Re: Shed Of The Week: Mitsubishi GTO

[BlueDisco]

Much maligned big car I see. How many have actually driven one though? Admittedly, reliability can be a problem, more so if they're not looked after properly. Frighteningly fast in a straight line and can be lots of fun in the twisty bits if you take the time to learn how to get the best out of it.

Germany, 2008 indicated 175mph, not flat out.

Take it for what it is..

[Neil G60]

I don't have enough chest hair to pull one of these off

[Hrimfaxi]

Bloke around the corner from me had two of these at the same time. Only around for a few months..

[ellisd82]

Now that is a decent SOTW. Really want one of these. Needs to be red and a manual.

[Goodsteed]

BlueDisco said:

Much maligned big car I see. How many have actually driven one though? Admittedly, reliability can be a problem, more so if they're not looked after properly. Frighteningly fast in a straight line and can be lots of fun in the twisty bits if you take the time to learn how to get the best out of it.

Germany, 2008 indicated 175mph, not flat out.

Take it for what it is..

Anyone know what they're actually geared to top out at?

[The Arch Bishop]

My Dad had one of these during the import boom and it was a hateful thing. The interior was dreadful, the exterior was worse and it was massive. One day, he gave me the keys and said, 'Here son, have a go in this'. When my (unfortunately long) drive in it was complete he asked me what I thought, clearly expecting a late-teen fast car eulogy about how great it was. Sadly, I'd been brought up to tell the truth which, in this case was 'it's ste'.

Never before or since has technology managed to remove all trace of driving pleasure from a car. Wobbly vague steering, notchy gearbox (had to be rebuilt at 30,000 miles because the chocolate bearings had melted), terrible clutch and a general feeling that something expensive was about to go wrong.

Plus I felt like a cock driving it.

It was sold to an airline pilot a week before one of the ECUs went pop. Still, dads next fast(ish) car was a Skyline R34 GTS (single turbo RWD) which was a lovely thing so he redeemed his self.

[Markgenesis]

So in your late teens you had a shot of one of these, thought it was st and felt like a cock driving it ?

Cool story man.

[FourRingedDonuts]

I used to love these in Gran Turismo. I grew up and realised my brain is bigger than my balls so never entertained getting one.
I met the head of Mitsubishi UK in the nineties, he told me he chose the Galant VR4 over a 3000GT as a company car. He also told me Mitsubishi can't make a transmission to save their lives.

[soad]

FourRingedDonuts said:

I used to love these in Gran Turismo.

[Jeff Lemons]

Status Quo's tour manager lives in my village and drives one of these...


...make of that what you will.

[The Arch Bishop]

Markgenesis said:

So in your late teens you had a shot of one of these, thought it was st and felt like a cock driving it ?

Cool story man.

Sadly yes. Looking like a gangly streak of widdle driving an enormous unwieldy Japanese phallic symbol didn't appeal.

[Chim]

Had one of these back in the day, loved it. Was a Jap import with much work done and pushed out a smidge over 400bhp, mad as a box of frogs and looked great at the time. Sadly is has not aged well, still very fond memories of mine though

[muppet42]

TREMAiNE said:

Really? It looks crosseyed!

Never thought that myself about the z32. I mean, it's no Aero8 for example or have I been looking at different pictures...



Just think they're one of the most right looking cars to come out of Japan - such an unfussy, clean shape. Does rather benefit from some tasteful (personal opinion) wheels though...



Unfortunately it suffers from the Supra syndrome of being treated to horrible body kits and other ways of ruining them

[Rincewind209]

Not bad cars, dated now but still with ok performance and handling. It was only the VR4 version ( import only) that had 1750kg body weight, all others a bit lighter. Reliability wise, not bad at all. But almost all have been driven in to the ground now as they have dropped in price. Incidentally, the VR4 version had an extra 40 BHP.

This particular shed has hard work written all over it. Not the simplest car to work on, but could provide some pretty cheap fun.

[marshall100]

I've just watched an old topgear clip with Clarkson picking the VR4 GTO over an RX7.

I'd take the RX7 and it's massive bag of issues all day long over the GTO.

[SWTH]

Goodsteed said:

Anyone know what they're actually geared to top out at?

The 5-speed is geared to top out at 208mph, but aerodynamics defeat it at about 170. 4th is good for 161mph.

I would suggest that many of the 'my mate had one and it blew up every Tuesday' stories are as a result of buying shagged examples, a sheddy GTO TT has been sub £2k for many years now.

I miss mine - huge fun if you know how to drive it.

[How It Is]

Interesting looking car, I'm not hugely surprised so few are left on the road though, with all the complex electronics I suspect that these are very expensive cars to run and maintain, compared to similar cars of the era like the Supra Twin Turbo

[J4CKO]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJQxmoXMWIA

[How It Is]

Interesting looking car, I'm not hugely surprised so few are left on the road though, with all the complex electronics I suspect that these are very expensive cars to run and maintain, compared to similar cars of the era like the Supra Twin Turbo

[SWTH]

What complex electronics?

Serious question.