An Underappreciated JDM Classic?

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The Mitsubishi GTO competed with such giants as the Nissan Skyline GT-R, Toyota Supra and even the Honda NSX but with even more tech. The GTO (or GT3000 for the world outside of Japan) came with active aero, electronically adjustable suspension, AWD and 4-wheel steering. It was powerful and fast, but all the tech made it heavy and sometimes unreliable. Today the GTO looks like a bargain compared to its contemporaries. So should you buy this one?

The GTO was built across three generations between 1990 and 2000 with a bunch of different trim levels and specifications. The one that is the performance king is the twin turbo version with somewhere around 300hp. The stack of cool new tech on the GTO at the time had car nerds drooling, but it came at a price. It was quite heavy in its day and there was more to go wrong. The engine bay is also tight making servicing difficult and expensive.

So based on that you’d be thinking you should steer clear. Maybe, but maybe not. There’s no denying the GTO is fast and looks cool in a 90s JDM sort of way. But it’s also affordable compared to the competition of the time. A Nissan GT-R or Honda NSX or Supra will knock you back significantly more than a GTO which gives you a bit of extra budget to fix things.

Now I’m not entirely sure, but I think this example is an MR (Mitsubishi Racing) model which did away with the heavy and complicated tech. Gone is the 4WS, active aero, electronic adjustable suspension, but the twin turbo V6 remains along with the Getrag 6 speed gearbox and AWD. This might make this car the sweet spot. Lighter, less complex and maybe cheaper to own.

This car is a 1997 model with just 128,300kms on the clock and 2 NZ owners. Like any 30 year old performance car you need to check it over carefully, but with an auction estimate of $17000 - $19000 it could make a lot of sense for someone looking for a 90s JDM sports car who can’t justify $80k+.

This car is being auctioned by Turners Auckland. More details here.