Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 Spyder Review! Japan’s Supercar Flop?
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- Опубликовано: 5 окт 2024
- The Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 is incredibly hard to come by. With all wheel drive, active aerodynamics, four wheel steering and so much more - this car was ahead of its time. This was actually one of its biggest weaknesses. With an unreliable reputation, hard to work on, and expensive price tag it wasn't exactly the perfect choice. However the 3000GT VR4 still has incredible good looks and amazing presence. Along with that the VR4 Spyder is an even tougher to find in today's market. So what's it like to drive? Let's talk about it.
#3000gt #mitusbishi3000gt #vr4
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Absolutely love this car. My mom had a 92 vr4 and I remember her driving me to school In late 90s. I thought I was the coolest kid at the pick up/drop off. Also, my mom taught me how to drive standard in that car. Heaviest clutch I felt till this day. Surprisingly the car is still in the family.
yeah the clutches are tricky on theses!
Heaviest clutch is old school Porsche 911’s !! Or the turbo LeBaron !!
Same here! Of course hers was red.
If your mom had the gusto to buy a VR4 back then I'm not surprised at all that the car and still in the family
You were the coolest kid in the school
I just love how these 90s sports cars look. That alone makes some of these cars worth a test drive. It's like stepping into a time machine.
Indeed bro while I would not get one myself, I think those 90s japanese sports cars look amazing specially this, rx7 and mk4 supra
Back in the 90s when they were new the 3000GT was the coolest Japanese sports car we got in the US. It wasn't the fastest but for the time it had a ton of high end features. I miss the days of Mitsubishi making cool cars.
I would love to have an Evo 3 🤑
Don’t forget about the Dodge Stealth
@@4.0_Ed that’s the same car Lol
Not the fastest? Tell that to the Pikes Peak races of the 90's. None of the other JDM cars kept up.
@@twizted3k Toyota dominated pikes peak in the 90s...
The fastest I've ever been in a car was one of these. 143 mph. My friend had one and let me drive. I cannot thank him enough for the experience about 18 years ago. Still remember every minute to this day
Same . A friend of mine had a friend whose uncle owned a Mitsubishi dealership & he had a cherry red spider. He gave us a ride in that thing and I could have swore we were gonna liftoff lol. He must have had every possible performance upgrade available for it at that time. All the HKS electronics were mounted in the middle console neatly giving it a stock look. Still to this day I've never felt torque like that or went as fast in a car ever. Man what a time for sports cars here in the US. Quite an era
Love these cars... theyre like Chris Farley, heavy, but quick feet.
LMAO exactly
They weigh the same as the new Z
@@TempoMontages is that a good or bad thing??
@@korymanuel8682 with work you can get them down to 3500 pounds and still retain ac and everything
@@TempoMontages Isn’t the new Z ~3500 pounds out the box?
My dad has an ULTRA clean example of a 95 Spyder VR-4 in black he's had for 15 years. Upgraded to around 500HP. It's amazing to drive with the top down and confuses everybody as to what it is being so rare.
This owner is extremely well spoken and a great story teller…great video, car, and love the vr4 vibes
I had a 91 Eagle Talon Turbo TSI AWD. Car was a blast, especially in the snow.
Just sold my 92 VR-4 for 15k and bought it three years ago for 5k. Values are going up and I hope I don’t regret selling it.
Fake profit because of inflation....15k IS THE NEW $5K LOL...you broke even
One of my fav cars of all time and would love to own a stock VR4. Red for the newer model, that blue green for the original model.
jamaican blue, best 3000gt color
I have a base model ‘97 and even with half the horses of the VR4 it’s still an absolute blast of a car. I don’t think I’ll ever sell it. VR4s exploded in value recently, so I’ll probably never be able to afford one, but it’s one of my dream cars.
Tragic to think that that Mitsubishi went from making cars like this into what they are now.
Epic sadness...........just imagine a 2022 4000GT VR4
@@mankind8088 Correct me if I’m wrong but I think the 3000 in the name stands for the displacement, it’s got a 3.0 v6. Would be cool if they made a new “GT” like if it has a 4.0 liter engine, it would be a 4000gt. Etc.
I'm more of a domestic brand guy.....but in high school I envied me some Mitsubishi products lol. Buddy of mines first car was a 88? Starion. We started driving in 2000 , Thing was flippin awesome. Especially the interior. So sad they got away from that recipe. Awesome video and the owner didnt flake the ride along!!! lol
Yah look at the Mitsubishi eclipse cros yuck!
imagine a fwd "spors car" now burn the thought and wash out your mouth with bleach.
I love that the owner was of the vehicle was riding in the passenger. He has an awesome personality and seems like a real car guy.
*First gen of every 90's legend was always the best styling-wise in my opinion.*
*The first gen GTO is one of my dream cars. Freaking beautiful.*
The 3000gt was the car that got me into cars, my uncle had a 1991 vr4 in white and the pop ups were an instant sell.
My 94 3000gt vr4 was and always is my favorite car I’ve had and currently own. First year for the six speed and the aftermarket is so elusive and alluring I fall in love every time I drive to work, go for cruises, or just sit in the driver seat in the drive way.
I’ve always appreciated these cars…that’s nuts it went for $65k then! It’s a shame they don’t make a comeback with it to compete against the Mk5 Supra and new Z.
A 3000gt vr4 or a 300zx twin turbo are my two tuner dream cars from back in the day. Both are very good cars in my opinion.
Same here, those designs still hold up today.
My friend had a n/a 300zx and even that was a blast. Just a cool car to be in, a real JDM dream unlike anything we had ever seen in our town. Drifting rotaries in the rain just loving it
What do you think of Suburu SVX?
@@AaronHendu it’s cool car but mostly all of them need TONS of work. I like the mini truck idea
These two plus an SC300 were the cars my bros salivated for in high school. Currently rocking an MS3 which seems like the best option given reliability/age/power. I miss 90's JDM like a rocket... 🚀
One of the best interviews in a long time! Great video
I dont know why he says they are "extremely hard to come by" I see a pristine VR4 with all its working features everyday in my garage! seems common to me ;)
It wasn't unreliable.
It was morons jacking up the car by oil pan. Pickup tube was too close to bottom of oil pan.
We have few in 300,000+ range on original motor on forum's.
I've had mine since 07.
Had 1 Engine rebuild because it was too old and poor maintenance prior to me. 70k I put on the old motor. Bought at 130k. So it's 198k when rebuilt motor.
Turbos l had on it were like 30 years original to the car! Fords turbos don't even last 40k miles...
Transmission is bullet proof.
We went through it. But nothing major.
My 93 ECS works still. Just needs correct struts.
Now it's 15g billet turbos.
They're reliable when they have good owners who maintain them properly!
I'm glad to hear it, but I gotta say, I worked at a Mutsubishi dealership in the mid-90's and these cars had a bad reputation with even us. We hardly sold any 3000GTs, mostly Galants and Eclipses, but if you walked around to our service department it was always 3000GT's being worked on. At any moment there would be as many in there as we sold in a month. I'm like how is this, we're only sending Eclipses and Galants out the door, where are they? Service dep guy says "they're on the road, running". That's just the regular 3000GT, the VR4 was worse. Anybody that bought one of those should have paid half price, cause half the time it was gonna be back in the dealership.
@@dm0065 I don't know what service they were doing but I know there was a recall for them but it was kind of minor. You should have probably figured out what the service was for. My knowledge comes from experience and I know a big mechanic that solely works mostly on these cars for over 20 years his name is Ray pampena
He usually mentions about the oil pan and doing the timing belt service.
Those were like his number one thing.
He build daily driver's, Sleeper's & High Horsepower applications.
So I am assuming those customers were just picky. Because we don't have many weak spots on these cars.
Maybe it was the lifter chatter? We deemed that as normal. They all do it.
I am sure I would of also had electrical gremlins by now. None & no parasitic drain.
@@jdmglobalwarehouse exactly it's not like a BMW from 02 or newer where you keep feeding it parts and it just keeps breaking. You just need standard maintenance timing belt water pump check your oil pan when you do your oil pan gasket make sure your pickup tube is in good condition.
@@1XSTEALTHTWINTURBOX1 That's good to hear. I'll tell you, I got to drive a beautiful Pearl Yellow VR4 then a few times. It seemed so advanced it was like a spaceship, and was SCARY fast, at least by the standards of the day. Wish I'd had the money to buy it. It was amazing back then, and do much fun. I figured if I was rich I'd buy one and whatever on the maintenence, it would be worth it. So I'm glad those fears were overblown.
The Honda Prelude was an early four wheel steering car also.
I think that's the one he was trying to mention.
Let's not forget the 300ZX Turbo
@@jamierodriguez3554 i wish i had a 300zx and 3000gt vr-4 in my garage
I'm a proud owner of a 95 VR4. I love that thing!
What's funny is compared to most modern transverse V6 cars and especially a lot of modern turbo cars, it's not even that hard to work on. It was ahead of its time in having a cramped and complex engine bay as well! The reputation is just a holdover in comparison to other 90s car I think. Amazing vehicle and great video!
I completely agree. I have a 92 europe version, that i bought as a project car as only the shortblock was in the car. Rest was in boxes. Took me a wook to fully service and reassemble the car. Had absolutely no issues while doing it. Easier that some VAG cars I have worked on.
@@mazenschnefeldt5077 Hahaha you mean you didn't need to put it in a service position where you remove the whole front end?
@@802Garage you know it 😁.
As I live in Denmark, rust is somewhat an issue, so the bolts and guides kind of get stuck while trying to persuade the front into service position hehe
Hands down my Favorite car for sure. I have a 1995 3000gt Vr4 with the glass roof in the classic Solid red color. I went on a drive on a 96 vr4 when I was 13 years old and have been absolutely hooked since
That dude owns the cleanest 90’s Mitsubishi’s and actually has the knowledge to back it up. Met him at a few car meets in Jersey, great to see him on these car reviews!
Used to see a black 99' vr4 hardtop pickup a kid from school when I was in High school and I also detailed a 95 VR4 when I was 15 and took it for a joy ride !! These were such cool cars and extremely ahead of there time with the active aero 4 wheel steer , adjustable suspension etc..
I believe this is a underrated JDM car ! My friend has one VR4 and it’s super bad and it’s a daily ! I really want you to review his car, his is 1992 and it’s dope
I had the base 1998, and even that one was kind of a nightmare to work on. It had HORRIBLE space issues. It looked roomy without the DOHC and Turbos, but it wasn't.
The turbos are hiding at the bottom. The only real space you get is losing the intercooler piping.
@@FUNKOfilms well, that's mostly what I meant, all the piping. Also having to remove the valve cover and air manifold to access the alternator was annoying as heck.
@@mikearisbrocken8507 maybe it's different for the SOHC. I had a 93 DOHC and replaced the alternator twice and all I had to do was remove the driver side wheel and loosen the tensioner. It wqs pretty easy in my opinion.
@@sicknasty3565 lol yeah the SOHC alternator is way harder to remove than even a alternator from a Vr4
@@Mrpartyallnight101 you would think without all the piping and the engine taking up less room it would be easier.
Loved this car when it first came out. Hard top convertible, twin turbo, AWD, AWS in 95 that was a sick car. Very iconic.
I own two of these cars now for almost 10 years. Very reliable and fun once you catch up with all the maintenance.
I use to own a 93 vr4 and it was always one issue after another. It was still a very fun car. I sold it, and got an Evo 8.
I have a 95 owned it since 2001. Very reliable. I still daily drive it today. Best most reliable car I have ever owned.
No rust on it even today. Everything still works.
I bought a 98 SL Dohc five speed with 169k miles 2 years ago, I daily it and it hasn’t given any me any problems! The only thing that went out was the clutch after a year of owning it, probably since I learned to drive manual with it. Put in a stage 2 over a weekend and So far it’s been awesome!
Your definitely right about the seats. Super comfy and plush for being in a sports car
A perfect car without being modded. Best color is in red.
I agree mine is red.
Damn this guy has a lot of charisma I hope he majors in communication or something that uses his communication skills and knowledge to his advantage. The 3000GT VR4 is sick, but the one that's the coolest is the one with the rare wing.
The 1999* vr4 is the one you're talking about.
@@rootz420 Thank you, I was unsure of the year. Cheers.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed watching.
For the love of God can SOMEBODY give David a fast one of these?! He always drives the most modest versions of these cars and it's cool but damn, I would love to see what he'd do driving a 600awhp+ tuned 3000GT.
As someone who owns a fast one of these, no. Can't recommend a fast one these days, where I would have in the past. Something major breaks every year and parts are getting impossible to find.
@@twizted3k I will agree as well. At 900awhp im afraid to breath in the direction of my Stealth for fear the t-case or trans will explode.
@@cody896 😂 Yep. I've accepted it might just go down for a few seasons every year.
@@cody896 I have the same fears in my daily driven 3,500 awhp VR-4.
@@brandonmusick77 must be a 97’; but I don’t think you can get the HP that high in Forza.
When I was looking for a second car this was on my radar along with z32 but ultimately went with the z32. Definitely will get one eventually but want a 944 and a sc400 first
I had a 1992 sc400 was a awesome car the color was a dark blueish green great car wish I still had it and in 1994 I had a 1990 twin turbo 300zx and in 1999 a 1991 non turbo z
Also had 1997 4 door m3 I have had alot of cars my buddy had 2 nsx with the pop up head lights
i have a 93 sc400 💪
Good choice. I owned a vr4 and 300zx TT at the same time. The z is better. The vr4 drives like a mk1 Audi TT, quick spool but weak top end. The z is way better too end and tbh more fun to drive
@@dailylife3975 an e36 m3 then ?
RIP Mitisubishi, they have for sure lost their way, it's sad
Its cause they don't care anymore
Mitsubishi the company is much larger than just their auto company branch, Mitsubishi is in heavy industrial products, A/C equipment, finance banking, chemicals, etc. They're a very successful company and have been slowly getting their auto segment back in order.
LOL Mitsubishi is not focusing on cars.... Because they do not make enough to justify producing them.... They aren't dying. They are making BILLIONS still producing numerous industrial needs. Dummy.
@@travisatkison2550 Mitsubishi is the building block of the Japanese economy.
Drove a bone stock one in similar condition, it was the closest thing next to other old cars I’ve had the opportunity to drive when it came to living and experiencing the 90s! I’ve wanted one of these for a long time along with other cars but whoo is it going to be a challenge!
These were the supercars if the 90s it's crazy how rare these are
Growing up I had a neighbor that had one just like this one then later on around the time of gas in the furious he got it t painted bright yellow. I thought it was the coolest car to me it was a Ferrari. He also had a vr4 coupe with the flip ups that was pretty dope.
I worked for Mitsubishi at the HQ in Socal back in the 90's. They had issues with the top mechanism and I remember there being a row of at least 50 of these just parked in the storage yard of the HQ, which were all buybacks. Even with the issues, they were amazing cars to drive at the time, pioneering a lot of features that we see as common today. I loved my time working there (and my pick of company cars each year), the company had a great vibe and we were all excited over the lineup. It's sad to see what Mitsubishi has become in the US, it's now a company making mediocre cars for credit challenged people, and not a performance model to be found.
Growing up my family was always into muscle cars, but as a young kid Amy Grandma’s neighbor had a red 3000GT and I always thought that was the COOLEST looking car. They’re looks are timeless!
You know my first generation Viper, which I bought brand new, had a sticker price less than this Spyder! That’s crazy money for that no wonder people didn’t buy many
Back in 2005 I bought a base 93' 3000GT as my first car. I mean yeah Auto, front wheel drive. I still have it in the garage and I can't get myself to sell it. Still runs, drives. Still love it
Respect I dream of buying one!
Thank you so much for the review! Hope you enjoyed your time in Dallas and behind the wheel! Until we meet again my friend.
My first car was a red 95 Dodge Stealth (pretty much the same car as the 300GT). It was the base model, not the RT, but was still a fun car! 03 Mustang GT -> 19 Fiesta ST after that
Coach at the local gym growing up had one. First time anyone in town ever saw a 4 wheel burnout coming out of Sonic. Opened a lot of eyes.
Im 6' 2" and owned a first gen so let me tell you those cars are definitely made for short people haha. I could barely fit my feet under the dash but it was fun to drive!
Had a 99 gen 1 gsx would occasionally pull my buddies out of the snow banks in Northern lower Michigan loved the all wheel drive great car but I've always wanted the vr4. Great car Great video.
Hey I randomly ran into this guy a few months back, we were looking for Cars and Coffee but the date randomly changed. Nice to see your car being featured 💪🏿
Haha what a small world! I remember you…next time we’ll get the dates right lol
@@DSMnation we started making our way to the other car show but it was too cold! Catch you at the next one superstar 😂
You need to review the 4G Eclipse GT. It's such an underrated sport car and doesn't get enough love and it doesn't deserve the hate that it's gotten/getting and it's actually starting to get some performance mods finally! If you lived near me I'd let you borrow it and use it for a review lol
A friends 95 vr4 is what sent me down the path of loving my turbo imports.
Dude! Back in the 90s I dated a girl who's mom owned a VR4! It was awesome! I'll say this, it didn't work out with the daughter, but the mom loved me! At the time I had a 240SX SE, so we got along great
A convertible!? Learn something new everyday. Looks fully sick! 😎🤙
The final year 3000gt was the best version in terms of looks.
I use to think so, but have grown to appreciate the looks of the 91-93. They look more 80's to me and more like a Ferrari.
That huge mouth and spoiler somehow work perfectly. Damn it'd always been a looker but they got it just right- then killed it!
3000GT VR4 cars are great cars.. they are hard to work on but, if you have the cash and Fabrication skill..A LS swap would cure from most of it's quirts mechanically...Great Review.
First car I ever did an AWD burnout in, not the fastest car but it really put it's power down
I love my 3000GT, It’s on jack stands right now because I’m rebuilding it. It’s just part of me.
Respect to you I dream of buying one!
@@Celicalover If you are going to buy 3000gt, I recommend the 1994 vr-4 version, it is a really great car. sharp as a samurai sword
I love the VR4, but while I could buy a few where I am, supporting one is so difficult and expensive.
Yeah same with any DSM. I want an Eclipse GSX so badly but don’t think I would like tearing it apart and fixing everything all the time
@@terrabnadia1793 Easy to work on, at least, the 4G63. They aren't as bad as people make them seem...people just put out high hp and high rpm builds on these little motors and expect them to hold together forever. I'd ge the Eclipse, if you want it...a GSX is only going to get more and more expensive to buy and run as time goes on.
@@terrabnadia1793 I did a complete tear down of mine 8 summers ago. In less than 3 months at a casual pace (3 days a week at most) part replacements came in and were installed, engine was professionally redone while I did body and electrical. Everything but the carpet was torn out and inspected. It's the best car I've owned to date and if my dumb ass can resto mod one, anyone can. Think of it as an art project, not a complex engineering challenge.
My wife's coworker had one.
The best thing about it was it's uniqueness.
Love the 3000GT VR4. But i love my Galant VR4 more. Mitsu for life!
Owner definitely loves it ! good job,! keep that baby stock
Loved these when they came out and would still love to have one!
I always laugh about shops not wanting to work on 3S cars. They’re no worse than anything from the 90’s, you really just need to pop off the intercooler piping and you have a load of clearance for most things.
Also stock weight is ~3700 for most cars, excluding the convertible
Man I miss my 92 Stealth TT. The aws was great too, I could keep entertained on an empty highway on a long drive just rapidly changing lanes and it would keep the body straight. Such a fun feeling haha.
I remember this Mitsubeast. Nothing could beat this in Gran Turismo 1.
My hometown Poughkeepsie NY is in the credits, how cool.✌️🙏
I owned a twin turbo manual vr4 about 5 years ago. It had a lot of goodies and it was wicked fast. I do still have pictures of it
This, the Galant VR4, and the 300ZX. All dream cars as a kid. Still hope to find a galant vr4 at some point.
Owned a 96 vr4 it was super fun. But my 300zx tt was just better all around. Both were a fortune to maintain and hard to work on
I love the 3000GT VR4 I think it's better than the eclipse
eclipse is a dsm car 3000gt is a jdm car
Awesome vid! I still remember when you posted that vid back in 2013. Folks on the forums where upset that the car you reviewed was a bad example lol. Personally I have a SL thats been my daily since 2010 and a VR4 that ive owned since 2012 thats mostly a weekend car. Still love them!
Test Drove stealth and vr4 both in 6 speeds and they were both fun and pulled hard unfortunately both were starting to show little blue smoke so I passed but fun test drives for sure.
He hit us left field with the Spyder VR4....
I love the excitement when you guys talk about this car. Had a 94 3000gt base but unforturnely wrecked it as a dumb 19 year old. By far my favorite car I have ever owned even with the pain the butt issues that comes from owning one.
When us 90's kids get to be in retirement age and we have really expendable income there is no telling what your clean original cars that we wanted when we were young but never could afford.
Fingers crossed!
I have one a 95 which I started today after one year sitting in the garage! Fired up in the second try!
I have the jdm Gto TT. Yes it costs a little to run and keep mint but is an amazing car. I thought it would be ok but turned out to be great to drive and own 🙂
Mitsubishi was like "Yeah we made a sports car with the classic long hood proportions, let's squeeze the engine in transversely"
That 3kgt is as heavy as my 1st gen sorento. Have in mind the sorento has a ladder frame and is a truck. So damn! Also my sorento has those exact cylinder heads. 😌
This car is still absolutely stunning, they may not have gotten everything perfect but I appreciate that they tried. Great review my friend.👊👊👊
Always loved the look of the Mitsubishi 3000gts. I have a neighbor that has one and she is the original owner. Also have a coworker who got rid of his 300zx to get a 3000gt. That’s dedication. Actually never realized that they were fwd cars until this past year.
I was a teenager in the early 90's, dude pulled up in the parking lot with a stealth R/T (black with purple underglow) soo cool lmao :D
Still want one of these. Either a ‘94 or ‘99. Preferably a ‘99, that year model was gorgeous.
I love my 3000gt have had it since a sophomore in high school back in 2017 not a vr4 but still very fun and has the nice looks but these things do require a lot of attention and maintenance but once kept up these things are reliable
great car. I have a stock 99 VR-4 and love it - sadly I will need to sell it soon. :(
my dad had a brand new stealth R/T turbo(basically the same car), i was too young to remember riding in it though. Theres a red, mint vr4 just up my street. These are a pretty rare sight nowadays. There was too much tech for its own good, the more stuff it has the more it will break and these arent the most DIY friendly to work on. High levels of dedication, money, wrenching time and love to keep those in good shape.
just recently bought a 1994 vr4 and I've got a starion! glad to see someone mentioned a starion for once lol
The 1994 3000GT VR-4 had a curb weight of 3,803LBS. Not too far off from a 2008 EVO X GSR at 3585LBS. The S650 Mustang GT Premium weighs in at 3730LBS with the 6 speed MT equipped.
I was just thinking when you would drop another 3000GT video and boom lol.
Definitely one of the best if not the best looking 90's cars. Love my 1994 3000gt VR4 that is 4g63 swapped (the 6g72 motors could not hold up to what I wanted to do).
The vr4 was such an awesome car, I'll never forget the first time I rode in one
This was an attainable dream car when I was a kid, now that I can afford it, its too old and expensive. Lmao.
I am building a 94 VR-4. I am located in Suffolk, VA if you want to check it out. You did a review on Mike's NSX type S and McLaren 600LT. I also will be building my wife's 2022 Explorer ST once the warranty has expired.
The 3000 GT is one of my all time favorites, this car is so under rated
Wow love this vr4! Have you done a video starion? It's my fave 80s mitsubishi
Found it! will watch after this one!
I had a 92 vr4 it was my favorite car I've ever owned and I keep kicking myself for selling it even though I made 20k from it.
As an owner of a Genuine 99 VR4. Owning 1 takes time, money, and patience. Parts can be hard to find, parts can be very expensive, and reliable mechanics are very hard to come by fixing them. With that being said these cars are a blast when all sorted out. The amount of attention you get driving 1 is just as pleasing.
I loved how Mitsubishi was a sponsor in like every Jackie Chan movie in the 80-90s.