I’m surprised – the Lotus ekes out the victory with 56% of the vote. I suppose love is irrational when it comes to cars, and I think I’m looking for some. Talk Me Out Of It is usually theoretical, but this week I’d really like to gather some thoughts about the Mitsubishi GTO Twin Turbo.
It might be time to grab one, before it’s too late.
The 1999 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 vs the 1997 Mitsubishi GTO Twin Turbo
See the 1999 model here
See the GTO here
Long-time readers are familiar with my quite irrational love for this thing. Cars like the Supra and RX-7 were on better platforms, either original to the car or at least rear-wheel drive based. Poor 3000GT – Mitsu only had a front-wheel drive sedan to donate (the Galant). You can make fun of me all you want though – I still think it’s the best-looking car to ever grace this planet.
And so many variants, especially when you expand to other countries. We have the 3000GT, the Dodge Stealth, then the GTO from Japan. Turbo, non-turbo, and base models. Front or all-wheel drive. Manual or automatic – it gets complicated. Luckily, I know exactly what I want. Or do I?
Among the 3000GT faithful, the 1999 model is the holy grail. The last year. The most rare (well, sort of). That Combat wing! I don’t know why Mitsubishi decided to change the look of the car for one final year, then only sell 45 VR-4s. But you pay for that exclusivity now – some of these go for nearly $70k. That’s silly. It might be love, but it’s not with a stripper.
Luckily, there is another way – importing a GTO from Japan. Same car, just right-hand drive. They say it only has 276 horsepower and not the 320 the US model got, but that’s a lie – they are identical. And even though we’d need to import it, they were cheaper and more plentiful from the land of the rising sun.
But also fraught with peril, as you’ll soon see.
The 1999 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4
If I’m honest, I don’t need a ’99 – I like the look of the 97–98 model better. But this one is currently up for bid and makes an interesting comparison.
- 67,300 miles
- Glacier White Pearl over tan leather interior (just four colors were offered)
- Six-speed manual, the only transmission offered on the VR-4
- Was rear-ended in 2006, and the tires have 2010 date codes on them (?).
- The mods are plentiful – from an ECU tune to a Kicker sub. I’d prefer something original – I’m not cutting bumpers to fit intercoolers.
- Looks like the inside and out are in pretty good shape overall
- Currently bid to $15,250
Here’s one – same spec, 28k miles, sold for $67,000. Here’s another – the exact one I shot, 40k miles, $48k. Tough comparison because those are all original. Ideally, I find one to fix up and repaint on my own. I wonder if Japan is an option.
The 1997 Mitsubishi GTO Twin Turbo
Let me preface this beforehand: I have no idea what I’m buying. There are brokers I can go through to facilitate the process, and they can do a pre-purchase inspection, but this exact car is listed all over the internet, and the price varies by thousands.
Though it’s not called a VR-4, this GTO Twin Turbo is the same car minus leather on the seats. There was also an MR edition that lacked ABS, all-wheel steering, the ECS (electronic suspension), and Active Aero. By the time ’98 rolled around, only the ABS and active steering remained on the standard GTO Twin Turbo anyway, and I’d rather not live life without ABS. Japanese auctions are notorious for not labeling lots correctly, so it’s important to look for signs on the actual car. Anyway:
- 121,000 km, or about 75,000 miles
- Galaxy White Pearl over black cloth with a very 90s pattern
- I see an aftermarket head unit, and e-brake handle
- Japanese GTOs had different dials in the center console
- I can’t make out what’s up with those A-pillars. Painted? Wrapped? Washed with acid?
- Steering wheel cover? Is the air freshener included too?
- Listed for $18,506 – $21,281 delivered to the Newark port.
This is the body style I want – hoop spoiler, 18-inch chrome wheels, minimal electronics. But I’d be happy with an earlier model as well – J&B is going to fix it up for me anyway.
Both of these examples need some love – but I’m curious: would you guys like to see me in a true JDM build?
