Most people today only know Mitsubishi for their SUVs such as the Eclipse Cross, but if you're an automotive connoisseur, you know there's so much more to Mitsubishi if you look back at the brand's history. Mitsubishi made its impact on the automotive world through rally racing, for the most part, and eventually, they tapped into the tuner scene as well.
The most noteworthy creation from the Japanese auto manufacturer was the Lancer Evolution; basically, an all-wheel-drive sports sedan that was the main rival to the Subaru WRX STI, and it was as good on-road, as it was off-road. But there's much more to them than the Evo, and today, we'll have a look at exactly which sports cars made Mitsubishi so famous.
10 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4
The Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 was one of the most revolutionary cars of all time. Back in the '90s, this sports car accomplished feats other manufacturers only dreamed of such as incorporating an adaptive exhaust system, active aerodynamic components, and a high-tech interior that didn't look like it came from a Star Wars knock-off.
The VR-4 had some serious power too. It was powered by a 3.0-liter V6 engine with two turbochargers attached to it that delivered 320 hp and 314 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels, and despite it weighing 3,800 lbs, the 3000GT reached 60 mph from a stop in under 5 seconds.
9 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X FQ-440 MR
You knew it was coming, and here it is – the first Lancer Evolution for the list – the underrated Evo X. We won't be talking about the standard tenth-generation Evolution, but rather the FQ-440 MR. As the name suggests it produced 440 hp, but this Evo wasn't powered by anything nearly as large as the 3000GT's V6 – no, it derived its grunt from a little 2.0-liter turbo-four – madness.
Only 40 of these cars were ever built, and they sounded as bonkers in the real world as they did on paper. 0-60 somehow happened in just 3.6 seconds, but unfortunately, this was Mitsubishi's last ever proper performance vehicle before they started catering towards the masses instead of us gearheads.
8 Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR
Going from the last performance-infused Lancer we'll be turning back the clock, and talking about the first ever one to exist, the 1600 GSR. The GSR might not have had the EVO badge attached to its name, but that doesn't mean it was less spectacular than the Evos at all.
Its name was rather self-explanatory too, the GSR stood for "Grand Sport Racing, "and the 1600 was a nod to its 1600cc engine that produced well under 100 hp, but that was more than enough for the little 2,100-lb rally racer, especially considering it was built in the early 1970s. The 1600 GSR went on to win the Southern Rally Cross four times and the Safari Rally two times.
7 Mitsubishi Starion ESI-R
The Starion was Mitsubishi's take on a grown-up sports car to compete alongside the likes of the FC Mazda RX-7 and the MK3 Toyota Supra, and as you could have guessed, it was heavily overshadowed by its competition. The Starion was far from being considered a bad sports car though, it was rather good actually, especially in its ESI-R trim level.
The ESI-R was fitted with a factory widebody to accentuate the immense power its near 200-hp turbocharged inline-four produced, and since it was rear-wheel-drive and had a stickshift, it could be properly hooned around too.
6 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
The eighth generation of the Galant – Mitsubishi's mid-sized family sedan – received special treatment, much like the Lancer Evos did, only instead of being equipped with a turbocharged four-banger, the Galant received a twin-turbo V6, much like the one found in the 3000GT VR-4.
This particular V6 had a displacement of 2.5 liters, but produced a rather impressive 280 hp and 268 lb-ft of torque; in the real world, this meant that the Galant VR-4 could catapult itself to highway speeds from a dig in under 6 seconds.
5 Mitsubishi Galant AMG
That's right, you're eyes aren't deceiving you, the AMG badge coupled to the Galant name wasn't just some fancy acronym, it was actually a reference to the third party involved in this insanely rare mid-sized sedan's existence, Mercedes-Benz's in-house tuning company, AMG. Only 500 of these were ever produced, every single one was meant for the Japanese Domestic Market, and not many people remember this car's existence.
Unlike the VR-4, the Galant AMG only had its front wheels receive any power, and that power was much lower (170 hp) than the aforementioned VR-4. After all, it was powered by a naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. There was one trick that AMG added to the engine, and that's an 8,000 rpm redline, allowing it to properly stretch out its legs.
4 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX (Second Generation)
There were four different generations of the Mitsubishi Eclipse before it devolved into an SUV called the Eclipse Cross, and the second generation is arguably where this little Japanese sports car peaked. There are a ton of different trim options the second-gen Eclipse was offered in; it varied between front-wheel-drive, all-wheel-drive, coupe shape, or a convertible roof, but above all, the GSX trim level reigns supreme.
In the GSX trim, the Eclipse was all-wheel-drive and fitted with a turbocharged 210-hp 2.0-liter four-pot to complement its radical appearance. There were two reasons also behind the Eclipse's legendary status, the first being the vast aftermarket support and the second being its features in various Fast & Furious films.
3 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR
We've already stated that the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was a purebred rally car that was equally as good on the tarmac as dirt, but some consider the Evo VIII to be the best of them all overall. Its appearance was the perfect blend between angry Japanese warrior, and sleeper sedan, and the MR version gave it the slight boost to earn it true performance car status.
The intercooled and turbocharged inline-four fitted to the Evo VIII MR had a displacement of 2.0 liters and a total power output of 276 hp and 286 lb-ft of torque. There were also a plethora of exterior modifications specific to the MR, like vortex generators, an aluminum roof, and lightweight BBS wheels to enhance its cornering capabilities.
2 Mitsubishi FTO GPX
Initially, the Mitsubishi FTO was built between 1971 and 1975, but after a long pause, in 1994, the FTO badge was revived and remained in circulation in the automotive world for six years – we'll be talking about the last-generation FTOs today.
Just like most other Mitsubishi sports cars, the FTO was offered in an endless amount of different variants, but we'd argue the sweet spot was the FTO GPX. Its 197-hp V6 was mated to either a 5-speed manual stick shift or a 4-speed auto box, and no matter which you'd choose, the FTO GXP remained a lively, compact little front-wheel-drive sports car, with an affordable price tag today.
1 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Tommi Mäkinen Edition
There's one Evo that stands out from all the others, and it's excruciatingly rare. It was part of the sixth-generation Lancer Evolution lineup, but this particular one was called the Tommi Mäkinen Edition. It was built in celebration of the legendary rally racer, Tommi Mäkinen's, fourth Drivers' Championship for the fourth time in a year in the World Rally Championship.
Just around 4,000 examples ever left the factory – so you already know they're unbelievably valuable – and they all came with a traditional 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with the exact same 276 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque as the base model Evo VI, but it had a more rapid turbocharger, a completely redesigned body, a lower ride height, a Momo steering wheel, and shifter, and was only offered with contrasting white 17-inch Enkei wheels.