Over the last few years aesthetic tuning has become an important part of the whole aftermarket world. One company I have always made sure to drop by and see at the Tokyo Auto Salon is Charge Speed, creators of some of the most eye-catching body parts for JDM parts.
If there is one thing I appreciate in any and every area of car customization it is quality. If you are as picky and as anal as I am you will know what I am talking about. When it comes to body parts quality is probably the most important aspect there is, from the way a part fits to the way it is finished and most importantly how well it lasts. The Evo X you see here is Charge Speed’s latest evolution taking over from the Bottom Line kit they made last year, featuring a complete front bumper as well as some very nice carbon parts.
The idea was to give a tad more road presence to the Evo X, something always easily accomplished by heavy use of carbon.
Up front the vented carbon hood replaces the stock aluminum item, helping shed a little bit of weight as well as expelling hot air from the engine bay. Fit and finish is one of the best I have seen, especially along the panel gaps. Charge Speed has chosen not to paint the hood to show off the precious composite fibers. It is a demo car after all!
The carbon mirrors are far better proportioned than the stock items.
I really like the look of the front bumper as it takes the already in-your-face stock design and makes it even more extreme. The big gaping center grille remains, but has been made to protrude a little more, helping scoop up air for the intercooler and radiator. The wet-carbon detailing on the side intakes is a nice touch. The chunky side skirts are very angular in design, helping bring the body closer to the ground.
Ever since the Lancer Evolution 8 MR vortex generators have been gaining popularity on Evos and WRXs. The Charge Speed version is, of course, made in carbon fiber.
The rear wing has been left stock, but to help shed more weight at the rear the trunk lid is now carbon.
The car sits on lowered suspension and rolls on Boyz Zero-1 Hyper CST01, 9Jx18″ all round wrapped in Dunlop Direzza DZ101 rubber.
Charge Speed buckets replace the stock Recaro seats offering far more support when driving hard. Charge Speed has yet to modify the engine on this SST dual-clutch transmission equipped Evo X. As you can see from the hood release handle we were not even allowed to look at the engine. Maybe there was a T88 under there somewhere!
Rolling around the little test track at the NATS Automobile College in Chiba the Evo X was fun to drive but most importantly looked good doing it!
For those looking for a clean modified look Charge Speed offer some great products, including their new wide-body kit for the GRB Impreza WRX STi, which won them the “Sporty-Car” award at this year’s TAS. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next!
– Dino Dalle Carbonare