1994 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4

After its launch as a 1991 model, the Mitsubishi 3000GT received a serious makeover for '94. Gone were the popup headlights and separate caps over the strut towers that distinguished the previous version, giving a smoother, more up-to-date appearance to the coupe's snout. Likewise gone were the quadruple strakes that sliced up the scoops on the original's flanks.

In the US market the car could be had in the base 3000GT form, the plusher 3000GT SL, and the twin-turbo AWD 3000GT VR-4, like the Caracas Red one in the photo.

While the lesser two models had a normally-aspirated 222hp 3.0L DOHC V-6 driving the front wheels, the VR4's motor sent 320hp to all four wheels through your choice of four-speed slushbox or a Getrag six-speed manual.

Car and Driver's test of a '94 model with a manual recorded a zero-to-sixty time of 5.1 seconds and a quarter mile E.T. of 13.9 at an even hundo through the traps. Top speed was measured at 153 miles per hour and cornering at 0.92g. Price as tested was $43,190 in 1994 dollars, or a bit over $97k in today's money.

This one was photographed using a Fujifilm X-E1 and a Zeiss 32mm f/1.8 Touit lens in September of 2018.

1999 Mitsubishi Galant ES

The eighth generation of Mitsubishi's Galant sedan reached the American market for the 1999 model year, a couple years behind the domestic market.

In some ways it was a bit of a downgrade from its predecessor. The snout was a little more formal and retro and while the previous model had been touted for having multilink suspension at each corner, a novelty for a front wheel drive passenger bus, this generation reverted to a strut-type front suspension.

While a snarly 195hp SOHC 3.0L V-6 was on the menu, the base engine for the ES trim level was a 2.4L SOHC four-banger rated at 145 SAE net ponies. That's what's under the hood of this slightly rumpled Monarch Green Pearl one, backed by the optional 4-speed automatic.

This photo was taken using a Pentax K20D and 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens in August of 2025.

1992 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4

Mitsubishi launched its rakish Starion 2+2 grand touring sports coupe for '82 and at the time, it was fairly competitive with its domestic competition. The 280ZX 2+2 and Toyota Celica Supra both sported 2.8L inline sixes to the Starion's 2.6L turbo four, but the Mistu pretty much kept up, at least in the intercooled ESI-R variant. Within a couple years, though, the motors in the Supra and Z-car had swole up to three liters and the Starion was outclassed.

It was replaced in 1990 by an all-new car, sold as the Mitsubishi GTO in the home market and the 3000GT here in America. Replacing the longitudinal turbo four rear-wheel-drive setup of the previous car was a transverse three liter DOHC V-6.

In the base cars, this motor was naturally aspirated and sent 222 SAE net horsepower to the front wheels through either a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual transaxle.

The performance version added a brace of intercooled turbos and was called the 3000GT VR4, signifying the "Viscous Realtime 4WD" system, sending power to all four wheels. It had active aerodynamics and four-wheel steering. All that gear came with a price, as the base MSRP for a 1993 VR4 was $38,492, or just shy of eighty five grand in today's money. 

With the 6G72 motor thumping out 300 (wink wink, nudge nudge, seriously underrated) horsepower, the 3000GT VR4 was plenty beastly for its time. While all that tech made for a chunky 3,860 curb weight, Car and Driver's 1993 test car managed a 5.6 second sprint to sixty, which would have been a supercar-only number just a decade earlier. The quarter mile was disposed of in 14.1 seconds at 99mph and the car barreled all the way to 155 before it couldn't push the air out of the way anymore. On top of that, the plushly-equipped, nearly-two-ton coupe circled the skidpad at 0.93g and stopped from seventy in just 161 feet.

3000GT VR4's like this Monza Red example are scarce sights in these parts these days, with most of them having been sucked into the black hole of the west coast import tuner scene. 

The one in the photo was snapped with a Canon EOS 7D and an EF 70-200mm f/4L IS zoom lens in January of 2023.