It’s a vehicle designed to let you and your chosen passengerface let’s it, the back seats are really parcel shelvesto load up for the weekend and cruise the highway in luxury and speed, passing without difficulty when necessary. With the 3000GT, you could still have a great time on winding roads. It might not be as adept at handling curves as a dedicated sports vehicle, but the outstanding comfort and wealth of technical amenities more than made up for that.
There are still some myths and uncertainties about the 3000GT because it was never as successful as the Supra or the RX-7.
In today’s succinct post, which is a component of our growing Car Facts series (where we dissect a single query about the great vehicles of yore), we respond to the query:
The Mitsubishi 3000GT is not a rear-wheel drive vehicle. The majority of cars had all-wheel drive (in fact, Japanese “GTOs came only as all wheel driveas is often the case, the North American market had some differences). There were non-VR-4 3000GTs with front-wheel drive available in North America.
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In This Article...
A Mitsubishi 3000GT has RWD, right?
The maximum speed of the Mitsubishi 3000GT 3.0 V6 is 250 Km/h (155 mph). Are the all-wheel drives (AWD) on the Mitsubishi 3000GT 3.0 V6? The Mitsubishi 3000GT 3.0 V6 does indeed have all-wheel drive (AWD).
The Mitsubishi 3000GT SL is AWD, right?
The SL also includes leather seats as standard. The 3000GT VR-4 has all-wheel drive, a twin-turbo V6, and tons of torque.
Is the 3000GT a quick vehicle?
You probably picture amazing speed, precise handling, and svelte style when you think about sports vehicles. Car fans are drawn to the sports vehicles produced by several manufactures.
At the time, the 1999 Mitsubishi 3000GT was a well-dressed automobile. However, good looks are only so good.
The two-door coupe came in three trim levels, according to Edmunds: base, SL, and VR-4. The 3000GT featured new front and rear design for the 1999 model year. The top-trim VR-4 also received a stylish genuine spoiler.
The 3.0 liter V6 in the front-wheel-drive base model wasn’t very impressive. The engine was just marginally more powerful than the original Eclipse’s motor, putting out 161 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque. Unsurprisingly, the 3000GT couldn’t satisfy the majority of speed-obsessed sports car lovers.
The FWD SL’s 3.0-liter twin-cam V6 engine produced 222 horsepower. The Mitsubishi 3000GT wasn’t the quickest vehicle to hit 60 mph due to its weight, though. However, it performed exceptionally well when making turns and stops. Additionally, it had a motorized sunroof, leather seats, and antilock brakes.
Top-tier AWD VR-4 vehicles featured twin-turbo V6 engines with exceptional torque. However, the 3000GT’s weight once more had a negative impact on its otherwise thrilling acceleration. The VR-4 models also didn’t stop or turn like the midrange SL.
The Mitsubishi 3000GT has four wheels for steering, right?
AWS is present, yeah. Since it is powered by the rear differential, it won’t have enough pressure to turn the wheels below 30 mph.
Are Turbos found in every 3000GT?
Non-turbo 3000GTs may be ordered in the North American market without all-wheel drive (AWD), but as far as we know, all GTOs in Japan had AWD (in New Zealand we get a lot of Japanese import used carsalthough GTOs are becoming an increasingly rare sight on the road, all of them here are AWD)
As you may be aware, the Mitsubishi 3000GT was also marketed in the North American market as a Dodge Stealth that had been “badge engineered” (if you’re interested in learning more about the minute distinctions between the two vehicles, check out this article about the 3000GT vs. Dodge Stealth).
The base-model 12 valve SOHC 3.0 V6 engine for the Dodge Stealth produced about 162 horsepower. This rather subpar engine option wasn’t offered for the original 3000GT or the first version facelift; only the Stealth had it. However, the Stealth was completely discontinued in 1997 (for the final makeover), and a base 3000GT model with the same SOCH engine was introduced.
As a result, there are some later model 3000GTs with a SOHC, non-turbo V6 available in the American market.
Dodge Stealth is it RWD?
The 1990s saw the emergence of another intriguing relationship, much like the 1980s and the odd partnership between Dodge and Shelby. This one too produced just one model in the end, although it was a really unique vehicle years ahead of its time.
In 1970, Chrysler purchased a 15% stake in Mitsubishi Motors and started importing and marketing the vehicles for the American market. These automobiles were by no means spectacular or attractive, but they paved the way for some impressive vehicles with the Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth names to enter the streets. Production started in 1988 under the Diamond Star Motors partnership in the United States because by the mid-1980s, Mitsubishi wanted to export their cars to America under the Mitsubishi brand with their own dealerships and distribution network. To support the production of both the Mitsubishi and Chrysler versions of these vehicles, a new facility was constructed in Normal, Illinois, and I have to admit, for the 1990s, these were quite nice little automobiles.
In 1993, Chrysler sold Mitsubishi their portion of the business again, but fortunately they were able to continue with a few collaborative models. The Dodge Stealth/Mitsubishi 3000GT is what I’m referring to. Dodge and Mitsubishi both released the car at the same time, however it was primarily a Mitsubishi model. It was an automobile that was WAY ahead of its time in many ways. Base, ES, R/T, and R/T Twin Turbo were the four trim levels available for the initial model year (1991).
With a single overhead cam 12-valve 3.0L V6 engine producing 164 horsepower and 185 lb.-ft. of torque and a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual transmission, the Base model glided around the road on the front two wheels. Not the greatest specifications ever. The ES was configured similarly, although it had the same 3.0L V6 engine options and a 24-valve dual overhead cam engine that produced 222 horsepower. We are improving a little bit. The R/T Twin Turbo was the true star of the show. So let’s discuss it in greater detail.
I have some first-hand knowledge of the RT TT Stealth. I once owned one and I must admit, I was in love with the vehicle. The same DOHC 24V 3.0L V6 engine drove the RT TT, but it had twin turbos instead. Before production came to an end, the powertrain’s most recent iteration produced 320 horsepower and 315 lb.-ft of torque. When compared to other automobiles on the market in the 1990s, 320 horsepower was a respectable amount of power to produce, especially coming from a V6 engine with such a small displacement. The automobile had a drag coefficient of.33, which was fairly low compared to the.33 drag coefficient of a 2001 Lamborghini Murcielago. It outperformed much more powerful vehicles like the 1994 Mustang Cobra in terms of speed. The last two years of manufacturing, which included new improvements and upgrades each year, were the best. One of the rare sports vehicles with all-wheel drive in the 1990s was this one. The majority of sports cars had RWD, while you occasionally saw coolFWD. The twin turbo stealth could launch like a rocket and maintain almost perfect traction at all times because to the full-time AWD system. Incorporating AWD in the domestic performance market wasn’t very prevalent. Numerous folks still pleadingly ask for an AWD option to be made available for the Dodge Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcat.
A 3000GT is dependable.
When buying a well-kept 3000GT, you should keep in mind that these vehicles were tremendously complex when they were first introduced, which was the better part of 30 years ago.
During the middle of the 2000s to the 2010s, the 3000GT was one of those vehicles that became reasonably priced for a while. Despite the fact that they were pricey when they were new, particularly the more complicated 3000GT VR4 type.
This meant that many specimens ended up in the possession of individuals who desired to own one but were unable to adequately care for their purchase (this is a frequent problem with any luxury or performance vehicle that depreciates significantly).
To learn more about the potential outcomes of this, see our post on the perils of purchasing a cheap, used VW Touareg.
The 3000GT/GTO has the potential to be a car that is fairly unreliable and throw up some significant expenses due to its high levels of complexity and the possibility of inadequate maintenance.
Although we believe that the typical 3000GT will be more dependable than a European sports vehicle from the same era, there are undoubtedly many neglected models out there waiting for some unwary owner to come along and blow some cash, only to find themselves sitting on a terrible money pit.
Read this 3000GT buyer’s guide if you’re considering purchasing a Mitsubishi 3000GT/GTO and want to make sure you purchase the most dependable model available.
We have created one of the best online resources for finding, vetting, and purchasing a high-quality 3000GT.
By doing so, you’ll be able to avoid purchasing a subpar car and instead locate the ideal vehicle within your price range.
Additionally, you might choose to spend money on high-quality instruments that can make it simpler to check, maintain, and fix your car. As a great resource for product reviews on auto maintenance and repair, we suggest The Grumpy Mechanic.