At one point in time, Mitsubishi built some of the baddest Japanese rides out there. From the Starion through the 3000GT, the Eclipse through the EVO series, Mitsubishis were coveted not only just in the world of import tuning, but in rally, touring car, and drag racing. By the mid-2000s, they were so comfortable with their reputation for all-wheel-drive turbocharged speed that they got cocky enough that in the UK market, Evo models were given an FQ-xxx designation based upon the car’s horsepower. What does the FQ stand for? Mitsubishi has never officially confirmed it, or even given a hint to what the name stands for, but it’s widely accepted that it means “f*cking quick”. You have to have something going for you to pull off naming your car like that in the UK, and Mitsubishi had plenty of it.
Unfortunately, things at Mistu have gone downhill faster than Wile E. Coyote off a cliff holding an anvil. It’s been confirmed that there will be no successor to the Evo series once the EVO X is done next year. The lineup as it sits now is the EVO and it’s pedestrian Lancer sibling, Outlander (large) and Outlander Sport (small) SUVs, the absolutely craptastic Mirage hatchback and the i-MIEV electric car. Oh, and coming soon, the Mirage Sedan and the XR-PHEV dual-mode crossover SUV.
Need a palate cleanser after that? Don’t feel bad, so did we. While we tend to gravitate towards the domestic muscle here, rally is always in our hearts and McTaggart has plenty of experience with a 3000GT VR4 in the mountain passes of Colorado. Instead of looking at what appears to be Mitsubishi’s future, let’s take a look at two vehicles of the glorious past, the 3000GT (which was sold elsewhere as the GTO) and the Evolution series. There’s plenty to like back there, and we promise that, unlike a certain green Eclipse, the manifold won’t be in danger and the floor won’t fall out.
Yeah definitely . I absolutely do remember when Mitsubishi made great cars . Hell … they even made some damn fine SUV’s and mini pickups as well . And then ….. like a bolt of lightening ….
… One minute they’re winning WRC championships and Dakar left and right .. building great cars etc … and the very next the whole company and all its products slipped right down the Rabbit Hole of Blatant Mediocrity … at best
Which to this day and despite many a pundit and industry experts explanations …
… still has me absolutely dumbfounded how it all happened so quickly
Yeah, I mean, their cars were always a little short-fused, but a lot of them ran like their head was on fire and their asses were catching.
You forgot to mention the sublime Galant VR4, a boxy Galant sedan body with a turbo 4G63 and AWD. There was even an AMG-tuned (Yes, that AMG) Galant for a short while, which focused on free-revving naturally-aspirated performance as well.
The only other person on planet earth I’ve run across that actually knows about the brief moment in history when AMG was involved with Mitsubishi . Hell … back when it was happening even AMG USA was denying the program ever existed . I know … cause I tried to track one down for myself and talked to the CEO of AMG US to no avail !
So two thumbs up Nick … and you get the Serious GearHead award 2014 … direct from St GearHeaditis himself …. 😉
I learn something new every day. I certainly did not think Mitsu and AMG had ever done anything.
A photo of one from the sales brochure. Not a car you would really notice if you passed by one. Same with the VR-4 variant.
http://jan-wulf.de/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/image54032-1024×682.jpg
And a pick of the bitchin’ “Tuned By AMG” valve cover
http://www.0-60mag.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/galant-amg-6.jpg
There was also the equally obscure 1987 Mistubishi Debonair V 3000 Royal AMG, which was actually pretty terrible.
Jeez just that name alone sounds pretty terrible!!
Trust me Bryan when I say …. hardly anyone did ! Which is why I was so pleasantly surprised to see Nick D’s post …
And yes … back then AMG [ before Mercedes took them over ] had a US HQ [ if memory serves me correctly I think it was in Chicago ] and I did contact AMG about their involvement with Mitsubishi in order to check one out myself for potential purchase …. working my way all the way up the corporate food chain till finally reaching the US CEO … with each and every step along the way including the CEO flat out denying any AMG involvement with Mitsubishi despite that fact that AW .. the late great OT … and R&T had all done news bits and articles about it . They dropped it all not much later because they were afraid being connected with Mitsubishi might water the brand down too much and things with M-B were getting tighter so they no longer had the need to seek out extra income
Which is to say … don’t feel bad Bryan … the AMG/Mitsubishi tie in is about as obscure a bit of recent automotive history as can be found
Hell … just thinking about it …. I’m giving Nick D the GearHead Ultimate Trivia award of the freaking decade
A picture of the AMG Galant. Not something you would really notice if you passed one by.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y233/JigenVW/Galant_AMG.jpg
And the awesome “Mitsubishi Tuned By AMG” valve cover that they came with
http://www.0-60mag.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/galant-amg-6.jpg
… oh … and lets not forget about that absolutely insane Mitsubishi Colt Turbo version 1.0 with the 8 speed [ 4 x 2 ] double shifter that was sold here as the Dodge/Plymouth Colt Turbo . Had one as my ‘ winter ‘ car … and damn ! A tweak here . Better tires [ on the stock wheels ] there … a chip to bump the turbo up a tad … and you were running down Corvettes and Porsches in what looked like a kids car
The AMG Galant was a weird car. They even had a special AMG valve cover that I’ve seen turn up on tuned Evos.
I almost bought a Colt Turbo with a blown motor and a wrecked FWD Eclipse Turbo for $800. The plan was to put the two of them together for a sleeper 400hp Colt. But I ended up choking and backing out. Friend of a friend bought them both, scrapped the Colt, stripped the Eclipse and then put the Eclipse running gear in a non-turbo Talon. Much less interesting.
I also knew a guy with a 5-speed AWD Mistubishi Expo that he planned to swap a 4G63 into. Sadly the Expo got torched to the ground when the garage he worked at caught fire, and that was the end of that
Second time this week I’ve been stumped on auto trivia. I’m usually pretty good from the late 70’s til recently. Thanks for the oddities guys!
I had a 92 eagle summit (colt van), was awd and 5 speed and had the turbo 4g63 motor swaped in it. A 2700lbs mini van with awd and close to 300hp suprised quite a few people.
Those doughnuts in front of the church…I believe!
Speaking of the Debonair, Mitsubishi tried to convince people that a Limousine version is a good thing:http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/rc-8.jpg?w=1164&h=1000
They then tried again with the Dignity, which sold a massive, 48 cars over 3 years! https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4147/5200028853_b9228f87fd_z.jpg
Mitsi became a bit of a bad word where I live…in Adelaide, South Australia, they took over Chrysler’s plant. At the time Chrysler was making the last of the big Valiants, the CM/CL model which actually wasn’t a bad thing – Hemi `lean burn’ 6 that got really good mileage or 318’s. Then you had the utter weirdness for a while of the same car but with Mitsubishi badges….then it started to REALLY go to shit and before you knew it the whole thing shut down and the first one of the big 3 bit the dust…. thanks Mitsi, good job….
That’s not a big surprise, I’m fairly familiar with the story down there. I think the only Mitsu/CoA car that ever managed to get any foothold was the Scorpion (to the US, the Challenger/Sapporo). Knew a lady on the Moparts forum that rallycrossed one.