It was rebadged as a Mitsubishi 3000 GT.

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 3000 GT and Dodge Stealth design was the result of the collaborative effort between Chrysler and its Japanese partner Mitsubishi Motors.

It took its name from the Gallant GT, a two door hard Top Cooper copyright sold by the company in the early 19 seventies, which got its name from the Ferrari GTO which means Grand Cai Moa Moliga in Japan.

It was sold at a specific retail chain called car plaza overview.

Following the successful showing of the Mitsubishi HSA and Mitsubishi HSX concept cars at the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show.

Mitsubishi developed the new GT as a technologically advanced two plus two seater sports coupe to compete with the Honda NSX Mazda Rx seven Nissan 300 ZX skyline GTR Subaru SV X in the Toyota Supra, they resurrected the GT name and the car went on to serve as Mitsubishi Euro unregistered trademark s flagship for the remainder of the decade.

However, despite the cachet of the budget home, it was marketed as the Mitsubishi 3000 GT and as the Dodge stealth outside Japan, the company was concerned that Kara would object to the evocative name plate from the highly regarded Ferrari 250 Gt 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 Noa Japan.

Its introduction in Japan was during the softening of the Japanese economy known as the bubble economy which had an effect on sales.

A dodge stealth was initially to be used as a pace calf for the 1991 Indianapolis 500 race.

The United Auto workers however, did not like the idea of a Japanese manufactured car being a pace calf for the race and a prototype Dodge Viper was substituted 1990 A euro 1993.

The first generation model incorporated many of Mitsubishi's contemporary performance enhancing technologies such as full time four wheel drive, four wheel steering, active aerodynamics featuring automatically adjusting front and rear spoilers, sport to exhaust modes and electronically controlled suspension, active aerodynamics were not available on the Dodge stealth.

Visually.

Both cars featured pop up headlights and noticeable caps on the hood to accommodate the ECs controllers at the top of the Strat turrets.

However, the rest of factory body kit differed in styling with their respective badges.

Most notable of a Dodge signature cross hairs on the stealth front bumper, Fascia Ferrari inspired gills on the 3000 GT rocker panels, crescent shaped spoiler on the stealth, commonly referred to as the banana wing and Fund Active Aero Air Dam on 3000 G TV R 4, 1994 A euro.

1996.

2nd generation models are identified by a revised front bumper to accommodate projector beamed headlights and small round projector fog lights.

The caps on the hood were replaced with integrated blisters and the side air vents and rear bumpers were modified.

The interior was redesigned with dual air bags, a new audio system and revised air conditioning refrigerant.

The engines in the twin turbo models received a slight boost in talk from 307 lb aft to 315 lil B aft to complement this, the VR four now included a six speed GRG manual transmission, bigger wheel tire combinations were provided beginning in 1995.

The base and sl model received 16 inches wheels in silver chrome with 225 slash 55 tires.

While the VR four now had 18 chrome wheels with 245 slash 40 tires as the price of the cars increased many of the gadgets on the car were discontinued.

The tunable exhaust was phased out after model year, 1994 the ECs disappeared after the 1995 model year and the active aerodynamics disappeared after 1996.

Finally, Chrysler ceased sales of the Dodge stealth captive import.

And for the remainder of its life only Mitsubishi badged versions were available in 1995 and 1996.

A special edition convertible model known as the 3000 GT spider was created in limited production and only made available in SL and VR four trim shipped from the factory in coupe form and lacking a rear hatch.

These prep 3000 GTs received their spider transformation in California by as the hard top could be opened or closed to the touch of a button.

It was the first of its kind since the 1957 a euro 59 Ford sky liner and although it was abandoned after two years because of slow sales, it presaged a market which would eventually mature the following year with a Mercedes SLK 1997.

A euro 1999.

The HC engine previously only available in the base model stealth was added to the Mitsubishi Range after the Dodge version was discontinued.

Slower sales in the American sports car market led to a planned facelift for 1997 being abandoned in favor of minor cosmetic adjustments including a new front bumper and rainbow shaped arch type wing in 1999 the car received another exterior makeover including a new aggressive front bumper head lamps, turn signals, sail panels and a true inverted airfoil spoiler coin.

The combat wing for the 1999 VR four.

To distinguish it from previous models, 1999 was the final year that 3000 GT was available in the US market production for the Japanese domestic market finally ceased in 2000 with the last two cars sold the following year.

Gallery references, notes bibliography, external links GTO press release, Mitsubishi motors.com, August 25th, 1998 Mitsubishi GTO at DZ.