Mitsubishi GTO

The Mitsubishi GTO is a sports car built by Japanese automaker Mitsubishi between 1990 and 2001. In most export markets it was rebadged as a Mitsubishi 3000GT. It was also imported and sold by Chrysler in North America as a Dodge Stealth captive import from the 1991 to 1996 model years with only minor detail/appearance differences; mechanically, the two cars were identical. The Mitsubishi GTO, or Mitsubishi 3000GT, and Dodge Stealth design was the result of the collaborative effort between Chrysler and its Japanese partner, Mitsubishi Motors. The Japanese model took its name from the Galant GTO, a two-door hardtop coupé sold by the company in the early 1970s, which in turn got its name from the Ferrari GTO, which means Gran Turismo Omologato (grand touring, homologated). In Japan, it was sold at a specific retail chain called Car Plaza.

Overview

Following the successful showing of the Mitsubishi HSR and Mitsubishi HSX concept cars at the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show, Mitsubishi developed the new GTO as a technologically advanced 2+2 seater sports coupe to compete with the Honda NSX, Mazda Cosmo, Nissan 300ZX, Skyline GT-R, Subaru SVX and the Toyota Supra. They resurrected the GTO name, and the car went on to serve as Mitsubishi’s flagship for the remainder of the decade. However, despite the cachet of the badge at home, it was marketed as the Mitsubishi 3000GT and as the Dodge Stealth outside Japan; the company was concerned that connoisseurs would object to the evocative nameplate from the highly regarded Ferrari 250 GTO and Pontiac GTO being used on a Japanese vehicle. However, regardless of its badge or eventual target market, every car was built on the same production line at Mitsubishi's plant in Nagoya, Japan. Its introduction in Japan was during the softening of the Japanese economy, known as the "bubble economy" which had an effect on sales.

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