MITSUBISHI 3000GT REMAINS
For 1998, This Grand Touring Sports Car is Still Unlike Any Other When it was introduced for the 1991 model year, the Mitsubishi 3000GT took the world by storm. With its aggressive styling, surprising comfort and choice of several models, the 3000GT was like no other grand touring sports car ever produced. Seven years later, the 1998 3000GT remains just as revolutionary and offers a combination of performance and luxury that has yet to be matched. From its signature, color-matched high-intensity headlamps, aggressively sculpted bodyside, to the high profile rear spoiler, there's no mistaking the 3000GT on the road. With two significant exterior styling updates since its introduction, the 3000GT still turns heads wherever it goes. INTERIOR - Buy The 3000GT Here Inside, 3000GT is a blend of the latest technology and ergonomic design with several classic sports car details. The large speedometer and tachometer are positioned directly in front of the driver. Three secondary gauges are in the center of the instrument panel, angled slightly toward the left for quick glances during spirited driving. Directly to the right of the main gauge cluster are the climate control and audio system. While 3000GT is a sports car at heart, it was first and foremost designed as a grand tourer, comforting its passengers whether their destination is across town or across country. Unlike many sports cars, the 3000GT offers easy ingress and egress, and once inside there are wide multi-adjustable front seats trimmed in either sport cloth or leather. Its 2+2 seating and 11 cubic foot cargo capacity is another rare treat when compared to other cars in its class. SAFETY - Buy The 3000GT Here This grand touring sports car also has a practical side. Putting a remium on the safety of its occupants, there are dual front air bags, 3-point safety belts for all four occupants, side-guard door beams and safety cage body construction. Though all three 3000GT models are similar inside and out, they vary significantly between powertrains, drive configurations and suspension tuning. Yet, all three of these grand tourers are created through variations of a 3.0-liter V6, four-wheel independent suspension and four-wheel disc brake system. This allows Mitsubishi Motors to offer the 3000GT in various price and performance levels to meet the needs of different sports car buyers. AMENITIES - Buy The 3000GT Here Every model -- which includes 3000GT, 3000GT SL and the ultimate 3000GT VR-4 -- has grand touring luxuries such as air conditioning, power windows,door locks and sideview mirrors, cruise control, and a height adjustable, leather wrapped steering wheel. 3000GT - Buy The 3000GT Here The entry-level, 2-wheel drive 3000GT has a SOHC, 12-valve version of the 3.0-liter V6 that generates 161 horsepower. Available with a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission, 3000GT has 16-inch alloy wheels, AM/FM cassette with six speakers, a remote keyless entry system, driver's seat with recline·position memory, and sport cloth or available leather front seat trim. Options include fog lights, a single-disc player or a rear-mounted 10-disc changer, and an Mitsubishi/Infinity® premium AM/FM stereo with eight speakers, separate amplifier and both cassette and compact disc players. 3000GT SL buyers can also choose a rear-mounted, 10-disc CD changer as optional equipment. 3000GT VR-4 - Buy The 3000GT Here The 3000GT VR-4 is Mitsubishi Motors' ultimate grand touring sports car with its twin-turbocharged and twin-intercooled, DOHC 24 Valve 3.0-liter V6 that pumps out a whopping 320 horsepower and 315 lbs-ft of torque. If that isn't enough, the VR-4 has full-time all-wheel drive with a limited slip rear differential, a 6-speed manual transmission, and same phase 4-wheel steering, so there's no doubt what sports car is king of the hill. The 3000GT VR-4 warns its competitors what they're up against with massive 18-inch chrome plated alloys and Z-rated high performance tires. Huge 4-wheel ventilated discs with 4-piston front calipers and an antilock braking system (ABS) ensure incredible stopping power even after repeated use. Inside, the 3000GT VR-4 comforts passengers with leather front seating surfaces, automatic climate control with an easier-to-read control panel for 1998, and the Mitsubishi/Infinity® premium AM/FM stereo with cassette and compact disc players, separate amplifier and eight speakers. The VR-4 even has a power up-and-over sunroof. Befitting its role as the flagship sporty car from Mitsubishi Motors, the 3000GT VR-4 is so well equipped, the only factory option is a rear mounted 10-disc compact disc changer. ENGINES - Buy The 3000GT Here Al1 1998 3000GT models are powered by a 3.0-liter V6 featuring a cast iron block and aluminum heads, belt-driven single or dual overhead camshafts, roller-type rocker arms, hydraulic valve lash adjusters that eliminate the need for periodic adjustment, electronically controlled multi-point fuel injection and a distributorless dual-coil microprocessor-controlled ignition system. From this basic building block, the engines diverge. The entry-level 3000GT has a naturally aspirated 12-valve single-overhead cam (SOHC) version of the V6 that produces 161 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 185 lbs-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. 3000GT SL has a 24-valve dual overhead cam (DOHC) V6 that produces 218 horsepower at 6,000 rpm with torque of 205 lbs-ft at 4,500 rpm. The engine block of the DOHC V6 also features four-bolt main bearing caps for added strength. Also bolstering performance is Mitsubishi's Variable Induction System (MVIC™) which is basically two intake systems in one. To maximize and broaden engine power, torque, throttle response and fuel economy throughout the rpm range, MVIC™ electronically adjusts port length to suit different engine speeds: long, narrow runners for low speeds and short, wide runners for high speeds. SUSPENSION - Buy The 3000GT Here All 3000GTs models feature MacPherson struts with concentric coil springs up front and negative offset steering geometry. Mounted to a separate subframe, this thoroughly proven suspension design provides increased stability during braking, even if the driver inadvertently gets one side of the car off the pavement, or begins sliding on dirt or ice. Supporting and controlling each rear wheel of two-wheel drive models is a multi-link suspension consisting of one upper and two lower lateral links, a trailing arm and a gas-filled shock absorber/concentric coil spring unit. The ultra high performance all-wheel drive 3000GT VR-4 features a double wishbone design with upper and lower transverse control arms, as well as trailing arms with integrated toe-control links which induce stability enhancing rear toe-in. Coil springs and gas-filled shocks complete the picture. Al1 models are equipped with a front stabilizer (anti-roll) bar. A stabilizer bar is also fitted to the rear of the 3000GT SL and VR-4. These bars are selectively sized and tuned to the specific model and its unique tire profile. As a result, engineers tailored the balance of ride comfort, cornering stability and steering response in each model. BRAKES - Buy The 3000GT Here All 3000GT models are equipped with large-diameter disc brakes front and rear. All rotors are internally vented, resulting in more rapid heat dissipation and more resistance to brake fade during repeated hard stops. Front and rear rotors on the 3000GT VR-4 are fully vented for better cooling, and are 12.2 and 11.6 inches in diameter, respectively. The VR-4 also has four-piston front aluminum calipers and two-piston rear aluminum calipers. Anti-lock brakes (ABS), consisting of wheel speed sensors working in conjunction with a sophisticated microprocessor, rapidly apply and release the brakes to help prevent wheel lock-up during emergency braking. ABS is standard on 3000GT VR-4 and optional on 3000GT SL. STEERING/FOUR-WHEEL STEERING - Buy The 3000GT Here Power assisted rack-and-pinion steering, noted for its road feel, precise driver feedback and overall responsiveness, is standard on all 3000GT models. The 3000GT VR-4 features a four-wheel sterring system. At speeds above 31 mph, whenever the vehicle is acted upon by acceleration, braking or cornering forces, a transverse, rear-mounted hydraulic cylinder begins to act upon the toe control links to cause toe-in, a stabilizing condition. Hydraulically linked to the front steering box, the rear cylinder receives varying degrees of pressure based upon how quickly and how far the steering wheel has been turned. Rear toe angle is changed accordingly. Unlike some systems, the VR-4's four-wheel steering always angles the rear wheels in the same direction as the front wheels. Even the most experienced driver is unlikely to notice the rear wheels' steering because they turn a scant 1.5 degrees at the maximum. But don't be fooled by the numbers. A big chunk of the VR-4's incredibly stable high-speed handling characteristics can be attributed to this four-wheel steering system. ALL-WHEEL DRIVE - Buy The 3000GT Here To make sure every bit of the 3000GT VR-4's 320 horsepower reaches the pavement in as efficient and effective manner as possible, Mitsubishi Motors equipped this model with an all-wheel-drive system. The remarkably straightforward full-time all-wheel drive system directs power through the 6-speed gearbox, as well as to a center differential that incorporates a limited-slip viscous coupling. From there, power travels to both front and rear differentials, with the latter also employing a viscous limited-slip design. In normal driving conditions, when front and rear tires are getting equal traction, the torque split is 45 percent front and 55 percent rear. As a result, the VR-4 maintains a rear-drive handling bias under normal conditions. When the center viscous coupling senses a difference in the rotational speed of the front and rear wheels, additional torque is sent to the tires with greater traction, which, in this case, would be the wheels that are turning more slowly. The rear limited slip differential works in the same way, as it shifts power left-to-right according to the traction of each rear wheel. Regardless of the traction conditions, the all-wheel-drive system shifts torque so quickly and smoothly that the driver senses no unusual power transfer. Considering its aggressive styling, incredible number of model choices and available twin-turbocharging and all-wheel-drive, the 1998 Mitsubishi 3000GT is one of the most revolutionary sports cars ever introduced. And since no other manufacturer has been able to match 3000GT's success for the past seven years, it's likely to remain just that.
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