If you want that special Coupe to stop people dead in their tracks then look no further! On its’ debut in 1994, the FTO was voted Japanese Car of the year and attracts attention by the dozen just by its’ weird and wacky body style. It has sweeping muscular curves with cool sloped headlights and a chopped off tail end. You will be hard pushed to see one of these such is their scarcity.

There are 3 different power plants: the 1800 GS (125 bhp), the 2 litre V6 GR/GX (170 bhp) and the top of the range 2.0 V6 24v MIVEC GPX/GPR (196 bhp) which has to be one of the best handling front wheel drive coupes available. It whizzes you to sixty in under seven seconds and hurtles you down the motorway at 140 mph. Around 30 mpg is the most you can expect. The MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve Timing & Electronic Control) set-up gives a very smooth ride with surges of power when you rev the engine hard (up to 7700 rpm). No hot hatch will be able to live with it. In the V6, the sound of the engine must be a ‘gift from the gods’. 99% of models come with a Tiptronic style gearbox called the ‘INVECS-11’, which learns and adapts to your personal driving style. It can recognise road gradients and you can switch into sports mode (manual change) for better performance. From 1997 the FTO gained more standard safety equipment - ABS, twin airbags - and traction control comes on the top specs. The interior is excellent with sporty seats, retro-style hooded dials and a Momo steering wheel. Equipment levels are naturally higher on the better models with aircon and a CD player. Boot space is good enough. Check out the GP Version R lightweight model for the ultimate FTO! The MIVEC engine is very reliable but makes sure the gearbox works perfectly as it’s expensive to repair/replace. Early models have a low price tag of around 7 grand. Not bad for a rare work of art!

Taken from http://www.carsurfer.co.uk/

Bravo, Mitsubishi. It's been a long time since we've witnessed such courage from a Japanese manufacturer. The courage, that is, to release a car with true character and even a splash of originality. Meet the Mitsubishi FTO. Japan's Car of the Year for 1994

The FTO is based on the chassis of the Lancer/Mirrage series and features two engines already in use - the 1.8 litre four-cylinder and the two-litre V6 MIVEC engine.

But first we must mention the INVECS II (Intelligent and Innovative Control System II), gear change. In incorporates a Neural Network which works in a similar way to the decisions-making process of the human brain. Data on a driver's preferences is fed into a Learning Control circuit, which selects the optimal gear for that particular driver.

It also has an all-new sports mode, of a Japanese version of the Porsche Tiptronic gearbox. This new system, which costs roughly half that of the Porsche variety, allows the driver to select manual operation and drive the car as he would drive a manual.

The result is excellent. In sports mode, just a quick flick of the gear knob forwards or backwards is enough to engage the desired gear with lightning response. You also have the option of pushing the engine right up to its unusually high 8,000prm redline before firing in the next gear.

The car handles superbly. Front suspension is by MacPherson struts with stabilisers and the rear is by multilink, giving the FTO a very stable but sporty ride. The suspension has been further tuned to enhance its cornering ability and, with the exception of a little under steer, the results are good.

The interior layout and instrumentation are in keeping with the sporty feel, Seats are comfortable and supportive and the dashboard features basic yet will located dials and switches.

With prices starting at the equivalent of about £11,000, the FTO`s value for money is exceptional. But don't get too excited. With a baffling disregard for the need to hit Europe with something 'original', the Japanese are, as usual, keeping their best to themselves.

The 1994 Japanese Car of the Year is staying at home. Shame.

If you've ever played Gran Turismo you'll be familiar with the Mitsubishi FTO. Front-drive, small V6 engine, trick valve timing and 100bhp per litre, all wrapped up in a curiously funky /ugly turret-topped body. Now officially on sale through Mitsubishi specialist Ralliart, you can now legitimately add the little 'Bishi to your coupe' shopping list. But is it worth the ink? First impressions say no. It's far too tippytoe on 16in alloys, and the interior is bleaker than an old Mini City. The only high-point is the rev counter, complete with an 8000rpm red line. Perhaps things aren't so bad after all…

Exhaling through a massive HKS exhaust pipe, the diminutive 2-litre, 24-valve V6 sounds more potent than you'd expect, gurgling and yowling with every prod of the throttle. Slot first and it's clear the gearchange is workmanlike but uninspiring. Likewise the steering feels darty but lacks weight and feedback.

Give it full throttle and bugger-all happens below 5500rpm, at which point the FTO's Mivec valve timing wakes up. Unless you cane the socks off it, the FTO moves up the road as though you've left the handbrake on. Curiously for a Jap motor it doesn't seem to want to rev; a bit of a problem when it needs 7000rpm to really give its best. That said, it's quick all-out, although it's all too easy to get caught napping. You get the feeling a decent set of gear ratios would bring it alive.

The real revelation is the chassis. So benign is the balance that it's difficult to tell which end is driven, and only a standing start on wet tarmac actually confirms it's front-drive. You can commit to corners at absurd speeds, working all four Bridgestones for all they're worth. It really is sensationally neutral, with terrific high-speed damping, and even when you manage to get the FTO sliding it does so all- of-a-piece.

With some better tyres than the hard-Iooking Potenza S-O1s, it would feel equally storming in the rain. On our test route across Black Mountain, the FTO was the only car in which you could really attack the road, braking deep into the corners, exploiting the almost boundless grip and working the inspiring brakes until the pads caught fire. The biggest problem was the widely spaced pedals that made heel-and-toeing difficult.

As much a disappointment as a thrill, the FTO is a frustrating mix of low-rent equipment, odd looks and the sort of point-to-point ability that would give an Integra Type-R a fright. As it stands, good as the dynamics are, they're not enough to make the FTO a seriously desirable coupe. RM

Was the Mitsubishi FTO the first coupe to be unashamedly influenced by the Fiat Coupe, which preceded it to the market? This car offers the same design approach: chuck disparate elements in the corporate blender and make a decision early on whether the pips should be kept in, or chucked out.

Mitsubishi retained pips and pulp. From the front, the FTO snout, glassed-in lights and a supremely confident front wheelarch treatment which sees the top of the arches bust softly through the bonnet line. At the rear a slightly muscular triangulation occurs above the wheel, snarking up to a pronounced rear wing. The car has cabin-as-turret: upright, proud, seemingly at odds with the anteater nose.

Grabs eyeballs, no question. There’s a suggestion of muscle which the faintly weedy wheels try hard to dispel – and there you have the Mitsu’s undoing. Think designer suit with cheap shoes.

This car, you might ponder, surely sprang from what was possibly one of the sharpest design renderings ever plucked screaming from a humble magic marker: all flares, sinew and 20 in diameter wheels. The FTO, as originally sketched, would have looked as if it had just vanquished the old Nurburgring as confidently as a Carisma handles dawdling down to Kwik-Save.

Then committee-think and accountancy-envy sucked the design dry. The only surprise in the FTO is just how much like a hire car it feels, inside and out. There’s even a dose of orange-peel paint plastered over the bumpers at each end for a reassuring dose of the low-rent ownership experience.

Cars that proffer a facia graphic showing where air is being distributed about the cockpit are always, but always, to be distrusted: this assumes the driver to be so insensate he or she cannot distinguish cold nose from hot toes. The FTO has such a backlit LCD beneath what is, oddly, the focal point of the dash: the clock and voltmeter set high and central- not the main gauge-cluster ahead of the driver.

Japanese econocars come with veal-grey interiors: the FTO arrives decked out in flat black, but the effect is the same. Cost-conscious, dull, and, critically for a coupe, dourly inappropriate. RB

Taken from EVO Magazine Article – August 1999 ‘Coupe Group Test’

By Tom Barnard -- THE colour grey conjures up visions of overcast days and 'Spitting Image' puppets of John Major. But for car enthusiasts, it has a far more exciting connotation grey imports mean cheap and usually fast motors. When the Japanese economy went as cold as sushi last year, the exchange rate suddenly made it real sense for wheeler-dealers to start shipping in new and used cars from the Orient.

One of the most popular choices is Mitsubishi's FTO. The pretty coupé was never brought in officially by UK importers, who preferred to sell Shoguns and Carismas. But to prove that demand is there, the FTO is now a fairly common sight on our roads. A few in the trade even joke there are more in the UK than in Japan.

Now Mitsubishi is aiming to lock the door on grey imports by bringing in the car 'almost officially'. We say almost, because the firm has asked one of its agents, Ralliart, to import a limited number of FTOs to be sold through Mitsubishi dealers and backed up by a full warranty.

But is it all too little, too late? On paper, the FTO certainly seems to make a convincing alternative to a Ford Cougar or Fiat Coupé. Priced at £22,995 with a 200bhp V6 engine, air-conditioning and sunroof, it even looks good value for money.

The FTO almost justifies its price with the engine alone. The 2.0-litre unit is equipped with MIVEC, Mitsubishi's variable-valve timing system. What this means is that the engine will rev up to 8,500rpm without any intervention from the rev limiter. While the powerplant allows you to cruise quite happily at lower revs in town, it really comes into its own with the rev counter needle pointing past 5,000rpm. It never becomes harsh or coarse, and you are encouraged to keep the revs high just to hear the gorgeous noise that the engine makes, enhanced by the enormous exhaust tailpipe. Unfortunately, the chassis can't really cope with the engine's power. Unlike the four-wheel-drive version in the Sony PlayStation Gran Turismo game, the real FTO puts its power through the front wheels - and they can't cope. Accelerate hard and the steering wheel writhes in your hands as the tyres struggle to translate the power into forward motion.

Once on the move, the body floats over bumps - which is great for ride comfort but not for press-on driving. And despite the soft suspension, there are creaks and groans from the sunroof and dash as the body flexes, and the tyres roar on rough road surfaces. The steering seems as though it was developed for in-town use, too - it's over-light and doesn't really weight up enough to feel sporty at speed. At least the Momo wheel is good to hold.

The gearbox has a slack operation, with none of the precision of, say, a Ford Puma's shift. But it is light and easy to use and the ratios are perfectly suited to the engine's characteristics. Unlike some Japanese imports, the FTO even feels relaxed at British motorway speeds.

The rest of the interior, while pleasant enough, is not as inspiring as what's on offer in a Fiat Coupé or Audi TT. The cowled dials look sporty but, like everything else here, they are fashioned in black plastic. To make things worse, nasty accessory-shop additions are used to make the car conform to UK laws, such as a sticker over the kph markings on the speedo and a foglight switch which looks like it's from a Morris Minor.

As car crime is virtually unknown in Japan, the FTO has had security beefed up to cope with our more sophisticated crooks. The trouble is, the alarm is one of the least user-friendly units we've come across, setting off sirens and immobilising the engine seemingly at random. Once you have battled inside, the seats are comfortable with plenty of adjustment, but they are also covered in cheap-feeling black cloth, making the interior dark and depressing. This Mitsubishi is strictly a 2+2, with room for only toddlers or shopping in the rear seats. It's not as practical as a hatchback coupé, either, but the boot is reasonable.

The FTO is fast, relatively cheap and was undoubtedly a fine coupé when it was launched in Japan five years ago. But since then, the game has moved on a long way. As a used car, an FTO could make real sense, but the modern competition is far better. Now, if that MIVEC engine was put in an Audi TT body...

1ST OPINION

Mitsubishi is at last bringing in the FTO officially - but it is five years too late. The engine is smooth, powerful and responsive, but the chassis can't cope and build quality is not up to normal Mitsubishi standards. Sadly, it doesn't compare to modern rivals such as the Ford Cougar, Fiat Coupé and Alfa GTV.

At a glance

• FTO coupé now being imported backed by dealer network and warranty
• Powered by 2.0-litre, 200bhp V6 with variable-valve timing. 130mph top speed; 0-60mph: 7.2 seconds
• Priced £22,995 with climate control and electric sunroof

The popularity of the FTO coupe as a grey import persuaded Mitsubishi to import the rakish coupe and sell it through its specialist Ralliart dealerships. Unlike the grey import models the official FTO benefits from additions to the specification and the peace of mind of a full warranty. The front-wheel-drive 2.0-litre V6 with 200bhp gives the FTO the sort of performance that has become associated with the rest of the Ralliart range in Britain, that includes the Galant VR4 and the iconic Lancer EVO VI. Typical coupe compromises are apparent, with the rear seats being of little use and the rear view limited, but coupe buyers are used to such problems. The styling ensures the FTO turns heads and the performance from the V6 engine ensures it isn't all show. The interior may lack the drama exhibited by the body, but it feels well built and has sensibly placed controls. A brilliant chassis gives the FTO serious sporting credentials with the variable-valve V6 delivering its best above 6,000rpm. The five-speed manual would be our choice but for those who prefer self-shifters an automatic version is also available.

Taken from Auto Express Website

One of the most under-rated Japanese imports must surely be the 150kW FTO MIVEC V6...

I'd always wondered why someone would pay 30k for a Mitsubishi FTO MIVEC V6 - especially when they can buy something like a twin turbo Zed for similar money. And those automatic FTOs? What a mishmash of pretences they must be - or, at least, that's what I'd figured... However, not long after picking up one of these Japanese-imported beasties, I had changed my opinion of them q-u-i-t-e a bit. Forget any ideas that this is merely a high-fashion boulevard cruiser - the Mitsubishi FTO MIVEC V6 is a 100% self-indulgent sportscar.

Light on its Feet

Barely five minutes after first jumping into this '98 FTO GP (supplied by Adelaide's Japco Auto Wholesalers) it becomes obvious that its spring and damper rates are super-firm. Already, I begin to wake-up to the FTO. This isn't the sort of suspension set-up reserved for an everyday commuter car, that's for sure! Driving over what I thought was a relatively smooth road, I can feel my head bobbing in unison with every slight imperfection. And potholes? These are best avoided.

Moving onto one of my favourite stretches of winding road, I soon forget about that stiff ride and become totally involved with the FTO's front-wheel-drive MacPherson strut/multi-link chassis. Keeping the engine on-song, this is one insanely quick point-to-point conveyance. Turn-in is precise, body roll is minimal, mid-corner stability is exemplary and acceleration out of the apex is beautifully progressive. It's a shooting match that encourages you to keep pushing the envelope harder and harder. To a point... When you do eventually carry too much entry speed into a corner, the nose moves into a mild understeer - until you back off (or dab the ABS four wheel discs) and provoke a slight oversteer transition. If you can excuse the expression, the FTO GP is a car that's piss-easy to drive fast - on a dry road, anyhow

The power assisted rack and pinion steering is wonderfully direct. Small wrist movements are all that is needed to keep everything pointed true, and it's s-o accurate you can focus on a painted line through a corner and follow it to within a millimetre. Well, maybe two...

Now it is true that the MIVEC V6 needs to have a few revs onboard to get the train steaming - but it's never what you'd call "lacking". Especially not when it's teamed with the Mitsubishi INVECS II automatic trans - a Sports-mode 5-speed. Driving in traffic at a constant 60 kays, the 2-litre six is happy to potter along at an amazingly low 1500rpm in 5th (Drive mode). Squeeze the throttle, though, and the torque converter flares to around 2500rpm - placing the engine right at the foot of its strong torque zone. It's instant. Of course - alternatively - you can move the transmission lever across into Sports mode and have full +/- style control over the ratios. This function performs exceptionally well when you're tackling a series of corners and you're chasing maximum throttle control.

Hmm, I've gotta say, that automatic trans does work well in the FTO MIVEC after all...

Boy I love this spinning-top motor. As mentioned, the FTO's MIVEC DOHC, 24 valve 2 litre V6 is slightly off-torque below around 3000rpm - but, to be fair, that's only in comparison to the rest of its fat torque-band. Over and above that 3 grand mark, there's reasonably strong torque on tap - culminating with 200Nm at a lofty 6000rpm. Dare to spin the crankshaft to 7500 rpm though, (which it will very willingly do) and you've got a full 150kW whack of power. 150kW - not bad for a naturally aspirated 2 litre, eh? And - largely thanks to Mitsubishi's MIVEC system - the 6A12-labeled engine isn't a bad mannered bit of hot-rod gear either. At idle, there are absolutely no vibration or stutters and - a little further up the tacho scale - the MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve and Lift Electronic Control System) operates almost seamlessly.

If only some of the so-called "brilliant" Euros has an engine this good...

With a healthy 150kW on tap, the 1190kg automatic FTO is a quick runner. Nah, it won't out-drag - say - an equivalent power/weight Nissan 180SX turbo though. Still, our test vehicle could accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in around 8 seconds flat, and felt good for mid-15 quarter miles. FWD torque steer and wheelspin along the way are also virtually non-existent due to the progressive torque delivery. I get the impression that Mitsubishi have done a lot of homework in getting all that MIVEC power down effectively. A+.

Our FTO's fuel consumption over the test equalled around 11 litres per 100 kilometres - not too bad considering the predominant driving style...

Oh, She's a Beauty

Everyone agrees; the FTO looks sensational. Its overall shape incorporates a stumpy, low front/high back design together with a high sill line - and, aerodynamically, it looks very slippery indeed. At the front, the guards gently flare out over the rims and give the car a look that - together with those dual parabolic headlights - is a bit "small Ferrari-ish". Well, I can see the resemblance anyway... The rear end also features some more guard styling, which sees a crease line breaking up what would otherwise be a slab-sided rump. Nothing outlandish - just good, clean styling. Onya again Mitsubishi.

Some of the complementing trick-bits on our '98 test car include dual exhaust outlets, FTO-stamped rear bumper, side skirts, updated front bumper/spoiler and a sizeable rear wing. Without doubt, the aftermarket industry must despise the Mitsubishi FTO. I mean, how could they possibly improve on a look that's this sexual? Mitsubishi Japan were also generous enough to include 16-inch alloy wheels clad in 205/50 rubber as standard - though ours was equipped with aftermarket 16s with 225 low-profile Falkens. Perhaps these wider tyres have something to do with our car's high levels of grip.

Inside Info

All those body aesthetics have indeed created a few practical trade-offs on the inside. For a start, the high sill line makes the interior feel a little on the claustrophobic side, and visibility around the thick B-pillar is appalling. Still, I've become an expert at making Italian lane-changes now... Close-quarters reversing is also further challenged by the rear vision hindrance of the boot wing. Certainly, when you're attempting a delicate reverse parking manoeuvre in an FTO, the guidance of someone standing outside becomes extremely helpful..

Not surprisingly, the FTO GP does come with a fair trolley load of fruit. Power windows, mirrors, air-conditioning, adjustable steering column, leather wheel and (get this!) green illuminated FTO badges on the rail scuff plates. Dual airbags had also been installed in this particular vehicle. Looking back atcha from inside the instrument binnacle are a Japanese-spec 180 km/h speedo, temperature and fuel gauges and an impressive 8000 rpm redlined tacho. Ah, that killer motor...Transmission gear position is also indicated at all times - regardless of whether you're in the automatic Drive mode or using the Tiptronic-style feature. Front centre stage sees a clock, voltmeter, AC and ventilation controls and - not fitted here - the sound system.

Unless you're Stevie Wonder, the biggest focal piece of the interior must be those wicked blue front seats. These are supremely comfortable and offer good support - though I think they are more a necessity than a luxury with that super-firm suspension. Leg and headroom in the front seats is ample - around 8 centimetres is left above the head of this 6-foot (183cm) tall driver.

The rear seat - well, the rear seat might as well not be there! With the front passenger's seat set in a fairly typical position, I could j-u-s-t squeeze three fingers between it and the lower cushion of the back seat... Still, the back seat is a handy place to throw things when you're heading out in a hurry. Open the strut-supported bootlid and there is a reasonable amount of storage available, given the proportions of the car. However - despite the use of a space-saver spare wheel - the depth is quite shallow. The rear seat also does not fold forward.

Yes sir, the FTO qualifies as a true sportscar - complete with essential trade-offs!