Contributing: Matt Freeman

The Beatrush under-panel was in our Install bin for way too long, and now that we finally have it on our project Evo, we regret having not put it on earlier. The car was suffering from front-end lift at the last VIR driving school event. The stock under-panel has been off for some time now because we grew tired of removing it every time we get the evo strapped to the dyno.

A while back, we ran the car at Summit Point Raceway with and without the stock piece in place to make sure that there wasn’t any noticeable aerodynamic difference. The mistake we made was running the test when the car was completely stock. Now that the project car has a lot more power, a significantly stiffer suspension, and wider stickier tires, it became increasingly obvious that we made the wrong choice in ditching the under-panel and we’ve regretted it since, until now.

Instead of refitting the stock piece, Kami Speed had a solution for us: Beatrush’s under-panel. The under-panel is lightweight, features more aerodynamic efficiency, and promotes more down-force than the stock unit. Installation was the only tricky part because of the multiple screws, bolts, aero pieces, and instructions only in Japanese. However, everything slowly came together with a bit of trial and error. The best feature of the under-panel is that once it’s on, it’s not only easy to take it off, but there is also a removable hatch that offers easy access to the front tow hook for dyno pulls.

Once the panel was all bolted up, it was time to perform a road test. The highway was the only public area we could perform an immediate test of this modification at higher speeds. We couldn’t legally get going fast enough to show the true potential of this product. At 65mph, the road noise did seem slightly reduced, and lane changes felt a bit more precise.

As soon as we got the car on the track, the Beatrush under-panel really showed its race function and design. At higher speeds the car’s nose felt planted and the lift was eliminated. The new modification instilled the confidence to take the project car hurdling down the straights at a higher rate of speed. This as well as the decreased lift and consequently increased cornering ability ultimately shaved down our lap times.

To be fair, we had to ask ourselves if the under-panel really provided all these changes we were experiencing on track. To test the effectiveness of the panel, we decided to do one session with the panel on and one without. During the first session we were able to pull a best lap time of 1:29 (Summit Point Main Track). For the next run, we put the panel back on and ran the car. Best lap time out of the second session was 1.26. (Keep in mind that during these sessions, that there are other cars out on the track (traffic), which can obviously affect lap times.) Three seconds is a very substantial improvement and considering other factors we could safely say that the panel decreased lap times by one or maybe two seconds. The biggest source of improvement was the increase in straight-line speed, which was 15 mph faster than without the panel.

The Beatrush under-panel is well worth your money if you are having issues with front end lift. It also looks better then stock and allows for much easier dyno setup, so if you want form, function, and time savings then this is a great mod to get.

Gallery:

Special Thanks:

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• Beatrush Explosion
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Take Beatrush’s Floor Performance Bar, Front Performance Bar, Front Member Support Bars, Driveshaft bushings, install all of these items on a Evo, and what do you get? The answer is simple: a more nimble Evo looking to instantly respond to your every command. I know, saying that car will respond to your every command sounds a little over the top, but it’s the best way I could describe the feeling of driving this car with all these items installed. Don’t get me wrong, the Evo is a great car to being with, but sometimes the little things can enhance the car’s ability to perform better then before.

After our last track event at VIR, the topic of chassis stiffening came up with our paddock buddies. Wondering if small enhancements could make a difference to the handling characteristics of the car, we decided to contemplate what little items were needed to accomplish our goal for a better time.

It was now time to do some research to find the best chassis modifications that would fit my needs and save my wallet from losing weight. With a little help from Kami Speed, the decision to go with Beatrush’s floor performance bar, front performance bar, and front member support bars was the most logical. With so many Beatrush items I was ordering, throwing in a set of driveshaft bushings to complete the Beatrush experience was a no brainer.

First Impressions:
A picture is worth a 1000 words so instead of describing the quality of each part, I’ll just show you:

Floor Performance Bar:

Front Performance Bar:

Front Member Support Bars:

Conclusion
Driving the car on the street, I did notice a difference in the chassis. Going over bumps and dips in the road brought out a different reaction that wasn’t experienced before. The car felt a tad bit more solid and stable then it did previously. Obviously the car wasn’t pushed to its limit on the street, but you could still get a feel for what was going on. The results were not a dramatic improvement and shouldn’t be expected, especially on the street. The track will be the only place to figure out if the new parts are improving the car’s performance. With that said, all of these parts should help improve the overall feel for the car and also improve the look of your car (if you’re into that kind of thing). Anyone attending autox’s, HPDE’s, or Drag events should consider a combination or all of the parts I went with to see if your times improve. Stay tuned for a follow up article after a weekend beating at the track.

Special Thanks:

See similar:

Other Posts That May Interest You:

• Beatrush Under-Panel
• GSC S1 Cam Review
• Two Part Install AEM Serial Gauge & DC Sports Turbo Manifold
• 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS
• Test Drive: 2008 Lancer ES