Stock Number: 4516

Mitsubishi's "Fresh Touring Origination" is one of the coolest cars we never had the privilege of getting to experience here in the US. Most of us only even recognize this car from our original Gran Tourismo days. Shockingly those first-generation consoles didn't quite do these cars justice. The bodylines are exceptionally rounded yet blend in some sharp angles to create stark contrasts. The resulting dramatic styling is a stark contrast from anything running around here at the time. Our latest '95 is finished in Mitsubishi's phenomenal Steel Silver Metallic (A34) which was a spectacular choice. The paint itself looks great and really doesn't have many blemishes to report. Any 25 year old car is going to have a few stone chips and some scratches in the clear, but nothing particularly noteworthy. While the bodywork is all OEM the front bumper is from the facelifted model which didn't come about until '97. The newer bumper is certainly sleeker, however it doesn't line up quite as perfectly as the original one did. With a little minor tweaking, it would probably be just fine. Otherwise, it's curvaceous bodylines look great, even the typical little door dings have been kept to a minimum. For an added pop '17 white Enkei wheels give it a rather rally-esque look. The wheels are in surprisingly good shape, however, white wheels are always a bit more challenging to keep clean so these do have some light staining.

The interior has been kept largely all original with a few nice upgrades. The most notable changeup is the driver's seat. The adjustable Recaro has a very similar profile to the stock one but offers a good bit more lateral support. In turn that means that the original passenger's seat doesn't look nearly as out of place as many do. Both seats are in well above average condition, free of any concerning rips or stains. Even the driver's side bolster has held up quite well which is typically the first thing to go. While the back seats are also in great shape it's hard to think that many people will want to squeeze back there in the first place. The original wheel has been replaced with a much sportier Momo and a carbon fiber Ralliart shift knob to match. We did want to note that because of the aftermarket wheel the SRS light is on. The sporty dash has been spared from any sun damage that we typically see in Nissans and Toyotas and has a very centralized layout. The gauge faces are easy to read with a clever little separate pod for the battery and clock. While the dash is in great shape the center console boot surround is cracked which you can spot in the photos. Like most cars of the era, it does have all of your typical power accessories; power windows, mirrors, and locks. Mitsubishi offered a very nice digital climate control system in comparison to many of the other companies at the time. The blend door does make a bit of excess noise when it goes to cycle through which is also a pretty common with Nissans as well. The aftermarket single din radio is nice for the fact it bring a 3.5mm input to the table so you can stream your phone. Though in all likelihood you'll want to replace it with something more US friendly.

Power comes from an equally unique 6A12 which is a two-liter V6. They opted for the nonturbo version (which was used in the Galant VR4) for longevity while still offering plenty of power. The GR was rated at 170hp with its best part being an 8K redline. The V6 makes a sound unlike anything else that we're used to around here, and we've heard a little bit of everything at this point. To liven things up a bit more our FTO is sporting a catback high flow Fujitsubo exhaust. They did a really good job from the factory of keeping the exhaust layout to be about as straight as it could be. The new setup offers a great burble that only gets better the higher the revs climb. Despite the front-engine/front-wheel-drive layout, the suspension is surprisingly well balanced. That balance directly transfers to the road-hugging ability that makes these little bantamweights so light on their feet. The stock suspension does a great job of sorting out bumps while still keeping body roll to a minimum. New rubber on all four corners also helps to keep traction when you're hard on the brakes or pitching it into a corner. With only 110K verified miles it appears that the Mitsu was very well taken care of back home in Japan; needing only those new tires and an oil change. The FTO really is one of those truly unique cars that we simply missed out on here stateside. Now is your chance to finally have one inside your actual garage, not your old Grand Tourismo one.

*California Residents: In order to register a Grey Market vehicle in the state of California then it will have to be made CARB complaint first. CARB certifications will have to be performed within the state. Depending on the vehicle and any existing modifications will affect the pricing. Typically CARB compliance will range between 5-10K. Additional information can be found on the California Air Resources Board website.