Mitsubishi 3000 GT Highlights: 1991-99

1991 Mitsubishi 3000 GT

Mitsubishi entered the sports-car arena with its new 2+2 sport coupe. The Dodge Stealth was mechanically identical. Base and midrange 3000GT models got a twin-cam, 24-valve 3.0-liter V6, rated at 222 horsepower. The flagship VR-4 had 4-wheel steering, permanent 4-wheel drive, and a twin-turbo engine with dual intercoolers that made 300 horsepower. The VR-4 came only with 5-speed manual shift, but others might have an electronic 4-speed automatic transmission. A driver-side airbag was standard. Four-wheel disc brakes were standard across the board, and antilock braking was standard on the SL and VR-4 (optional on base coupe).

Year-to-Year Changes

1992 Mitsubishi 3000 GT

Except for three new paint colors, nothing changed for '92 in Mitsubishi's sport-coupe group.

1993 Mitsubishi 3000 GT

Standard leather upholstery went into the VR-4 for '93, and the base coupe added some comfort features. Chrome-plated alloy wheels were offered for the first time, as was a CD changer.

1994 Mitsubishi 3000 GT

Dual airbags were installed in 1994, as the Mitsubishi sports coupes got a modest facelift. The VR-4's engine got a boost to 320 horsepower, along with a switch from 5-speed manual shift to a 6-speed. All models wore a reshaped nose with four exposed headlamps, which replaced hidden flip-up units.

1995 Mitsubishi 3000 GT

Costly retractable-hardtop Spyders debuted in spring 1995. The top was an articulated design, made of plastic composites, and production was very limited.

1996 Mitsubishi 3000 GT

Few changes marked the coupes or the Spyders for '96.

1997 Mitsubishi 3000 GT

Dodge Stealths dropped out of the market after 1996, but the Mitsubishi 3000 GT carried on with minor styling touch-ups. A lower-priced base coupe joined the 3000 GT lineup, carrying a single cam Mitsubishi-built 3.0-liter V6 that produced 161 horsepower. The dual-cam engine in the SL lost four horsepower.

1998 Mitsubishi 3000 GT

3000 GT sees no change for 1998.

1999 Mitsubishi 3000 GT

3000 GT received cosmetic changes front and rear and VR-4 models got a huge rear spoiler. Slow sales would eventually kill the Mitsubishi sports car for the year 2000.

Mitsubishi 3000 GT Reviews: 1991-99

Mitsubishi 3000 GT Review: ModernRacer.com

The Mitsubishi 3000 GT was first introduced in 1990, and the VR-4 was one of the most advanced sports cars in the world at the time. Redesigned in 1994, the 3000 GT VR-4, along with the Japanese-market Nissan Skyline GT-R, were the Asian equivalent of American muscle cars - big, heavy and packing tons of power. The premise behind the 3000 GT and Skyline, however, were different from the average Mustang Cobra and Corvette. Firstly, the Japanese cars packed twin turbo engines with no more than six cylinders, unlike American V8s. Secondly, they had all-wheel-drive, compared to American rear-wheel-drives. And finally, the Japanese packed more technology into their cars, like four-wheel steering, but they also cost more.

The Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4, at a price of about $40,000 when new, cost less than a Motorex-imported used Skyline GT-R, but it was still as expensive as a Corvette, and way more than a Camaro Z28 and Mustang Cobra. The last year for the 3000 GT to be offered in the United States was in 1999, although it continued to be sold in Japan under the "GTO" moniker till 2001. By then, the 3000 GT had become bloated with too much technology for its own good. All-wheel-drive combined with four-wheel-steering is heavy and expensive. Additional, but largely pointless, features such as adjustable exhaust and variable aerodynamics, were offered sometime in the mid-90s, but dropped by the time the '99 model came out. These features can be considered pointless because most buyers probably never messed with the factory settings anyway.

Acceleration is the VR-4's strong point. It can sprint to 60 mph in about the same time as a C5 Corvette, with the help of 320 turbocharged horses, 315 lb-ft of low-rev torque and the advanced all-wheel-drive system. A great alternative to FWD nitro-Civics and Firebirds when it comes to dragstrip duty.

Mitsubishi 3000 GT Review: Edmunds.com

The 3000GT is decidedly not for everyone, but it still offers a combination of performance capabilities and luxury not matched by anything else currently available. The AWD system, for instance, keeps it glued to the road during hard launches and around tight corners. You won't find this level of pure stick with the Corvette or BMW M-cars, especially if the road surface is uneven and/or slippery.

Backing up the AWD system is a four-wheel steering design that turns the rear wheels in the opposite direction of the front at lower speeds. This makes low-speed maneuvers easier, but doesn't add much to high-speed handling traits. As with the earlier Honda Preludes, four-wheel steering has proved more expensive to develop and produce than its real-world benefits can justify. Once the 3000GT goes away, we don't expect to see this technology again on a regular production vehicle sold in the U.S.

Additional performance gimmicks, like adjustable suspension, adjustable exhaust and active aerodynamics, have been pulled from the 3000 GT since its introduction nine years ago. What's left is a capable grand touring car that can snap your head back under acceleration or cradle you in comfort (as long as you aren't too tall). "How capable?" you ask. Whatever may be wrong with the 3000 GT VR-4, and there is plenty wrong with it, you can't deny its sheer performance pedigree.

And since the VR4 is marketed as a "Grand Tourer," not a sportscar, its list of standard luxury equipment reads like a grocery list from "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." These include an Infinity audio system w/CD that offers some of the best sound we've heard inside of an automobile, plush leather seating surfaces, automatic climate control, power everything, and remote keyless entry. While a Corvette's base price is just under $40,000, equipping one with the same level of comfort features that come standard on a VR4 would easily make up the difference.

For insurance purposes, the car is officially listed as a four-passenger sport coupe, but sticking people in the rear seat of a 3000 GT was recently outlawed under the Eighth Amendment. There's also pathetically little storage space in the rear hatch area, even for a performance car.

When all is said and done, the Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR4 proves that even the best automotive designs need to be updated eventually. The "performance car bar" has been raised drastically since 1991 and the 3000GT just can't compete. It still offers great performance, but it is by no means a great performance car. Maybe if you're less than six feet tall, drive in less than perfect weather conditions on a regular basis, have lots of cash, and don't mind removing ugly wings and filling the screw holes with body filler, the 3000 GT is worth considering. Otherwise, wait for Audi's TT Coupe with Quattro drive, or spend another 40 grand and get the new Porsche Carrera C4.

Mitsubishi 3000 GTReview: NCTD.com

MacPherson struts up front employ negative offset steering geometry for better braking stability. The VR-4's rear suspension is a double wishbone arrangement. The VR-4 also has 4-wheel steering. Toe-control links in the rear suspension induce toe-in for greater stability when cornering and under hard braking and acceleration. It does this by adjusting the toe, or alignment, up to 1.5 degrees, steering the rear wheels in the same direction as the front wheels. This only occurs at 31 mph or faster. Big four-wheel vented disc brakes slow the VR-4 down. ABS is standard. The four-wheel-drive system consists of a center differential with a limited-slip viscous coupling; the rear differential also uses a viscous coupling. The normal torque split front/rear is 45/55 respectively so that the VR-4 has rear-drive bias under normal conditions. If slip occurs, torque is sent to the tires with greater traction. It's impossible to spin the tires for a dry pavement drag race start with so much traction from the all-wheel-drive. Therefore, finesse is required with the clutch and throttle pedal for quick getaways. Once rolling, the VR-4 accelerates quickly through the gears and the driver must shift quickly to keep up. The shift lever is a stub and the throws are short. There's some resistance going into each gear and the shift pattern is narrow, so it takes a little experience to avoid missing gears on fast starts.

Fast as it is, the VR-4 is more sports car than dragster. With so much rubber on the road and all-wheel drive, the 3000 GT VR-4 digs out of corners regardless of road conditions. A little sand at the apex? No problem. Some runoff flowing across the road? Got it handled. The VR-4 gets a grip on the pavement and won't let go. No doubt the 4-wheel steering has some effect, though from the driver's seat it's impossible to know. Operation is totally transparent. The VR-4 always goes where it's pointed and the rack-and-pinion steering provides right-now response. The 3000 GT VR-4 is a great touring machine for two. The suspension is firm, but it absorbs expansion joints with aplomb. Wind noise is absent, though some tire noise gets through. The 3000GT is stable under hard braking, a benefit of the four-wheel steering, which maintains alignment of the rear wheels as the rear end of the car raises.