From the April 1994 issue of Car and Driver.
Last November at the preview of the new Mustang, Ford revealed that the styling of one of its early mock-ups was inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Mitsubishi now tells us its recent freshening of the 3000GT sports car was inspired by Benkei. Benkei? Is that the cute little Disney dog? Or the naughty Swedish actress? No, says Mitsubishi, this Benkei is a warrior character from Japan's historic Kabuki theater.
Oh, that Benkei!
We have it on good authority that Benkei was a tough guy—so fierce that when he died of arrow wounds, he was still standing up. Unlike Benkei, Mitsubishi's fierce 3000GT VR4 and its sister ship, the Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo, aren't about to expire anytime soon. But they've been changed this year to make them more ferocious.
There's a lengthy list of revisions. For the VR4 model, there's twenty more horsepower and eight more pound-feet of torque on tap. The twin-turbo engine is linked to a new six-speed gearbox, and the brakes have been upgraded with larger discs and twin-piston, aluminum rear calipers. Other changes carry through the 3000GT lineup. There is a new passenger-side airbag, CFC-free air conditioning, and a new Mitsubishi/Infinity audio system.
The front of the 3000GT has glass-covered, projector-beam headlamps, replacing the previous pop-up units. Smooth hood bulges have replaced the caps that covered the suspension strut towers, and the car's little air intakes look cleaner. It's a sleek car. But the 3000GT still doesn't remind us of a Japanese warrior—American Gladiator is more like it. If all cars came with the scoops, swoops, and spoilers of the VR4, J.C. Whitney would be out of business.
The Benkei treatment turns out to be expensive. While the price of a 3000GT begins at $27,645, the top-line VR4 model starts at $42,253, up 9 percent from last year and a stunning 32 percent more than when the car was introduced three years ago. And that puts it up there with Nissan's 300ZX Turbo at $41,272. A well-optioned Corvette bows at less than $40,000.
Mitsubishi has kept its sports car fully competitive. The VR4's roadholding is 0.92 g, and stopping from 70 mph takes 164 feet. The VR4 goes from zero to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds—0.4 second faster than the last VR4 we tested. Top speed is 153 miles an hour.
Mitsubishi may know turbochargers better than anyone—it even builds its own. Between 3000 rpm and the 7000 redline, the buffed 3.0-liter V-6 is a paragon of strength and smoothness. Boost lag is barely perceptible at a relaxed pace, and seems to evaporate in fast driving.
The driveline is almost as trick. Four-wheel drive is something else in a car with this much power. Few cars can squirt out of corners like the VR4. Despite its confident traction, there's oversteer to play with, owing to the car's 45/55 front-rear torque split and its hydraulically actuated rear steering system. The Getrag gearbox shifts easily, unless you're looking for the new sixth gear, which resides at the end of an awkward jog to the right and back. A minor annoyance remains: each clutch engagement during hurried driving is accompanied by an unseeming thud in the driveline.
The VR4's powerful brakes feel more consistent, and resist fade better. The ride could be better, despite the Electronic Control System suspension. With the two-position dash switch set to Touring, the VR4 pounds over bumps. Switch it to the Sport setting and the suspension seems to disappear almost entirely.
Despite its prodigious assets, the 3000GT VR4 still falls just shy of thoroughbred status. Blame it on the bane of bean counters and engineers: that elusive "feel." The 3000GT's body is not tight like that of a 300ZX or a Supra, nor are its moves as intuitive. Some of that is the result of the bloodline. The 3000GT VR4 was born from the platform of the old Mitsubishi Galant VR4—a speedy but much less expensive sedan. That car was certainly not a sow's ear, but it wouldn't be our first choice for stud service in conceiving a sports car.
Thoroughbred or not, you would have to be an untutored greenhorn to challenge one of these Mitsu 3000s on the street or at the track without having serious firepower of your own. Benkei, you should know, never had much of a sense of humor.
You Might Also Like
Comments