If you’re familiar with the 3000GT, you’ll know the best trim is the VR-4 here stateside. Featuring a twin-turbo V6 AWD setup with four-wheel steering and a 5-speed manual, this is the pinnacle of Mitsubishi’s late 90s engineering, with only the Lancer Evolution carrying the torch of Halo Car into the 2000s.
While defined as a grand tourer and not necessarily a sports car, it certainly boasts sports car-like performance, even if it is a little too heavy. 320 hp, 315 ft-lb. of torque, it bested the Corvette, 911, and NSX of its generation. Some tuners have gone so far to brag about taking on Mustangs in a head-to-head drag race.
Just look at it! COMBAT. WING. It defines the late 90s 3000GT. Taking it off would be a sin and while there are people out there who prefer the Supra without a wing, to take the wing off this generation 3000GT is a mortal sin and the wrath of JDM fanboys will descend upon those who dare commit such a sin.
Sideskirts? Giant wing? TE37s? Intercooler piping up the wazoo? All of it. This is the rare JDM that turns heads. It’s not Ferrari-like like the NA1 or NA2 NSX, nor is it “god-tier” like the MKIV Supra, and perhaps, admittedly, its bodylines are not as sleek as the FD3S RX-7, but it’s a functional piece of JDM history from a storied brand that has mostly forgotten its roots. Go to a Mitsubishi dealership today, ask for an Eclipse and you will see how much even that nameplate’s legacy as been tarnished.
The 3000GT VR-4 is a legend in its own right. It’d be a shame to discredit it just because it’s not a Supra.