Mitsubishi GTO: PH Carpool
Japanese car nut translates Gran Turismo car buying habits to real life
Car: 1996 Mitsubishi GTO Twin Turbo
Owned since: November 2014
Previously owned: "2001 Vauxhall Corsa 1.0 Comfort (a hateful car in every way but I had to learn in something), 1995 Toyota Celica SS-III 2.0, 2003 Toyota Celica T-Sport, 1986 Toyota MR2 Mk1 Twin Cam."
Car generally standard; 'Essex' wheels to go
"As a 22-year-old I am a one of the PlayStation generation and grew up with a love of Japanese cars from the 1980s and 1990s. The Mitsubishi GTO never received the same recognition as the Supra, Skyline or RX-7 but it always remained a cult hero in my eyes. It is a reminder of a time when the Japanese made some very special cars. Having just sold my Mk1 MR2 I desired something with a bit more comfort and power for the winter!"
What I wish I'd known:
"Very little really; I'm still getting to know the car and I am well aware of the high running costs and service requirements they demand, being such a large and complex old beast. Generally though it seems that the GTO and its UK 3000GT counterpart are both very reliable and capable machines if they are looked after and serviced correctly.
"I made sure to avoid modified examples and chose a car that was entirely original except for an HKS mushroom air filter, an appropriate stainless steel exhaust system and some slightly Essex alloy wheels which I may look to replace with originals at a later date."
A forgotten JDM hero reckons our proud owner
"It is a fast Mitsubishi that isn't an Evo - that has to count for something!
"I love the effortless way that it picks up speed. From as low as 2,000rpm the first turbo delivers a massive kick in the backside with the second following shortly after. With 315lb ft of torque and approximately 300hp the GTO covers ground at a ridiculous rate, especially considering how big it actually is. With 4WD and massive tyres it is capable of putting its power down at any time, making short work of bad cambers and greasy roads - especially important for me living in County Durham. After the tail happy, raw nature of my MR2 it makes a nice change to have something which makes you look like a better driver than you actually are.
"I also love the way the car looks on the road. It is very difficult to convey its sheer size through photos but it has huge road presence. I think the swooping curves are aging well and GTOs and 3000GTs are becoming a rare sight on the roads these days."
Lucky man living near roads like this
"Hate is a strong word, however the lack of rear visibility combined with the bulbous nature of the rear end makes reversing in tight spaces very awkward. The large wheelbase makes the turning circle awful but the steering is power assisted and very light at low speeds. The owners' communities for the GTO/3000GT are nowhere near as busy and useful as they had been for my Mk1 MR2 or Celicas, but I'm guessing that is a result of its rarity, and the fact that they are a mechanic's nightmare."
Costs:
"While these cars are relatively cheap to buy compared to Supras and Skylines of this period, they are not cheaper to run. Approximately 30mpg is possible on longer drives due to a tall sixth gear, but you won't see much more than 20mpg around town. Parts themselves are not ruinously expensive but due to the complex nature of the car and the stringent service requirements there is a lot that potentially could cost you money. Tyres and brakes are obviously larger and more expensive with a car of this size.
"Even as an import I found insurance fairly reasonable; as a 22-year-old with a clean licence insurance was circa £800 third party fire and theft, not bad for a 3.0-litre twin turbo V6. After all, it was not so long ago I was paying more than double that for a 1.0 Corsa whilst learning to drive."
The kind of parental influence PH can rally behind
"Having only had the car a short while the longest journey I have done was the 200-mile drive back from Birmingham where I bought it. The GTO ate up the motorway miles and turned out to be a comfortable, fast and capable cruiser. With cruise control and a plethora of electronic goodies to play with it makes the longer drives so much easier. Apart from this the car has just been taken on the moorlands of County Durham and the surrounding areas so that I can get to know it better! My father owns a ST205 Celica GT-Four so sometime I can get out for a drive over the moors with him. The two cars make for an interesting comparison!
"One particularly interesting journey saw me run out fuel in the middle of nowhere in County Durham. It seems the needle on the fuel gauge is about a quarter of a tank optimistic!"
What next?
"Well with the MoT due in January I expect to be replacing the front pads and possibly the discs too. After that, I may look to source some original alloy wheels and possibly look into a remap if funds allow.
"I also need to replace the front number plate. That was damaged by a pheasant which changed its mind about being alive. I might use the opportunity to put a private plate on the car as I feel the current registration is crying out to be vandalised."
Want to share your car with PHers on Carpool? Email us at carpool@pistonheads.com!
Insurance ?
I found the running costs to be pretty good, however if its not looked after any bills may mount up, over £1k to do 60k service, but generally any brakes, tyres etc aren't any more expensive than other cars of this type
Love the nineties Jap performance cars and this is a great leftfield example.
I don't know much about them really but never understood how the Supra and Skyline seemingly got all the limelight whilst these and the 300ZX remained relatively unknown.
Good for you for having the cahones to buy it. Hope you enjoy it.
Be under no illusion, these cars can be ruinously expensive to keep running. There's well documented issues with the electrics, the engines, the gearbox (once tuned), the 4wd system, and ECUs that constantly corrode.
They're also not as quick as the numbers may suggest, the car is heavy, and the transmission leeches a lot of the power. They aren't a particularly sharp driving tool either, wallowy in the corners with very little steering feedback.
That said, if you're after a comfortable GT, don't mind getting your hands dirty, and can afford the maintenance costs, they do make some sense. But, I doubt I would ever choose one over a Toyota Soarer or a Twin Turbo auto Supra.
Insurance ?
Looking back it was rather daft.
Only thing that puts me off is the age of them, which worries me in terms of reliability.
Insurance ?
Back when I was 21-22 it was just when you started to see online insurance checkers. So you start off trying to find cars that are cheap to insure and when you get dispondant having set your autotrader to £1500 within 20 miles and still getting insurance prices of about 4/5s of the micra type car your trying to buy. You see something daft like an old Capri, (well back then 2.8i specials were knocking on that sort of money) or in my case Mk3 supras albeit mostly auto N/As, but then a turbo manual in black pitched up local-ish and I threw it through the comparison site for a giggle expecting 2k insurance, back it came only 2-300 more expensive than a 1.0 micra. So I double check phone them up and Yeah its all legit so Supra vs micra? Easy choice really.
I nearly bought a facelift one in passion red with a full aero kit at 20. Regret it that I never did. Over a decade later I think these are a bit long in the tooth for me now.
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