Thirsting for water, you reach into your pockets in hopes to find bottled water, food, New Castle, anything, but all you get is a hand full of sand. The sun beats down on you harder than the cast of Riverdance cranked on Ritalin. In the distance you see a way out of this hell… a car? This must be a dream, this must be a mirage. No this isn’t a dream, and yes it is a Mirage, a turbo 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage.
Mitsubishi Mirage’s are (let’s admit it) usually only good for A to B driving and saving gas. Holly Greene of Australia, who now resides in the hills of Spartanburg, South Carolina, chose the Mirage as her platform because she didn’t see many Mirages at American car shows, and had always loved the Evo in the land of kangaroos. This was back in the year 2000, way before the Evo8 hit the US shores. At first she was big into the show scene and won many car shows with a now deceased Mirage. It used to be big wheels, big kits, and flashy paint, but after an unfortunate accident she had to start over with, you guessed it, another Mirage, but this time instead of catering to the glitz and glamour, she modded for the speed and style.
The outside of the car is kept simple and sleek with various body parts that only true Mitsubishi enthusiasts will recognize. VIS EVO side skirts, rear pods, Ganador mirrors, carbon fiber hood, and a carbon fiber lip accessorize the body. To light up the road she fitted hard to find JDM one-piece headlights and amber JDM side markers. These are subtle differences from the factory Mirage, but highly exclusive in the US market.
Start up the 1.5 liter and you know right away this car is NOT your everyday Mirage. The rumble from the custom 2.5″ exhaust literally shakes your heart. This window rattling sound is due in thanks to a Garret T3/T4 Super 60 Turbo coupled with many goodies such as a 38mm Tial Wastegate, Blitz BOV, and an Evo8 intercooler. To feed the mighty Mirage she uses a 2g DMS fuel pump, an AEM Fuel Pressure Regulator, and Mivec Injectors. These mods and more make this one of the quickest 1.5 liters around.
Holly fell in love with road racing after her first track day on the turns of Roebling Road. Hiding behind her bronze 17″ Work Emotions are 36 way adjustable D2 Racing Coilovers with camber plates. A Carbon fiber front strut tower bar, Spats rear strut bar and a Whiteline rear sway bar stiffen up the ride for more control when she has the urge to feel some lateral G’s.
The interior is nicely accompanied by a pair of Buddy Club Racing seats. I swear the seats were designed for 12 year old cross country runners because my skinny ass has trouble squeezing into one! The Isotta logo can be seen on the steering wheel, shift knob, pedals, and floor mats. AC Autotechnic takes care of the A/F and boost gauge, while the GReddy turbo timer keeps the beast running after a spirited drive. Be warned upon stepping into the interior for you’ll be confronted with two ferocious Mashimaros.
Very few girls are into cars as much as Holly, and very (VERY) few Mirages are ever modified for performance as much as this one, making this a rare combination indeed. Cheers to Holly and her mighty Mirage, Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!
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