1995 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 Spyder

Description

A lot of the amazing things we take for granted in our cars today were cutting-edge tech when this cool 1995 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 Spyder was built: retractable hardtop, all-wheel-drive, twin turbos, and a six-speed manual transmission. When it was new, this was one heck of a car and today it represents one heck of a bargain.

The Japanese supercar wars gave us some pretty amazing hardware, but everyone pretty much agrees that the 3000GT VR4 was the king of the hill. It packed every bit of tech they could imagine into a low-slung sports car that was everyday friendly. The Spyder came late in the car's product cycle, but it lost none of the coupe's serious performance and gained open-air awesomeness. Dressed in gloss black it looks sinister, especially with the exposed projector headlights that were ostensibly designed to resemble a Samurai warrior's mask (no joke). It's completely original and believe it or not, it's 23 years old. Still, it remains in excellent shape with only a few minor signs of use and age, certainly in line with its age and mileage. The low-cut rear wing and modest body kit really make for a modest look that isn't over-done like some (looking at you C7 Corvette) cars we have today. You're still going to get looks, but nobody will think you're trying too hard when you drive this car.

The tan leather interior is remarkably sophisticated and tastefully trimmed. It's also in very good shape and remains a great place to be when you're driving for fun. The VR4 Spyder came only one way, and that's loaded. Features include A/C (needs to be serviced), power windows, locks, mirrors, and seats, cruise control, seat heaters, and a trick AM/FM/cassette stereo with a CD changer. Big, round gauges with auxiliary dials in the center of the dash look great and are easy to read and we have to remind ourselves that this car is more than two decades old. It has really aged well. And despite the serious performance, it also includes a fairly usable back seat and a decent trunk (as long as the top is up). And speaking of the top, it's a spectacular folding hardtop that works properly, stowing itself in about 15 seconds under that giant deck lid. This car looks great top up or top down.

Turbocharged six-cylinder engines were all the rage in the '90s and the Mitsubishi packs a twin-turbocharged 3.0 liter DOHC V6 (low mileage replacement motor installed at 99k miles) that grunts out a rather impressive 315 horsepower. Once the turbos are online, you'll need the standard all-wheel-drive system to keep it pointed straight, and despite being fairly heavy, this is still a very fast car. The slick-shifting 6-speed manual gearbox certainly helps, but this car is also happy to trundle around without a lot of shifting, so it's quite user-friendly. The suspension is competent but supple enough to drive every day, and obviously giant 4-wheel-disc brakes were standard equipment. It remains completely stock and unmodified, which is a nice find, and despite the radical (for the time) tech, it has proven to be reliable in the real world. It has lived in a warm climate, so even though it could probably slice through snow without effort, it never did. Optional chrome wheels still look awesome and they carry 245/45/17 performance radials.

If you were there, you know this is a special car. The fact that you can get it so cheap represents a fantastic opportunity for the guy who knows performance. Call today!