{"id":42430,"date":"2023-11-10T18:00:04","date_gmt":"2023-11-10T18:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hemmings.com\/stories\/1995-96-mistubishi-3000gt-spyder\/"},"modified":"2023-11-10T18:00:04","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T18:00:04","slug":"the-1995-96-mistubishi-3000gt-spyder-started-the-folding-hardtop-convertible-trend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/2023\/11\/10\/the-1995-96-mistubishi-3000gt-spyder-started-the-folding-hardtop-convertible-trend\/","title":{"rendered":"The 1995-’96 Mistubishi 3000GT Spyder Started The Folding Hardtop Convertible Trend"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

The Mitsubishi 3000GT was a winner from its 1991 debut. The top-of-the-line VR-4 variant was awarded the Motor Trend Import Car of the Year award for its head-turning style and high-performance technological advancements that included a twin-turbocharged V-6, all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, electronically controlled fully independent suspension, and active aerodynamics. The automaker gave this model a facelift and more power for 1994, but the best was yet to come: the 1995 and 1996 3000GT Spyders were the first production retractable hard-top convertibles since Ford\u2019s late-1950s Skyliner, and they kicked off a body-style trend that exploded in popularity over the next 20 years.<\/p>\n

The naturally aspirated, front-wheel-drive 3000GT SL and forced-induction, all-wheel-drive VR-4 would get the open-top treatment, using a folding solid roof developed by the American Sunroof Corporation. The Mitsubishi 3000GT Spyder, whose attractive new roofline was penned in the company\u2019s California design studio, was unveiled at the 1993 Tokyo Motor Show; production of both variants began in fall 1994. <\/p>\n

\n \"Mitsubishi<\/p>\n

Photo: Hemmings<\/small><\/p>\n

The 3000GTs earmarked to become Spyders went down the Nagoya assembly line in Japan like their hatchback siblings but, anticipating the decapitation they\u2019d receive in ASC\u2019s Long Beach, California, plant, they got softer springs, A-pillar reinforcements, and plastic plugs closing off their quarter windows and hatch areas. At ASC, their interiors were largely stripped out before the roofs were carefully cut off. Sill-filling box-section braces, windshield cowl and header reinforcements, a rear shock-tower bulkhead brace, and other steel components were hand-welded in using precision jigs. All exposed metal was rustproofed, new wiring run, and the hard-roof mechanism fitted; it took around 12 hours to do the conversion.<\/p>\n

The sleek, two-piece, sheet-molded compound roof \u2013itself weighing 98 pounds\u2013 took orders from the Computerized-Convertible-Control (\u201cC3\u201d) 64k-memory computer that actuated four electric motors, four hydraulic pumps, and top cylinders with help from two counterbalancing coil springs. With the car stationary, you held a console-mounted button for about 35 seconds: the windows dropped and rear quarter glass tucked up into the top\u2019s C-pillars, the decklid pivoted open from the rear, the top released from the windshield and folded in half before dropping into a deep well, and the decklid closed. To access the trunk, you pressed a second console button to power-raise the rear deck. There was space for cargo on a pressure-sensitive mat if the roof was up; it otherwise had to go in the rear-seat area.<\/p>\n

\n \"Mitsubishi<\/p>\n

Photo: Hemmings<\/small><\/p>\n

The company hoped to sell 1,000 Spyders each year, but their price tags\u2014roughly $113,955 (SL) and $125,330 (VR-4) in today\u2019s money \u2014 made that goal challenging. Mitsubishi Motors North America reported production of 1,034 units: 368 SLs and 520 VR-4s for 1995, plus 62 SLs and 84 VR-4s built in 1996. Today these cars are supported by The 3000GT Spyder Registry (3000gtspyderregistry.com), which offers comprehensive historical documentation, production specs, and an online shop selling Spyder-specific parts. Spyders are already recognized as collectibles, and classic.com noted four recent auction sales at $40,000 or higher. As of this writing, there\u2019s a 46,000-mile Spyder SL in Hemmings classifieds for $27,500; the red, 22,000-mile \u201995 VR-4 in these photos ran through the Hemmings Auctions in June 2023 with a $46,000 reserve, but was withdrawn after a high bid of $45,049.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Specifications<\/h3>\n

\"Mitsubishi<\/p>\n

Engine: DOHC V-6, 181-cu.in.\/2,972-cc, multi-point fuel injection\/twin intercooled turbochargers<\/p>\n