1984 Mitsubishi Cordia GSR Turbo review from Malaysia

Rear suspension bushes worn after 1075k.

Turbine bearings worn after 1000k.

Fuel pump failed at 1125k.

Engine harness failed after 1250k.

Power window switch has intermittent contact after 1280k.

Okay, so it was already VERY high mileage when I got it but did not show it at all in any department except the engine and even that was due more to abuse by one of the previous owners (who used to clean it with diesel) than anything else.

With the (knackered) factory 4G62 single cam turbo engine, it was decently quick with a 0 to 60 time of about 9 seconds and a top speed of 210 kph. The 4G62 engine is very smooth and silent with an equally smooth and progressive power delivery. It was a real joy just letting it spool out the juice along the roads, and overtaking anything (from a non-tailgating position) is a breeze. Fuel consumption is remarkable too, being under 10 litres per 100km (or about 35mpg) thanks to its unique planetary gearbox.

The stock brakes are worse than useless however, taking forever to slow the car down from the speeds it could achieve and this contributed to the 2 frontal crashes I've had with it.

The saving grace is that the front (foam) bumper is impressively strong and the damage which resulted from my crashes was much lighter than it otherwise would have been.

This car handles well, with pretty progressive understeer being the predominant characteristic. Oversteer is very hard to induce unless you are doing it with great determination and underlines the benign nature of the chassis. However, a power steering system which communicates nothing to the driver and soft-ish stock suspension means that the Cordia does not take well to sudden, dramatic steering inputs and is very easy to unsettle if abused in this way. In short, it's better for fast sweeping turns like you find on real roads rather than tight flicky chicanes you find on racetracks.

Cabinwise, it's truly exceptional. Very comfortable seats, generous head and legroom both in the front and in the back and a useful boot make it a class leader even by today's standards. 5 foot 11 inch me had no trouble sitting in the back for a 4 hour drive. Power windows, electric door mirrors, rear heater and all electric widgets are still working 17 years after the car rolled off the assembly plant.

Outside, the car looks pretty drop-dead gorgeous, even when parked alongside current sports coupes and hot hatches. It may be unfashionably angular, but the design is pretty timeless and it has aged much better than its big brother, the Starion. In fact, the only time mine lookd awkward was when someone parked their Ferrari 355 next to it. Apart from that time, it has drawn its fair share of glances when pitted against Fiat Coupes, Alfa GTVs, the newer Mitsubishi FTOs, Hondas and Nissans of various descriptions.

Put all these together and what you get is a pretty impressive grand tourer with only one serious drawback... stopping power, but this is something responsible drivers can anticipate and correct for. After all, this is a road car, not a track racer.

On my Cordia, the original engine's harness gave up the ghost just after 1250k (thanks to the diesel baths) and it proved impossible to find a replacement as the manufacturer has ceased supporting this car and parts (especially body parts) are now pretty hard to find. I was then forced to replace it with the 2 litre twincam 4G63 off a Galant VR4 and I took the opportunity to graft the VR4's disc brakes all around.

Despite the obvious performance and braking improvements, I no longer see my car as being a true Cordia. The original version was a beast with its own characteristics which I miss terribly.

The Cordia GSR Turbo is a tragically underrated masterpiece of design with very good performance, a very well thought out cabin and is very well put together. I've had mine 6 years now and I'll never sell it.

If you're out for a hot car with plenty of bang on a budget, you can do little better than to settle for one of these. It's only due to the manufacturer's policy of discontinuing support for its models while they are still running that my beloved Cordia will be the first and last Mitsubishi I'll ever buy.