1995 Mitsubishi FTO GR review from UK and Ireland

Nothing has gone wrong with the car so far.

I have added 17" wheels, new steering wheel, lowering springs, security arrangements(!), headlamp upgrades, de-badged.

The car looks twice as expensive than it actually is. Interior looks great too although it is built cheaply. The driver's seat does not even have a tilt mechanism to enable someone to get in the back - very annoying for even throwing the odd bag of shopping on the back seat!

Steering wheel adjusts up/down but not for reach.

My car, like many, is not fitted with ABS, in hindsight, I should have spent more time searching for one that did.

The handling is superb and the chassis is beautifully balanced. I have fitted lowering springs and 17" wheels to mine, and although the ride suffered slightly, the cornering is even sharper.

If buying one, look for as many 'extras' as possible. They were sold as a basic sports car with a very long options list. Look out for ABS, traction control, sunroof (very rare), rear windscreen wiper(!).

Choice of gearbox is personal taste - the tiptronic that I own is superb. Automatic for chugging about in town traffic, flick the gear stick over to enjoy clutchless manual changing... great!

Fuel consumption is surprisingly good, 30 mpg should be within reach if you are not a nutter!

You can also get great support, help, and advice from a good owners club and active internet chat forums.

If you are shy, buy another car - people have a tendency to point and stare...