MITSUBISHI Starion Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

At the beginning of the '80s, the Turbo era just began and new sports cars appeared with small engines and turbochargers to challenge the old-fashioned cars with bigger engines.

Mitsubishi was just one of the car-manufacturers that understood the importance of a turbocharger and add-it to a big displacement four-pot engine under the hood. The design and the name made resembled a spacecraft, while the features inside the car were for the taste of a tech-geek.

The origami-design design of the vehicle was made with flat surfaces and three fake air-vents on the hood. A pop-up headlights system and a deep air-dam completed the sharp nose of the car. The short greenhouse hosted an optional sun-roof. In the back, the liftgate was opened along with the side windows.

Inside, the dashboard was flat and straight, with an instrument panel surrounded by a squared cluster. It was available with regular dials or with a digital cluster that showed the speed and the rev-counter with LED panels. In both versions, it showed the boost pressure level either with green and red LEDs or with a gauge. The squared seats offered side support for the front passengers, but very little room for the rear ones. An interesting failure in design was the door-mounted seatbelts and neither the driver nor the side passenger could not open them while they were strapped in.

The 2.6-liter engine was one of the biggest 4-cylinders on the market. It was boosted by a low-pressure turbocharger that helped it get a better torque in the mid-range. Its performances were above average for those times.