A childhood fascination with cars turned into a lifelong passion for Cora Fontaine that began with a hand-me-down 1991 Mitsubishi Eclipse. Despite early setbacks, including a totaled Eclipse and a serious accident that briefly pushed cars out of the picture, the itch to return never faded for Fountaine. By March 2020, she took a leap and bought a Rally Red Evo X MR Touring, which was worn but well-maintained, and committed to turning it into a serious autocross competitor.
The following years, "Phoenix," as it was codenamed, evolved through performance upgrades, show entries, and eventually a bold decision to install a widebody kit. The process, meticulously executed by Fountaine, her husband, and some friends, took the build to a new level. Despite some setbacks, like a burnt exhaust valve and unexpected tuning issues, her determination never wavered. Years after completion, it brought home major wins at shows, validating years of effort.
Fountaine didn’t set out to build a showpiece. This wasn’t about collecting trophies or dominating social media feeds. Instead, the goal was clear from the start: to create a car that performs as well as it looks, without sacrificing daily usability. The result is a build that toes the line between track-ready aggression and street-friendly refinement.
One of the biggest misconceptions in the automotive world is that throwing money at a car automatically makes it better. Fountaine took a more methodical approach, selecting parts based on real-world gains rather than price tags or brand prestige. Under the hood, a custom turbo setup provides usable power without turning the car into a temperamental garage queen. The supporting modifications – fuel delivery, air flow, cooling, and others – were chosen to improve efficiency and longevity, rather than chase an arbitrary peak horsepower number. Even still, she was pleasantly surprised with 500 all-wheel horsepower.
Some builds live their lives on trailers, only seeing pavement at carefully planned events. That’s not the case here. This car is driven. Whether it’s carving through backroads, hitting the track on weekends, or just making the daily commute a little more exciting, it’s a car that sees real use, and that’s exactly what Fountaine built this Evo X for.
ESSENTIALS:
Location: Mineral Wells, WV
Horsepower: 500 whp
Club: Team Elevate
SOCIAL:
IG: @grimdutchess
ENGINE:
AMS (3.5-inch intercooler, wide-mouth down pipe, fuel rail)
ETS intercooler piping
COBB (SF1 intake with box, 3-port boost controller)
Mishimoto (race thermostat, X-line performance radiator, silicone radiator hose kit, silicone BOV return hose)
Injector Dynamics 1300X injectors
Tial QRJ Recirculating Valve
Radium Engineering (double fuel hanger, inlet filter, fuel pump re-wire kit)
Walbro 450 high pressure fuel pump
MAP (tubular exhaust manifold, catted test pipe, firewall heat shield, inline fuel filter)
CFM performance billet valve cover breather
AEM Fuel pressure regulator
TRU3576 turbo
TurboSmart wastegate
Clubspec Chicago wire tuck kit
Carbon fiber Fq400 vent
GSC (valve train, beehive springs, retainers)
Professional tune by ChagTuned
Magnus Mivec delete
Custom powdercoated (valve cover, intake manifold)
EXHAUST:
Borla S-Type cat-back exhaust
DRIVETRAIN:
Torque Solutions driveshaft carrier bearing support bushings
WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES:
BC Forged USA LE72 wheels - 18x11 -30
Toyo Proxes Sport tires - 295/35/18
StopTech rotors
GyroDisc magic pads
Spiegler stainless steel front and rear brake lines
CHASSIS / SUSPENSION:
Air Lift Performance 3P suspension kit
Whiteline (27mm adjustable rear sway bar, adjustable heavy duty rear sway bar end links)
EXTERIOR:
House of Pearls Rally Red Metallic w/ Black Titanium Pearl accent paint
Varis Widebody Version 2 widebody kit
Carbon Fiber 1600mm wing
Clubspec Chicago (power steering fluid reservoir cover, coil pack covers, brake fluid reservoir cap)
Oneuplighting underglow
AKRETROFITS custom Vland headlights
Vland (taillights, bumper lights)
Carbon Creations carbon fiber hood
Ganador carbon fiber side mirrors
DressUpBolts Gold Titanium Widebody hardware
INTERIOR:
AEM gauges (boost, AFR, oil pressure)
Ortiz triple pillar pod
Carbonful custom carbon fiber steering wheel
Custom carbon fiber trunk display and brackets for airlift display
Braum Racing (harness bar, harnesses)
AUDIO / MOBILE ELECTRONICS
10.2 Android head unit
SPONSORS:
Auto City Imports
Braum Racing
Quantum JDM
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