With its four-wheel steering, four- wheel drive, electronically controlled damping and, under that sculpted bonnet, a twin-turbocharged 24-valve 3.0-litre V6, it should have had sales folk clamouring for fresh supplies. Except things didn’t work out that way.To get more auto news, you can visit shine news official website.


A high price, lukewarm reviews and dealers’ inability to sell anything but Shoguns meant too many GTs kept showrooms company. It’s why you’ll find so few used ones for sale today. Not so its Japanese- market equivalent, the GTO. There’s a reasonable number of right-hand- drive, privately imported GTOs, priced from £2000 to £12,000.

The UK-spec 3000GT may have been expensive but it wanted for little. Whereas the Japanese GTO could be bought in naturally aspirated or turbocharged forms, with a five-speed manual or four- speed automatic gearbox and cloth or leather trim, the GT just ticked the boxes that mattered.

So as standard, it had that twin- turbo V6 producing 282bhp and a solid 300lb ft torque, sufficient to hurl the lardy 1740kg GT from zero to 62mph in 5.5sec. The gearbox was a five-speed manual and all fouroccupants enjoyed leather trim. Pop-up headlights and active front and rear spoilers completed the package.

The GT was facelifted in 1995. The pop-up lights gave way to projector- style units and the gearbox gained an extra cog. This Mk2 version endured until the model was dropped in 1999.

The GT is rare but scratch around and you might find one like the 1997-reg example offered, as this is written, on eBay. It has done 169,000 miles but has had a small fortune in refurbishment expenses lavished on it. Could be worth a bid.All very interesting but the Japanese GTO is the version you’re more likely to encounter and the one to buy. Such cars are often identified by sellers as a ‘3000GT (GTO)’ but the fact that some are also described as being automatic or non-turbo means they’re GTOs, pure and simple. In truth, so long as you know exactly what you’re looking at, it doesn’t matter. The GT and GTO are galvanised but the GTO resists corrosion far better. This is because the GT has additional underbody protection, which simply traps water. Parts for both are readily available.

Unlike the GT, the GTO had three facelifts: 1993, projector lights and, on twin-turbo cars, a six-speed gearbox; 1997, revised front bumper, hooped rear spoiler; 1999, revised front bumper, angular rear spoiler. Mk1s and Mk2s are the most plentiful and sought after.

Like anything that’s rare and a bit special, prices for GTs, and good GTOs in particular, are rising. Don’t delay.An expert’s view, Wayne Wamsley, Mitsubishi GTO owner: “I’ve had my GTO for eight years, during which time it’s been completely reliable and a blast to drive. My only serious complaint is how difficult some areas of the car are to work on. There’s so much technology. It’s all crammed in and hard to reach. Fortunately, being a Mitsubishi, it all still works.

The windscreen slopes forward quite a bit, which doesn’t help head room, but once you’re on board, it feels really special. My car is 26 years old but there’s no sign of any rust. I bought it on a whim for £2500. It’s worth around £4000 now so I’m happy.”