intakes, intercoolers and tuning creating 420hp and 420 ft.-lbs. of torque, JRZ remote reservoir suspension upgrades, Girodisc brakes, Volk wheels, and nicely simple yet functional Jon Sibal livery pieces that improve the aerodynamics. Gates pointed out to us that while the wheels are not the best looking of the 3 years of Gates311RS prototypes, but that he sacrificed perfect looks for improved performance from the lighter and stronger Volk wheels.

Inside, the 311RS EVO X has seats and surfaces covered with etnies e-suede, an extremely tough grade of suede most usally seen on skate shoes, that resists matting and damping down. The steering wheel is another kind of tough suede that improves grip and comes from Gates' days doing motorcross. The seats and door panels are accented with a blackwatch glen plaid that ties the wheel color to the overall design. The key, shift knob and parking break all have handmade wooden trim, to reflect Gates' appreciation for his favorite era of sportscars that is from long before he was born: the 1960s.  In the #1 car, the standard Mitsubishi navigation and telematics are still in the car because the buyer wanted to be able to pair his phone and music devices, although the system can be left out in the other 11, depending on the buyers' personal preferences. 

Gates also mentioned that his 311RS series will stop with this limited edition of 11 cars but says that he is currently working on a track-only 311RS EVO X Black Series that will be limited to an edition of only 3 examples. Like the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series, the infotainment panel will be replaced with a carbon fiber panel to lighten the load for track time, along with many other features that will render it less legal for street use. We are looking forward to watching Gates and what he does next.