1995 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 Spyder

This may very well be my favorite Japanese car ever. (Except for the Toyota 2000 GT, but my chances of owning one of those are zilch.) It's also a car that, for the most part, seems to be forgotten. Maybe it's the Mitsubishi name, maybe it's the connection to the Dodge Stealth, maybe it's that it didn't sell especially well, but when people discuss great Japanese sports cars, the 3000GT VR4 Spyder seems to get little mention, if it gets mentioned at all.

This car should be a legend. It has a 3-liter, twin turbo, 24-valve, 320 HP engine, a 6 speed transmission, AWD and 4 wheel steering. As for performance, the 3000GT VR4 hits 60 MPH in 5.5 seconds. (Some sites quote a 5.0 time.) Top speed is in the 160 MPH neighborhood.

Being a Mitsubishi, it was loaded with technology, some of it pointless. One of the coolest pieces of technology, and one that it not pointless at all, is the power-retractable metal hardtop. With the push of a button, it lifts, retracts and stores itself. This was not created by Mitsubishi, but by American Sunroof Corp (ASC) in California. Interestingly, ASC developed this roof - the first retractable hardtop since the 1950s Ford Skyliner - for a 1991 Nissan 300ZX, but Nissan wasn't interested in the design. Mitsubishi was, and had ASC create the 3000GT Spyder. (An amusing note: Heinz Prechter, the founder of ASC was arrested in 1997 for doing 110 in a 45 MPH zone in a Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 - In court, he pleaded guilty to reckless driving. When the judge asked him why he was driving so fast, he replied "because it was a beautiful day and a beautiful car." Gotta love that attitude.)

This car is a 60,000 mile example. From what I can gather (the eBay text is a bit confusing), it is being sold by its second owner. It is, for the most part, stock. The original wheels have been replaced with some aftermarket ones and there is now a $5000.00 sound system in it.

At 15 years old, this car can still hang with most modern sports cars. It's 0-60 time is still credible today and with its AWD system it's able to stick to the road in situations where newer, better known, sports cars would be losing grip.

The 3000GT VR4 Spyder was built for just two years, 1995 and 1996. When new, they sold for over $65,000.00. It was only offered in North America. Less than 1000 were built in total.

Today they regularly sell for between $25,000.00 and $30,000.00. This one is being offered on eBay with no reserve. (The seller states in his listing that it has a $26,900.00 Buy It Now price, but there's no BIN button at the top. The listing is not well done.)

Located in Orlando, FL, click here to see the eBay listing.