If you asked anyone to list the top ten best performance cars of the '90s, eight out of ten times, the 3000GT VR-4 would miss the top. It’s hands-down the most underrated performance car of the '90s. David Patterson, popularly known as “That Dude in Blue” on YouTube, got the chance to drive a minty 1995 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 Spyder with a drop-top.
The 3000GT VR-4 Spyder gets a bad rep for a couple of reasons. Its most popular version was the front-wheel-drive variant called 3000GT, or GTO in Japan. However, a more potent version lurked under the radar, the 3000GT VR-4 – an underrated beast.
The variant Patterson featured on his channel belongs to Andy. It’s a 1995 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 Spyder with a drop-top.
Andy bought it in 2017 in New York with 23,000 miles on the odometer. It’s in impeccable condition considering its close to 3-decade age. Stock, the 3000GT VR-4 Spyder comes with a twin-turbo 3-liter V6 mated to a six-speed manual transmission making 300 hp (304 ps).
Apart from being confused for its less potent variants, the 3000GT VR-4 Spyder was ahead of its time. It might have been a 1995 sports car, but it featured active aero (quite problematic) and an automatic/adjustable electronically controlled suspension system (ECS).
The VR-4 Spyder also came with an all-wheel-drive system and a hydraulically-powered all-wheel steering that probably contributed to its flop. In 1995, many people didn’t understand it, and as Andy explains, most original owners got rid of the system altogether.
The cockpit was something out of a star trek movie with computerized climate control knobs and gauges up top. For a '90s car, Andy’s Spyder VR-4’s roof raises and lowers in 30 seconds, which is impressive even by today’s standards.
The Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 competes with the '90s Toyota Supras, Mazda RX-7s, and Acura NSXs. It’s an absolute gem and a head-turner.
Behind the wheel, the sports car handles perfectly, considering the structural disadvantages of a convertible (thanks to the four-way steering/all-wheel steering system).
“Another thing I am noticing is the turbos have a linear torque band. Once they hit it, they are done. Like that’s it,” Patterson confessed while driving the VR-4 Spyder.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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