The 1990s were supposed to be Japan's decade of excess. The bubble economy had given manufacturers unlimited budgets and the confidence to build whatever they wanted. Toyota built the Supra. Nissan built the GT-R. Honda built the NSX. And Mitsubishi built the GTO Twin Turbo — a car so ambitious, so overloaded with technology, and so expensive to maintain that it got forgotten almost immediately after production ended in 2001.

That forgetting was premature. The Mitsubishi GTO Twin Turbo is, on its own terms, one of the most technically remarkable Japanese cars ever made. It just happened to be overshadowed by lighter, purer alternatives. But if you want a genuine 90s Japanese GT car with presence, performance, and enough technology to still impress today, the GTO makes a compelling case.

The Technology Showcase

The GTO launched in 1990. Mitsubishi loaded it with every technology they had available, some of which was genuinely world-leading at the time. The 3.0-litre 6G72TT twin-turbo V6 produced 280 PS — the Japanese industry cap. In AWD form it used active four-wheel steering (Electronic Control Power Steering that was actually four-wheel, not just rear wheel assist), electronically adjustable suspension with multiple damper settings, and active aerodynamics with a deployable rear spoiler that rose at speed.

The active rear spoiler on the GTO isn't cosmetic theatre. It generates measurable downforce at highway speeds. The active suspension can adjust damper rates individually for each wheel. The four-wheel steering system reduces understeer at low speeds and improves high-speed stability. In 1990, packaging all this into a production car was remarkable engineering.

The twin-turbo setup is sequential — one turbo operates at low rpm, both engage at higher revs. This reduces the lag typically associated with twin-turbo setups and gives the GTO a reasonably broad power band. The 6G72TT breathes through two large intercoolers mounted in the front bumper. Cooling is the engine's friend: properly cooled, these engines are robust.

Why It Got Overshadowed

The GTO's problems were real. It weighed 1,700kg+ in full AWD spec — heavier than an R32 GT-R by around 300kg, and heavier than a contemporary Supra by even more. All that weight meant that despite 280 PS, the power-to-weight ratio couldn't match its competitors. Zero to 100 km/h took around 5.5 seconds, which was respectable but not class-leading.

The complexity was also a maintenance headache. Active suspension, four-wheel steering, electronically managed turbo system — each is a potential failure point. Thirty years on, finding specialists who understand all of these systems is difficult. Some components are now genuinely difficult to source. Buyers considering a GTO today need to factor in the possibility that some electronics may need repair or deletion.

In markets where the car was sold as the Dodge Stealth or Mitsubishi 3000GT, it developed a bad reputation for reliability as the cars aged and were maintained by owners unfamiliar with its complexity. The JDM GTO, generally better maintained and with more specialist support in Japan, fared better.

The GTO Today

There's a genuine collector movement around 1990s Japanese cars, and the GTO is part of it. Prices remain modest compared to GT-Rs, NSXs, and Supras — a clean example in Japan can still be found for ¥800,000 to ¥1.5 million. Clean being the operative word. Well-maintained examples with documented service history are worth significantly more than neglected ones.

What to look for: full service history, functioning active suspension (test all modes), working rear spoiler deployment, no coolant leaks (the 6G72 head gaskets can fail if the cooling system is neglected), and a turbo that spools cleanly without excessive smoke. The AWD transfer case is robust but needs regular fluid changes.

The GTO Twin Turbo is the JDM car that history forgot. It deserves better. If you want something rare, technically fascinating, and genuinely fast by 1990s standards, the GTO makes a strong case. Not many people know about it. That might be exactly why you should buy one.