The Mitsubishi That Could Be, but Almost Certainly Won't

Tim Healey
by Tim Healey

You may have spotted a crop of recent headlines and briefly thought that Mitsubishi has designs on returning to the sports car market.

Sorry to burst that particular bubble.

However, if, like me, you spent at least a portion of the 1990s daydreaming about the 3000GT, a report from Motor1 suggests that you might have reason to dream. Well, only if the automaker listens to outsiders who have talent and enthusiasm but not an employee ID.

A rendering has shown a possible future for Mitsubishi high-end sports cars – the 4000GT.

Renderings don’t mean much, especially when they come from a third party and not the automaker itself, but if one is inclined to hope, the 4000GT has the spirit of the old one while also sporting a modernized look.

The lines are sharper, and the overhangs are no longer equal – the front overhang is long and the rear is short. There’s a giant wing out back that would make a Subaru STi green with envy. One feature from the past pops up – pop-up headlights. Pun intended, and I’m not sorry.

Daytime running lights and the rear lights both run the car’s full width.

Since it’s just a drawing, there are no specs, but if it were me running Mitsubishi, I’d find a twin-turbo six, a manual trans, and an all-wheel-drive system.

Of course, if it were me running Mitsubishi, the Eclipse Cross would have a different name, the vehicles would be better in terms of build quality, an Eclipse sport coupe would still exist, and this car would be built.

But I run this blog (at least up to a point…I have corporate masters to answer to), not a car company. I can make up a fantasy lineup without being beholden to bean-counters and business realities.

And the business reality for Mitsubishi isn’t good, which makes me think this car won’t ever come to fruition. Alas, it exists as merely a design exercise, in all likelihood.

Too bad, because Toyota’s new Supra needs more competition.

[Image: Mitsubishi]

Tim Healey
Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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  • Jeff S Jeff S on Jun 09, 2020

    Agree Mitsubishi needs to go with mainstream vehicles such as crossovers and small compact car which they are already doing. They should add a simple compact pickup to their product lineup.

  • John R John R on Jun 09, 2020

    Shooosh! "Ghost in the Shell", take me away!

  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
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