909 Motorsport M5 ABS Kit
Mitsubishi EVO 7-8-9

Bosch Motorsport M5 ABS Integration Kit for Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VII / VIII / IX

This is a highly integrated Bosch Motorsport M5 ABS system designed for the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VII, VIII and IX.

At the heart of this package is the Bosch Motorsport M5 ABS, a professional-level motorsport unit used in racing worldwide. The M5 system provides ultra-fast processing, highly accurate wheel slip control, and configurable ABS strategies for track use. Eleven selectable calibrations on a 12-position map switch allow the ABS behaviour to be tuned for tyres, surface conditions, and driving style.

These are cars that get driven hard and modified thoroughly, and the braking control is usually the last factory system left standing. This kit mounts the M5 in the original hydraulic unit location and supplies the wheel speed sensor adapters and yaw sensor mounting to make it work on the platform, while keeping the ACD and AYC communications the driveline relies on.

The problem with factory ABS in competition: what track drivers call “ice mode”

ABS works by holding each tyre near a target slip ratio, the difference between wheel speed and vehicle speed, where 0% is a freely rolling tyre and 100% is a locked one. Peak braking force sits somewhere between the two, and exactly where depends on the tyre and the surface. The cycling you feel through the pedal is the system chasing its target, and while it’s in slip control, pressing harder adds nothing; extra pedal force won’t be sent to a tyre the system already considers at its limit.

Road-car calibrations have to be built conservatively: one calibration must stay safe on every surface a road car can meet, down to the very worst. Under genuine circuit braking (real speed, semis or slicks, kerbs and bumps working the tyre) that conservative logic can settle on a slip target far below the grip actually available. The result is what drivers call ice mode: the system refuses to build brake pressure no matter how hard you stand on the pedal, and the only way out is to come almost completely off the brake, let the wheels match the car’s speed, and reapply. If you braked at the limit for the corner, that margin doesn’t exist.

It isn’t a fault, and pads, fluid or bigger discs won’t touch it. It’s a road calibration operating outside the envelope it was designed for.

Motorsport ABS approaches the problem from the other direction: the driver selects the calibration for the tyre and conditions actually in use, and the system controls to a slip target appropriate for genuine circuit grip. Eleven selectable calibrations on the 12-position map switch cover the range from wet circuit to slicks, chosen before the braking zone, not discovered during it.

What’s Included

• Bosch Motorsport M5 ABS control unit
• Wheel speed sensor adapters for the platform
• Hydraulic unit mounting for the original ABS location
• Yaw sensor mount
• Optional universal in-car bias valve mounts
• Mounting hardware throughout

Brake lines from the master cylinder to the hydraulic unit are made to suit the vehicle at install: 909 specifications call for Goodridge or Speedflow hardware.

Brake lines: GSR and RS are different jobs

GSR cars came with factory ABS, and their original wheel hard lines can be reused, only the master-cylinder pipes are made at install.

RS cars delivered without ABS have no factory ABS lines at all. Those builds need the wheel lines either custom plumbed or sourced from a GSR. It’s straightforward work for a competent brake shop, but it’s worth knowing before the car is in the air rather than after.

ACD and AYC

The kit is built to work with the factory ACD/AYC control, so cars running the standard driveline electronics keep it.

For built cars that have already moved away from factory centre-diff control, the kit is equally at home with ECU-based control; MoTeC’s ACD controller is a known-good pairing in customer cars.

Key Benefits

• Original hydraulic unit location: the M5 mounts where the factory unit lived
• Wheel speed sensor adapters engineered for the platform rather than fabricated per car
• Yaw sensor mounting designed in, not improvised
• Works with factory ACD/AYC, or with ECU-based control on cars that have moved on from it
• Optional in-car bias valve mounting for builds that want balance adjustable from the seat
• Eleven selectable ABS calibrations for slicks, semi-slicks and wet circuit work
• Proven Bosch Motorsport reliability

Technical Specifications: Bosch Motorsport M5 ABS

• Control Strategy: High-speed multi-channel wheel slip control
• Maps: Eleven selectable calibrations on a 12-position map switch
• Inputs: 4x wheel speed sensors
• Outputs: Hydraulic modulation via Bosch Motorsport valve block

Bosch Motorsport M5 vs Factory ABS

FAQs

Q: Which cars does this kit suit?
A: The Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VII, VIII and IX. Both GSR and RS builds are catered for; the difference is the brake line work, covered above.

Q: My factory ABS has never caused a problem. Why replace it?
A: Because the problem shows up at circuit pace under maximum braking, which is precisely when you can’t afford it. A road calibration has to stay safe on every surface a road car might meet, so at real speed on semis or slicks it can settle on a slip target well below the grip you actually have, and refuse to build pressure no matter how hard you push the pedal.

Q: My car is an RS with no ABS. Can I still fit this?
A: Yes. The hydraulic unit mounting is unaffected; what changes is that there are no factory wheel hard lines to reuse, so those are custom plumbed or sourced from a GSR.

Q: Do I keep ACD and AYC?
A: Yes for cars running the factory driveline electronics. Cars already on ECU-based centre-diff control are equally well served; MoTeC’s ACD controller is a known-good pairing in customer cars.

Q: Do I need special tools or skills to install the kit?
A: Some expertise is required, and brake lines from the master cylinder to the hydraulic unit are made to suit at install. Professional installation is recommended. We can install and commission the system in our Newcastle workshop, or supply the kit with our guidance behind your own builder. We cover the whole job, brackets to commissioning, in what a Bosch Motorsport ABS M5 install actually involves.

Q: Can you ship this kit overseas?
A: Yes. These are 909 vehicle-specific kits and we ship them worldwide. Contact us for freight to your country.

Q: Is the system validated for road use?
A: No, Bosch Motorsport ABS is for track usage only.

Q: Can I adjust the ABS behaviour?
A: Yes. The kit includes a driver-selectable map switch with eleven selectable calibrations, allowing ABS response to be tuned for dry, wet or low-grip conditions.

Q: Will this kit suit a LHD car?
A: We have not had access to a LHD vehicle for testing. For the right pilot customer we would be willing to work together on testing, please get in touch via the contact page.

Q: What's the difference between the Clubsport, Kit 1 and Kit 2 core options?
A: Every option includes the same M5 system and the same 909 platform hardware. The Clubsport core uses Bosch's universal harness, the right choice for most club and time-attack builds. Kit 1 moves to a vehicle-specific loom and supports the M5's advanced control functions for cars with real aero or braking beyond about −2 g, and Kit 2 adds Autosport-specification connectors at the wheel-speed sensor leads for endurance-style service schedules. Our kit comparison guide covers the choice in detail.