Words: Deven Solanki Photos: Archee Lal
Being a car enthusiast isn’t just about picking a car and calling it a day. There’s always that itch — the little voice nudging you toward the next build before the current one is even finished. It’s a vicious cycle most of us know too well, bouncing from car to car, never really wringing the full potential out of anything. But some enthusiasts break that cycle.
Meet Shalvin Sharma, a 36-year-old IT specialist from Auckland who has stayed loyal to the three-diamond badge for as long as he can remember. Raised in the golden era of Need for Speed and Fast & Furious, he was hooked early. Being a tech guy, he spent years buried online, learning everything he could about modifying the Evo platform long before he ever got the chance to own one. “I’ve always loved the shape and sound of the Evo VII,” he says. “It all started when Tokyo Drift came out in 2006, featuring the red Evo IX. Since then, I’ve always pictured myself owning one.”
But, Shalvin’s journey to the Evo’s driver’s seat began humbly, behind the wheel of an automatic Toyota Curren as a learner. He eventually leveled up to three pedals with a DA8 Integra, which served as the gateway drug to his first “proper” performance car: a DC2 Type R. But while he was busy living the VTEC life, an episode of Top Gear was about to switch it all up. It was the famous segment where Jeremy Clarkson tried (and failed) to shake an Evo VIII FQ-400 while piloting a Lamborghini Murciélago.
“It was around the time when I just finished uni and started my first job,” Shalvin recalls. “I loved the Type R, but I also had a massive thing for Lambos. Seeing that Evo stick to the bumper of a supercar changed everything for me. That’s when I knew I needed one.” From that moment, the Honda chapter closed and the Evo hunt began.
Ironically, the car that would define the next 13 years first popped up while Shalvin was on holiday in Fiji. Only a true car addict could manage it: scrolling Trade Me from a beach chair. With only 28,000 kilometres on the clock, it was the holy-grail MR spec, complete with aluminium roof, HID headlights, black suede Recaros, carbon trim, and a six-speed gearbox looking like it just rolled out of the Okazaki plant.
After a frantic exchange of messages, the original owner agreed to hold it until Shalvin got back. But by the time his plane touched down in Auckland, the car was gone — sold, leaving him pretty gutted. To fill the void, he picked up a grey Evo VIII from Fast 4s & Turbos, the iconic performance car dealership that used to call Grey Lynn home. It was a solid car, just not the car. Then, barely a week later, the white MR popped back up online, this time in the hands of a cheeky collector and relisted for nearly double the price.
The very next day, Shalvin and his old man went to check it out in person. Dad looked it over and shook his head: “Hang on… this is the exact same car, just in white.” Shalvin laughs: “But I knew this was the one. I told him I’d keep it for years.” The collector admitted he’d grabbed it purely to flip it — low k’s, basically brand new, and an easy quick buck. Shalvin threw out an offer and got the polite no. But that same evening, the collector messaged back: bring the cash tomorrow, and it’s yours.
Stoked, Shalvin grabbed a cheque from the bank (yes, back when cheques were still a thing), and handed it over the next day, locking in the Evo that would stick around in his garage for years. For a brief moment, two Evos sat side by side in his garage. “It was a pinch-yourself dream moment.” he laughs. But reality quickly settled in, and before long, the grey car was sold, leaving the white MR to kick off what would turn into a 13-year journey.
“I wanted an Evo that looked good, had a bit of power, and was fun on the track and the street,” Shalvin says. “No crazy plans, just something to enjoy.” From there, the tinkering slowly began. The first proper iteration saw the Evo fitted with 18×10.5-inch TSW Interlagos wheels, an AP Racing big brake kit, full underbody bracing, and upgraded bushings to stiffen up the chassis. Inspired by the sharp, aggressive look of time-attack builds, he also threw on a massive Voltex Type 5-style GT carbon wing and Rexspeed carbon extensions to really complete the look. Under the bonnet, the 4G63 got some simple bolt-ons, a slightly bigger intercooler, and a titanium exhaust manifold, all while keeping the factory turbo in place — enough to boogie without totally smashing the bank.
After that, Shalvin hit a rough patch. A few track days in, the clutch blew and started slipping, forcing the car off the road for six months while he swapped in a stronger five-speed box. Not long after, a snapped balance belt caused some internal engine damage, and that’s when the proper build kicked off. Shalvin went all in — forged internals, a bigger turbo, and a full custom RSL-made mild steel exhaust manifold, intake, and fuel system — officially entering stage two of the Evo.
Shalvin enjoyed six solid years of street driving, track days, and the occasional show, everything running sweet… until the head gasket finally gave out one day. The Evo was then parked up for two years while the motor got the overhaul of a lifetime. Back in it went with a custom BNR Engineering manifold, a bigger turbo, more bolt-ons, and upgraded fuel pumps. The machine shop took eight months to nail it, but once it was all back together and tuned, this was the final stage of the build — the Evo as it sits today, ready for anything the road or track can throw at it.
Today, Shalvin Sharma’s pride and joy stands as one of the most meticulously built Evos in New Zealand. Thirteen years of late nights, setbacks, and careful tinkering have paid off — the car has racked up trophies at shows and track days, but the moment that sticks with him most has to be unveiling it at the 2020 4 & Rotary Nationals Show and Shine. Being a slow burner gave him the time to perfect every detail and make it truly his own.
While he’s happy with where it sits, his IT brain is already plotting the next upgrades: a billet Hypertune intake, a dogbox to handle the abuse, a full roll cage, and a “giggle-gas” setup quietly gathering dust in the garage. There are also plans to refresh the interior with full Alcantara, but for now, the car feels just right. And if he had to pick a favourite part? It’s the heart. “I’ve never seen another Evo engine bay like this. There are better and different ones, but mine is close to perfect,” he says. Thirteen years in, the itch still hasn’t gone away — except this time, he’s finally got the perfect scratch.
SPEC LIST
2004 Mitsubishi Evolution VIII MR
Heart
ENGINE: 4G63, 2300cc four-cylinder
BLOCK: 4G63 block stroked to 2300cc, CP forged pistons, Eagle forged rods, nitrated 4G64 100mm crank, ARP main studs, Cosworth crank scraper, six-litre custom baffled sump, Gates Racing balance belt, Fluidampr viscous harmonic balancer, Evospec Performance billet aluminium power steering delete pulley kit, Evospec Performance alternator tensioner arm, Evospec Performance underdrive alternator pulley, Evospec Performance billet aluminium underdrive water pump pulley, Evospec Performance power steering delete bracket, Torque Solution solid engine mounts all around, Cut-Ring Racing Athena head gasket
HEAD: Custom ported and polished, 1mm oversized Supertech valves, Supertech valve springs, Supertech titanium retainers, Supertech valve stem seals, Supertech bronze valve guides, OEM lifters and rockers, OEM timing belt, ARP CA625+ head studs, Kelford 272 cams, AEM Tru-Time adjustable cam gears, Torque Solution billet cam sensor reversed housing, Kiggly HLA pressure regulator, Ichiban Engineering billet anodized red valve cover, carbon fibre cam gear cover, JDC titanium intake manifold stud kit, Ultimate Fabrication Supplies exhaust manifold stud kit
INTAKE: AMS F1 intake manifold with carbon fibre hydrographic coating and ported to match S90 76mm throttle body, custom three-inch polished intercooler piping, HDI quick-release clamps, four-inch polished HDI front mount intercooler, custom five-litre oil catch can with K&N filter
EXHAUST: BNR Engineering stainless exhaust manifold with T4 twin-scroll flange, BNR Engineering three-inch V-band downpipe, Tomei Expreme Ti Titanium cat-back exhaust system
TURBO: Garrett GTW3884R 67mm turbo, T51R mod, billet compressor wheel anodized red, T4 twin-scroll 0.83 exhaust housing with HPC HiPerCoat extreme heat coating, Aeroflow turbo guard
WASTEGATE: Twin Turbosmart GenV CompGate40 external wastegates, Haltech boost control solenoid
BOV: Turbosmart GenV RacePort BOV
FUEL: Radium Engineering in-tank fuel hanger, twin Walbro 465lph fuel pumps, SpeedFlow fuel filter, dry-break setup for quick fuel drain, dedicated switch for fuel pumps for fuel drain, Xspurt 1550cc high-resistance fuel injectors, AEM fuel rail, AEM flex fuel ethanol content sensor, Turbosmart FPR 1200 fuel pressure regulator, fuel lines upgraded to braided PTFE Teflon lines with hardlines for feed and return, -8AN fuel feed, -6AN fuel return, GripLabs fuel cap holder
IGNITION: Haltech high-output IGN-1A inductive coils with built-in ignition modules, custom mount for coils on valve cover, MSD Super Conductor ignition leads and boots
ECU: Haltech Elite 2500T engine management system, Haltech WB1 single-channel CAN O2 wideband controller kit
COOLING: Spec2 Development radiator with twin 11.0-inch Spal fans, BNR Engineering radiator water neck and water pipes, BNR Engineering radiator coolant overflow tank, carbon fibre radiator cooling panel, Boosted International headlight duct
EXTRA:Frontline Fabrication billet dipstick handle, full vacuum braided line upgrade with AN fittings, battery relocated in boot
Drive
GEARBOX: Factory five-speed gearbox, WK Motorsport short shifter
CLUTCH:Tilton Engineering 7.25-inch OT-II twin-plate race clutch, Tilton Engineering hydraulic release bearing
FLYWHEEL:Tilton Engineering flywheel
DIFF: Factory AYC rear diff, factory ACD transfer case
Support
STRUTS: BC Gold adjustable coilovers. DC Sports titanium front upper brace, DC Sports titanium rear upper brace, Tanabe Sustec front 4-point underbrace, Tanabe Sustec 2-piece rear subframe brace, Ultra Racing interior brace, STM front center member brace (FCMB), Whiteline bushes throughout, Whiteline front sway bar, Whiteline rear sway bar
BRAKES: (F) AP Racing six-pot callipers, Pagid Yellow Racing pads, 332mm slotted rotors, Factory Brembo two-pot rear callipers, Pagid Yellow Racing pads, 332mm slotter rotors, Goodridge braided brake hoses front and rear, JDC titanium brake fluid reservoir cap
ARMS/KNUCKLES: OEM
EXTRA: Holden Astra electric power steering
Shoes
WHEELS: (F) 18×10.5-inch (+12) TSW Interlagos (R) 18×10.5-inch (+12) TSW Interlagos
TYRES: (F) 285/30R18 Yokohama AD08r Advan Neova (R) 285/30R18 Yokohama AD08r Advan Neova
Exterior:
PAINT: Factory Evo VIII MR Scotia White
ENHANCEMENTS: Rexspeed vortex generator, Rexspeed carbon fiber bonnet vent, Rexspeed carbon front bumper ducts, Rexspeed V-Style carbon fiber front bumper lip, Rexspeed D-Style carbon fiber side skirt extensions, Rexspeed D-Style carbon fiber rear bumper extensions, Rexspeed carbon fiber window vents, custom front bumper splitter, Voltex Type 5 style GT carbon spoiler, TheWorksGarage custom front tow hook, Boosted International third brake light, pumped and rolled rear guards, quick-release bonnet latches
Interior
SEATS: Factory Evo VIII MR Recaro black suede
STEERING WHEEL: Sparco, DND Performance Interior Hexlock quick release
INSTRUMENTATION: Haltech iC-7 digital dash, Haltech mounting bracket with integrated visor, Haltech CAN keypad 8-button with Boosted International 3D-printed mount, AEM X-Series boost gauge, Pioneer motorized fold-out touchscreen head unit
Performance:
POWER: 484KW at the hubs
TORQUE: 675Nm
BOOST: 34psi
FUEL TYPE: E80 ethanol and 98 octane
TUNER: Sam at Autech
Driver Profile:
DRIVER/OWNER: Shalvin Sharma
AGE: 36
LOCATION: Auckland, New Zealand
OCCUPATION: I.T. Specialist
BUILD TIME: 13 Years
LENGTH OF OWNERSHIP: 13 Years
THANKS: My family and friends who have contributed to the build and have provided support and encouragement over the years – You know who you are! Also big thanks to Sam and the team at Autech, Ajay Kumar and the team at Brian Payne Motors, Dinh and Minh at Spec2 Developments, Jason and Vishal at NZKW, Shamsher at Autotreads Onehunga, Brendan Thomas at BNR Engineering, Johnny at The Works Garage, Saheem at KNP Automotive, Suhail at Nforca Garage and Towing, Vick at Xracing, Bill and the team at Team Ralliart NZ, Yogen at Excellent Automotive Panel and Paint, Keveen and Pooja at Motorsport Towing, Steve Murch at MSE Turbos, Ryan at Luxury Sports, Dave at Tune Technic, Ronnie at RSL Performance, and everyone at NZ Fijian Car Club.
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This article originally appeared in New Zealand Performance Car issue 319
