LS-swapped Chrysler Conquest is Unlikely Track Day Hero We Need
Hoonigan gives us the run down on this wide-bodied track day wonder.
The Mitsubishi Starion is the Japanese sport compact that never really got a chance to shine. It came out in the 1980s when Japan was on top of the world, offering superstar sport compacts and outright sports cars. While cars like the Nissan 240SX wowed the sport compact scene, and models like Mazda RX-7 showed just how capable these turbocharged tuners could be, the Starion, which was also sold as the Chrysler Conquest under the DSM partnership, sort of missed the trend. It was relatively lightweight, rear-wheel drive and had a manual transmission which could be paired to a duo of turbocharged inline-four cylinder engines. It should have been a prime candidate for JDM fever, but, alas, it wasn’t meant to be.
Of course, no one told the owner of this Conquest any of this. Owned and built by John Lazorack III, this StarQuest, as fans call them, hasn’t faded into obscurity, but, instead, blossomed into a truly wild track toy, as this Hoonigan Build Biology video shows.
Lazorack leads the camera around the car, proudly exclaiming that he drove his race car to Hoonigan HQ in Long Beach, CA, no trailer here. Diving into the build, Lazorack explains that the bodywork is all custom-made by him, and that this car has been a gradual evolution, as he has owned the car since high school. Walking around the car, while the rear wing element is an APR carbon unit, though the wing stands are, again, custom by Lazorack. Of course, a rear wing is childs-play compared the custom sectioned out rear floor pan, done to accommodate the fuel cell, rear diffuser and exhaust.
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The rest of the hardware on this widebody wonder is no impressive. BC Forged wheels roll this StarQuest, and they are sized to fit the widened fenders, 18×11 up front and 18×12 out back with 315 section-width Falken RT615K tires. Big Wilwood brakes rest behind those BC Forged spokes.
Inside, just like the outside, is all function. Everything is custom-made, including the dry carbon dashboard and instruments. We like the hydraulic handbrake, because drifting is fun. While this car is made to knock out fast laps, Lazorack says the build originally started as a drifter, and that he can’t shake off old, sideways habits. Of course, the roll cage is custom, too, but that’s the one thing Lazorack farmed out to a professional, because safety is important.
Under the hood is an all-motor 6.2-liter LS3 engine swap, paired to a Tremec TR6060 6-speed manual transmission. Lazorack says he started with the less expensive T-56 transmission, and an LS1 engine, but later upgraded to his current setup.
Indeed, having owned this car for so long, a common theme is continual improvements. It’s not just the powertrain, but Lazorack walks through his custom underbody work, which has evolved from plywood to alumalite to, ultimately, carbon fiber. It’s an insane build, from front to back, and top to bottom.
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