Oh, how we love us some "Q-ships" and it doesn't get more unassuming than this 1989 Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo.
Sharing a platform with its stable mate, the Dodge Colt GT, only 1500 examples were produced. The factory-equipped 1.6 DOHC mill was outfitted with a turbo, but no intercooler and was able to churn out 145 hp in stock trim. Four-wheel disc brakes and some trick suspension tuning, made this the ultimate sleeper back in '89, but times, they've changed.
So, the Autoblog reader with the apt name 'TurboMirage' decided that the stock power plant had to keep up with the Joneses. To quote T.M., swapping the 2-liter 4G63 engine from a turbo Eclipse "was an extremely simple, plug and play affair" since both motors share much of the same components and dimensions. The new heart, when attached to the stock tranny and outfitted with equal length half-shafts, creates an estimated 400 hp and, according to Mr. Mirage, limited torque steer.
Getting up to the four hundred mark involved HKS camshafts, uprated injectors, a Mitsubishi 20G snail and a 3" turbo-back expelling the exhaust. All that adds up to a claimed quarter-mile run of 11.67 seconds at a stupidly quick 123 MPH.
The best part: no visual additions beyond some tinted glass and upgraded wheels/tires. Keep it sleeper Senor Mirage and yes, we'll even plug your website.
Click on through for an engine shot.
If you'd like to see your own ride featured here, simply upload photos into our Flickr group. We select one image to highlight each week day, and crown a Rig of the Week on Sundays. Detailed instructions can be found after the jump.
Instructions for submitting to Autoblog's RR of the Day:
Create a Flickr account if you don't already have one. Search for and join the group called 'Autoblog RR of the Day'. Upload up to three photos of your ride to your own account at a size no larger than 450 pixels wide if possible and include as much information about it and yourself as possible. Click on each photo and just above the picture it will say "Send to group". Click that and select the Autoblog group. You're done, that's it!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
The other Bob @ Sep 8th 2006 10:28AM
I love the sleeper.
This car is the opposite of those stupid cars with huge wings, ground effects and no engine mods. Those cars are all show and no go.
JonM in MN @ Sep 8th 2006 10:29AM
I love this kind of thing. You can have all the dubs and wings and stripes ya want. This is the real deal.
If I were 25 again this is just the kind of thing I'd do.
Steve @ Sep 8th 2006 10:37AM
(#1) Actually, some "of those stupid cars with huge wings, ground effects" go like hell. But they look stupid as hell too.
nailz420 @ Sep 8th 2006 10:40AM
So did they put an intercooler in it, or what?
menice @ Sep 8th 2006 10:49AM
#4..nope dont see an intercooler. not much room.
sweet sleeper, should do a couple more apperance mods though.
i'd probably challange his wife at light and she'd smoke my ass before I got to second.
Oolon Coluphid @ Sep 8th 2006 10:53AM
#5: there's a FMIC under the front bumper
http://www.turbomirage.com/photo_galleries/FMIC_Install/
MR @ Sep 8th 2006 10:57AM
He might be using something like the factory sidemount intercooler used on teh DSM triplets. THey're if I recall correctly in the pass side wheelwell, and it the piping looks similar to what's used on the Talon/Laser/Eclipse.
JonM in MN @ Sep 8th 2006 11:13AM
I just checked out his site and it's really well done, but I didn't see where he posted, if he did, what it cost him to do the upgrade. Did anybody catch that?
Jscro @ Sep 8th 2006 11:25AM
Brilliant ride!
menice @ Sep 8th 2006 11:31AM
ok i stand corrected, somehow there was room for an FMIC. just wow, this does a quarter mile almost as fast as a prius gets to 60mph (10.seconds) and thats provided the prius pedal reaches the floor. (there a governer on that?)
Bill @ Sep 8th 2006 11:57AM
Very nice! I've never been a fan of Mitsu, but when these cars came out, I thought that the size and proportions of this car where what the Civic should have been. The Civic had gotten kind of bloated in my opinion, and I secretly liked these better, but would never had admitted it.
Ryan @ Sep 8th 2006 11:58AM
It's crazy this almost 20 year old Mitsu "Metro" is generating more comments on here than any of there new offerings, including the new EVO. Not good.
JayP @ Sep 8th 2006 12:10PM
More 80's hatches please.
khiem @ Sep 8th 2006 12:25PM
Ryan, that's because the Evo owners are on their own Evo boards. :-)
Still, this is very nice car and it appears to be well balanced. Managing 11's in the quarter on a front wheel drive, street looking car is no small feat.
Tom T. @ Sep 8th 2006 12:56PM
Thanks for the comments guys! I submitted this, but honestly didn't expect it to be picked. Makes for a fun Friday, that's for sure. It's fun to be able to share your hobby with everyone.
As for the car, I figured that there would be some confusion and misconceptions, since I didn't get too detailed in my descriptions. Please feel free to visit my site, as many questions can be answered there.
Thanks again!
-Tom
PJ @ Sep 8th 2006 1:21PM
Awesome. Peel off that window tint and throw on a set of (sufficiently wide) steelies, and this car would be something out of my fantasies.
JonM in MN @ Sep 8th 2006 1:34PM
Nice work Tom. I asked this above, bu haven't found it on your site....what did this run you, time and money wise? Hope that's not a rude question.
Thanks for this...the first new car I ever bought by myself (in July of *1989*, no less) was a '90 Laser RS Turbo. Loved that car, traded it in '97 for an SUV for the wife. Have a WRX now, but still have many fond memories. Thanks for keeping that sweet motor alive for me.
Aaron @ Sep 8th 2006 1:41PM
I'm glad this is getting some notice! I've been a fan of this car/website for awhile; coming from a DSM background; great work!
Tom T. @ Sep 8th 2006 1:52PM
JonM:
I actually ran those 1/4 mile E.T.s 4 years ago, and at that time I had less than $6,000 total in it, including the purchase price of the car.
These days I probably have $8,000 into it since I invested in some new goodies. I do all of my own work, so that keeps costs down. I also forgot to mention that it currently gets 27mpg with a 60/40 mix of city/highway driving. Gotta love a 2400 pound car!
I also have a 1991 Talon Tsi AWD for people like yourself that are into Mitsu powered beasts. It lives at http://talon.turbomirage.com
risingsun @ Sep 8th 2006 2:28PM
This brings back memories. My first car was a 92 Dodge Colt GL hatchback with the 1.3L SOHC. At the time I knew hardly anything about cars, and I wrote a letter to a certain automotive publication that shall go nameless asking what I could do to make this car go faster, and their response was "tough luck." Two years later, after I had sold it for my first B-series powered Civic HB, lo and behold, they publish a Mitsubishi Mirage with a 4G63. I felt so cheated. Nice car!