The Mitsubishi GTO is a front-engine, all-wheel/front-wheel drive

grand touring A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving, due to a combination of performance and luxury attributes. The most common format is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door coupé with either ...

sports car A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...

manufactured and marketed by

Mitsubishi The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries. Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...

from 1990 until 2000 over three different generations. Manufactured in a three-door

hatchback A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...

coupé body style in

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...

, Japan, the 2+2 four-seaters were marketed in the

Japanese domestic market Japanese domestic market (JDM) refers to Japan's home market for vehicles and vehicle parts. There is a common misconception that any Japanese branded car is JDM; however, this is not true. Only a vehicle made in Japan specifically to be sold i ...

(JDM) as the GTO, and globally as Mitsubishi 3000GT. In North America, it was sold both as the Mitsubishi 3000GT (1991–1999) and the Dodge Stealth (1991–1996), a

badge engineered In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a manu ...

, mechanically identical

captive import Captive import is a marketing term and a strategy for a vehicle that is foreign-built and sold under the name of an importer or by a domestic automaker through its own dealer distribution system. The foreign vehicle may be produced by a subsidia ...

. As a collaborative effort between

Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...

and

Mitsubishi Motors is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The car was based on Mitsubishi's Sigma/Diamante and retained their transverse mounted 3-liter, 24-valve V6 engines and front-wheel-drive layout. The GTO's engines were naturally aspirated or with twin-turbochargers and were also available with active aerodynamics (automatically adjusting front and rear spoilers), four-wheel-steering, full-time all-wheel-drive and adaptive suspension. Mitsubishi marketed a

retractable hardtop A retractable hardtop — also known as "coupé convertible" or "coupé cabriolet" — is a car with an automatically operated, self-storing hardtop, as opposed to the folding textile-based roof used by traditional convertible cars. The benefits ...

variant, which were engineered and converted from coupé models in California by ASC, and sold as the ''GTO Spyder'' or ''VR4 Spyder'' for model years 1993–1995. These were the first fully automated retractable hardtop marketed since the 1959 Ford Skyliner. The JDM model took its name from the Galant GTO, a two-door

hardtop A hardtop is a rigid form of automobile roof, which for modern cars is typically constructed from metal. A hardtop roof can be either fixed (i.e. not removable), Convertible#Detachable hardtop, detachable for separate storing or retractable ha ...

coupé A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...

marketed by the company in the early 1970s, which in turn took its name from the

Ferrari 250 GTO The Ferrari 250 GTO is a GT car produced by Ferrari from 1962 to 1964 for homologation into the FIA's Group 3 Grand Touring Car category. It was powered by Ferrari's ''Tipo 168/62'' Colombo V12 engine. The "250" in its name denotes the disp ...

, short for ''Gran Turismo Omologata'' – "Omologata" signifying that it met motorsport homologation requirements.

Overview

Following the successful showing of the Mitsubishi HSR and Mitsubishi HSX concept cars at the 1989

Tokyo Motor Show The is a biennial auto show held in October–November at the Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), it is a recognized international show by ...

, Mitsubishi unveiled the new GTO as a 2+2 seating grand touring car in order to compete with the

Mazda Cosmo The is an automobile which was produced by Mazda from 1967 until 1995. Throughout its history, the Cosmo served as a "halo" vehicle for Mazda, with the first Cosmo successfully launching the Mazda Wankel engine. The final generation of Cosmo ser ...

Nissan 300ZX The Nissan 300ZX is a sports car that was produced across two different generations. As with all other versions of the Z, the 300ZX was sold within the Japanese domestic market under the name Fairlady Z. It was sold in Japan from 1983 to 2000 a ...

, Subaru SVX, and the

Toyota Supra is a sports car and grand tourer manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation beginning in 1978. The name "supra" is derived from the Latin prefix, meaning "above", "to surpass" or "go beyond". The initial four generations of the Supra were pr ...

. They resurrected the GTO name, and the car went on to serve as Mitsubishi's flagship for the remainder of the decade. Despite the cachet of the badge at home, it was marketed as the Mitsubishi 3000GT and as the Dodge Stealth outside Japan; the company was concerned that

connoisseur A connoisseur (French traditional, pre-1835, spelling of , from Middle-French , then meaning 'to be acquainted with' or 'to know somebody/something') is a person who has a great deal of knowledge about the fine arts; who is a keen appreciator o ...

s would object to the evocative nameplate from the

and

Pontiac GTO The Pontiac GTO is an automobile that was manufactured by American automaker Pontiac from 1963 to 1974 for the 1964 to 1974 model years, and by GM's subsidiary Holden in Australia for the 2004 to 2006 model years. The first generation of the G ...

being used on a Japanese vehicle. Each was built on the same production line at Mitsubishi's plant in

, Japan. Its Japanese introduction coincided with the softening Japanese economy, subsequently known as the "bubble economy". JDM GTOs were marketed at Mitsubishi's '' Car Plaza'' retail chain, with JDM buyers paying additional annual

road tax Road tax, known by various names around the world, is a tax which has to be paid on, or included with, a motorised vehicle to use it on a public road. National implementations Australia All states and territories require an annual vehicle registra ...

as well as elevated taxes for being classified as a large car by Japan's exterior dimension regulations. A Dodge Stealth was scheduled as a 1991

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...

pace car, until the

United Auto Workers The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW), is an American labor union that represents workers in the United States (including Puerto Rico ...

(UAW) rejected it because of its Japanese rather than US-manufacture. A prototype of the

Dodge Viper The Dodge Viper is a sports car that was manufactured by Dodge (by SRT for 2013 and 2014), a division of American car manufacturer FCA US LLC from 1992 until 2017, having taken a brief hiatus in 2007 and from 2010 to 2012. Production of the two ...

was substituted in place of it. Still used as a backup pace car, eventual race winner

Rick Mears Rick Ravon Mears (born December 3, 1951) is a retired American race car driver. He is one of four men to win the Indianapolis 500 four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991) and is the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six (1 ...

received a Dodge Stealth for winning the race and dealers sold pace car replica editions, as the Viper did not begin production until later that year.

1990–1993 (Z16A)

Early models were internally designated Z16A and incorporated full-time

four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...

four-wheel steering Steering is a system of components, linkages, and other parts that allows a driver to control the direction of the vehicle. Introduction The most conventional steering arrangement allows a driver to turn the front wheels of a vehicle using ...

, active aerodynamics with automatically adjusting front and rear spoilers, sport/tour exhaust modes and

electronically controlled suspension An active suspension is a type of automotive suspension on a vehicle. It uses an onboard system to control the vertical movement of the vehicle's wheels relative to the chassis or vehicle body rather than the passive suspension provided by large sp ...

(ECS).GTO at Mitsubishi Web Museum
The GTO, 3000GT and Stealth featured

pop-up headlights Hidden headlamps, also commonly known as pop-up headlamps, pop-up headlights, flip-eye headlamps, or hideaway headlights, are a form of automotive lighting and an automotive styling feature that conceals an automobile's headlamps when they are not ...

and articulated blister caps on the hood to accommodate the ECS controllers at the top of the

strut A strut is a structural component commonly found in engineering, aeronautics, architecture and anatomy. Struts generally work by resisting longitudinal compression, but they may also serve in tension. Human anatomy Part of the functionality o ...

turrets. The Dodge Stealth featured a signature cross-hair front bumper fascia and crescent-shaped rear spoiler — and did not include active aerodynamics. In 1993, the engine went to a 4-bolt main and a forged crankshaft, some of the early production models still received the cast crank.

North American market

In North America, both the Mitsubishi 3000GT as well as the Dodge Stealth were available. Two different powertrains were offered on the 3000GT while the Stealth had three different options. The base 3-door hatchback Stealth came equipped with a 3.0-liter 12-valve SOHC V6 engine producing at 5,500rpm. The base 3000GT and SL model and the Dodge Stealth ES and R/T model came equipped with a 3.0-liter DOHC V6 engine producing . The VR-4 and R/T Turbo came equipped with a twin turbocharged 3.0-liter DOHC V6 engine producing at 5,500 rpm. A 5-speed manual transmission was standard and a 4-speed automatic was an option on all models except the turbocharged variants. The 3000GT SL and Stealth R/T included an electronically controlled suspension as well as other features such as anti-lock brakes and automatic climate control while the turbocharged models further added performance options such as permanent 4-wheel drive, 4-wheel steering, limited-slip differential, active aerodynamics and came with Z rated 17-inch tires. 1992 Mitsubishi GTO Twin Turbo E-Z16A engine

1992 Mitsubishi GTO Twin Turbo E-Z16A engine

European market

In Europe, instead of the TD04-09B turbochargers used on Japanese and US Twin Turbo models, the EU-spec model received the higher capacity TD04-13G turbochargers. While power output is no higher than contemporary market models, these have lower discharge temperatures to better handle the prolonged high speeds possible on the German

Autobahn The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. ...

, along with an upgraded transmission. The engine was rated at ; the modifications took time and European models only went on sale in the Autumn of 1992.

Reviews and performance

Automotive magazines quoted 0- acceleration times ranging from 4.9 seconds to 6.0 seconds and quarter mile times of 13.6-13.9 seconds at Dodge claims a 0-60 of 4.89 seconds for the 1991 R/T turbo models. Magazines from the era praised its strong acceleration and grip as well as its full time AWD system allowing for all season use. In a comparison test by AutoWeek the $34,423 1991 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 did 0-60mph in 5.1 seconds beating the lighter $61,000 Acura NSX which hit 60mph in 5.3 seconds.

1994–1997 (Z15A/Z16A)

1995 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 Spyder, rear left (Greenwich)

Facelift models were internally designated Z15A (2WS) and Z16A (4WS) and featured a revised front

bumper Bumper or Bumpers may refer to: People * Betty Bumpers (1925-2018), American activist, First Lady of Arkansas, wife of Dale Bumpers * Dale Bumpers (1925–2016), American politician, governor of Arkansas and senator * Bumper Robinson (born 197 ...

to accommodate projector beam

headlights A headlamp is a lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage, ''headlamp'' is the term for the device itself and ''headlight'' is the term for ...

and small, round projector fog lights. They were unveiled in August 1993 in Japan and gradually made their way to other markets as the earlier cars sold out. Some markets, such as the UK, did not get these models until as late as 1996. The caps on the hood were replaced with integrated sheet metal blisters, and revised side air vents and rear bumpers were added. The interior was redesigned with dual air bags, a new audio system, and revised air conditioning refrigerant. The engines in the twin-turbo models received an increase to and an increase in torque from . Japanese models received an increase in torque, but the power rating remained unchanged at . The VR-4 model now included a six-speed

Getrag Getrag (), stylized as GETRAG, was a major supplier of transmission systems for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The company was founded on 1 May 1935, in Ludwigsburg, Germany, by Hermann Hagenmeyer; as the ''Getriebe und Zahnradfabrik ...

manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission (mechanics), transmission ...

with revised gear ratios. Larger wheel/tire combinations were available beginning in 1995. The base and SL model received 16-inch wheels in silver or chrome with 225/55 tires, while the VR-4 now had 18-inch chrome wheels with 245/40 tires (the Spyder had the standard 17-inch with higher profile tires from 1994 to handle the additional of weight). With subsequent price increases, features were discontinued: the tunable exhaust was phased out after 1994 model year, the ECS after 1995 model year, and the active aerodynamics disappeared after 1996. This was also when Chrysler ceased sales of the Dodge Stealth captive import, and for the remainder of its life only Mitsubishi-badged versions were available.

Spyder

Chrysler and Mitsubishi worked with ASC to engineer and convert 3000GTs into

s, marketed as the Spyder SL and Spyder VR4 for 1995 and 1996 model years. In 1995, Mitsubishi's 3000GT Spyder was available in four color combinations: red with grey leather interior, black with ivory leather interior, white pearl with grey, and martinique yellow with ivory leather interior. In 1996 the 3000GT Spyder was available in red with tan interior, black pearl with tan leather, white pearl with tan leather interior, and green pearl with tan leather. SL Spyders were only available with an automatic transmission while the VR4 Spyder was only available with a 6-speed manual.

GTO MR

The GTO MR model appeared in the Japanese market in August 1994. The ‘Mitsubishi Racing’ or MR moniker, has been used on a few other performance Mitsubishis such as the

Lancer Evolution The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, popularly referred to as the 'Evo', is a sports sedan and rally car based on the Lancer that was manufactured by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors from 1992 until 2016. There have been ten official versi ...

, and usually meant a lighter model. The GTO MR was essentially a lightweight GTO Twin Turbo that deleted 4WS, ABS, ECS and Active Aero, but was mechanically identical to the normal GTO Twin Turbo aside from a final drive ratio of 4.154. Chassis numbers for the MR start with Z15A. This lowered the weight of the MR edition to . The AWD system featured in the MR received the same 45% front 55% rear split ratio as the other turbo models.

Best Motoring was Japan's preeminent automobile magazine, video, and DVD series. Alongside ''Best Motoring'' were ''Hot Version'' and ''Video Special.'' History With the first edition debuting in 1987 and the last in June 2011, the videos were marked by non ...

, a Japanese television program about Japanese cars, featured the 1994 GTO MR in an hour long program where it beat the lighter R32

Skyline GT-R A skyline is the outline or shape viewed near the horizon. It can be created by a city’s overall structure, or by human intervention in a rural setting, or in nature that is formed where the sky meets buildings or the land. City skylines ...

over a mile in acceleration.

Beckenbauer edition

In 1994, Mitsubishi released a limited edition of what was now the previous generation 3000GT, branded as "Beckenbauer Edition." Honoring

Franz Beckenbauer Franz Anton Beckenbauer (, ; born 11 September 1945) is a German former professional footballer and manager. In his playing career he was nicknamed ''Der Kaiser'' ("The Emperor") because of his elegant style, dominance and leadership on the fi ...

. All were painted Lamborghini yellow and were equipped with a Remus sports exhaust, OZ Futura rims, a numbered plate signed by Beckenbauer, and a C-Netz mobile phone system. Only 30 were made, sold through 1995.

Reception

The redesign of the second generation 3000GT brought it up to date, especially through the loss of pop-up headlights and the front strut caps and resulting smoother hood. The Tuneable Exhaust System was phased out in 1995 and the Active Aero was phased out in 1996. A notable change was the brake redesign, facelift models received 2-piston rear brake calipers and larger front brakes that showed no sign of fading under heavy use unlike the early models. Braking distances improved slightly. The new 6-speed was geared well and paired with the extra horsepower and torque allowed the car to out-accelerate its rivals from a standing start. These changes made all models lighter, the VR-4 was now 3,737 pounds and the SL 3,263 pounds. Road tests at the time showed the second generation 3000GT VR-4 to be capable of in 4.8 - 5.4 seconds and the quarter mile in 13.5 seconds at , making it faster in a straight line than the

Twin Turbo and

Mazda RX-7 The Mazda RX-7 is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, rotary engine-powered sports car that was manufactured and marketed by Mazda from 1978 until 2002 across three generations, all of which made use of a compact, lightweight Wankel rotary engine. ...

Twin Turbo. Though heavy, it was comfortable and easy to drive fast. Thanks to the ample power, it could be taken around a track quickly, with noted under steer and a lack of feedback. Kott
p. 77

1997–2000 (Z15AM)

The

SOHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...

engine, previously only available in the base model Stealth, was added to the Mitsubishi range after the Dodge version was discontinued. Slower sales in the American sports car market led to a planned facelift for 1997 being abandoned in favor of minor cosmetic adjustments, including a new front bumper and rainbow shaped arched type wing. The 3000GT's featuring the single cam engine had a weight of 3131 pounds provided that they were not offered with the sunroof and leather seats. In 1999, the car received another exterior makeover, including a new aggressive front bumper, headlamps, turn signals, sail panels, and a true inverted airfoil spoiler coined the "Combat Wing" for the 1999 VR-4 to distinguish it from previous models. The 1999 non turbo models kept the arched style spoiler. 1999 was the final year the 3000GT was available in the U.S. market. With sales slowing to a trickle and new side impact regulations looming, production for the

finally ceased in 2000. A last two cars were sold the following year. In a test by

Popular Mechanics ''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...

the 1999 3000GT VR-4 ran a 13.44 seconds quarter mile (~402 m) at .

Gallery

References

Bibliography

External links

GTO press release
Mitsubishi-motors.com, August 25, 1998 (Japanese) * {{Dodge Canada Timeline Gto 2000s cars All-wheel-drive vehicles Front-wheel-drive sports cars Vehicles with four-wheel steering Coupés Cars introduced in 1990