Mitsubishi FTO MIVEC GP VR Aero: The best handling Front wheel driver car of the 1990s

This week on John's Garage we take a look at a truly mint and original Mitsubishi FTO MiVEC GP VR Aero, the best front wheel driver car of the 1990s.
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[@user-it5bi3zf7h]

私は貴方が座った座席を当時、日本で作っていた者です。 未だに綺麗に使って頂いて感謝しています。これからも大切に乗り続けて欲しいですとオーナーに伝えて頂きたいです。😊

[@JohnsGarageIreland]

コメントありがとうございます。それは私がオーナーに与えた素晴らしい歴史の一部です。私たちはここアイルランドにおける日本車の職人技と品質を非常に高く評価しています。今日に至るまで、それらは他のものとは異なります。

[@wildman00sax]

I'm glad I owned one of these when I lived in the UK. The V6 sounded amazing and it handled like a dream on the road. Such an underrated auto

[@2loudspeakers]

Always loved these. That was big power aand high revs from a 2L back then! Great to see one that is not butchered. 🙂

[@JohnsGarageIreland]

I love a nice original car, especially when all the rest were lovingly frankensteined by well meaning owners

[@2loudspeakers]

@@JohnsGarageIreland Yes I love seeing original cars too, but I also love modified ones that to the untrained eye, look standard(ish).

[@opticalillusion69]

Thank you :)

[@gall49611]

I have one in the UK, GPvR and Scotia white…slightly modified and I love it! Great review 👍

[@JohnsGarageIreland]

What mods have you done?

[@gall49611]

@@JohnsGarageIreland Hiro spoiler, coilovers, ARC intake chamber….the same as the one in your review, stainless exhaust straight through and manifolds and 18” deep dish alloys. Shame I can’t post a pic

[@gavinharper1315]

Let me know when ur selling it lol

[@antoniovasile9507]

​@@gall49611 do the 18's rub?

[@dct124]

Gorgeous car. Really good review 👌🏿

[@cormackeppel5878]

Beautiful car and so clean and original. Never had the pleasure of driving one, pity you couldn’t drive would have been interested in what you thought of it. Keep up the great work…

[@JohnsGarageIreland]

Thanks Cormac. 👍

[@slippercream]

God that is immaculate. In just about every way. Beautiful. To the owner --- please keep it mint. Much respect!

[@TorqueTalks-cu4mz]

hey mate just an update, that spoiler is specific to the Version R model.

[@roxannenuttall1510]

From NZ. I owned a 95 GPX in Scotia white which was also manual. Great car and great times had. Only issue I found with if you were in a spirited mood and taking the rev's to near limit when changing gears and getting back on the gas it would drop to 5,000rpm, 500rpm below Mivec engaging, whereas a VTEC when changing gears if you were feeding it would stay in VTEC once you had changed gears. Nevertheless the FTO is still such a unique and enjoyable motor

[@dylankitsune8759]

This was my favourite starter car in the original Forza, I made it a dark purple colour. I’m glad to finally see how it looks in real life

[@aidandcarroll]

You are right the FT0 was a common sight on irish roads for a few years. I waa never mad on them but very well nowadays especially in that white and unmolested

[@JohnsGarageIreland]

They seemed to disappear around 2005-2007. Insurance just killed them it seems.

[@TCE_2025]

Always liked these, it was the fact that are rare that made me not buy it because of spare parts availability.

[@MrGrentch]

Wow. That's a beauty indeed. Incredible condition and not fecked around. Best of the FTO's too. I drove a black one of these way back when and knew it was very rare even then. Sadly that example got wrecked. :( I'd still put the DC2 comfortably ahead of it in "handling". They're more rotatable. Double wishbones all around helps. The FTO feels like the more modern car though. More a product of the late 90's than the early 90's. Better dash though no Recaros...

[@opticalillusion69]

Thanks :)

[@MrFrenzy718]

I have one in white ! Ok it’s a 97 Mitsubishi mirage but in my head …it’s an fto 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@pbart9821]

I'm going to have to disagree that an Integra sounds nicer, this v6 sounds epic.

[@JohnsGarageIreland]

Glad to know I'm not alone

[@Absa7319]

what a car

[@ftovr2957]

A decent overview for trying to recall all the facts without a piece of paper in hand. Few notes of clarification from my memory: - I'm pretty sure they were only available through dealerships in the UK, all the ones in Aus (and I suspect NZ), would have been grey imports. - The standard GPvR would actually be lighter than the Aero, as I think the additions of the Aero were adding back things like the side skirts and power mirrors, though it retained manual A/C. - Regarding engine options, the 6A12 MIVEC is the same across the GP/GPX/GPvR. Asides from the 4 cyl in the GS, there was a Non-MIVEC 6A12 with a lower redline and less HP, that was fitted to the GR/GX. - The 'B' or facelift/vR spoiler is usually a reasonable indication of the car being a 97+, though it was only standard on the GPvR, and a factory option on other facelift models. - The chassis itself is largely based on the Lancer of the same generation, and not the Galant, though there's just a generally large amount of parts sharing across all platforms regardless. Nice to see a clean example, even though you can tell it's getting on in years. Shame you couldn't drive it, or at least have some onboards or sound clips. The intake/exhaust note of the V6 is one of its major charms!

[@opticalillusion69]

I have a standard VR as well and it has side skirts and power mirrors. The only difference I can see between the 2 is an aerial and lights in the footwell.

[@ftovr2957]

@@opticalillusion69 More you know! Given the lack of major differences between models I guess it's no surprise there's sometimes no clear distinction.

[@israwangwongvivat1762]

GPvR also made in Icecelle Blue with blue interior 🙌

[@JohnsGarageIreland]

Thanks for that

[@heilong79]

My first sports cat, Same colour as that one too. My insurence was 2k on it when I was 28, I drove it for a year, sold it and got a Toyota Chaser Tourer V which was much better insurence wise.

[@JohnsGarageIreland]

What a brilliant first sports car. I assume the Chaser is the one in your videos, looks amazing 👏

[@Kk-xl5tv]

It has any problems with the engine?

[@Kk-xl5tv]

I want to get one but am scare a about the engine you know if has any problems? In my country is not easy to find parts if any engine parts has problems

[@seanmusty1006]

I have a 2.0l mivec manual gpx. If that's the best one mine isn't far off

[@jogreen12]

Could you tell me the reasons why the price has skyrocketed, and if you think it'll go down in the near future?

[@JohnsGarageIreland]

A lot of JDM cars of this age are only now starting to be appreciated for how good they actually are. Add to that how rare a good unmolested example is and you'll get a jump in value too. Also, in my own case, when people had these here they were relatively cheap cars ran on a budget but those owners are now older and can afford to spend money on them. As a future prediction I'd honestly say values are going to keep rising, 90s cars are only now being appreciated so generally they're still low across the board. Look how the values of R33/34 Skylines are rising. Demand will obviously impacts values of certain models differently, so price compare an original unmodified DC2 Integra against an FTO and you'll see how much of a bargain they are.

[@ttapb1013]

Dude...I can't believe you didn't even start the car😢

[@JohnsGarageIreland]

Sadly owners instructions but I did get taken for a nice drive off camera 📷 😅

[@Dont_Worry_m8]

Owner sucks for that one. If you want to drive my manual GPX you’re more than welcome to. People don’t realise that a good review bumps the price (not that I’ll ever sell it)

[@bimbobaggypants4820]

Best handling front wheel drive? How about Integra?

[@JohnsGarageIreland]

Mentioned in the video, it's splitting hairs but personally the Integra does it for me

[@bimbobaggypants4820]

@@JohnsGarageIreland my bad, i skipped parts of the video!

[@JohnsGarageIreland]

@bimbobaggypants4820 make sure to subscribe and share and all will be forgiven 😉😊

[@exoticspeedefy7916]

@@JohnsGarageIreland The integra was also quicker. Slightly. VTEC is just better in the higher RPM

[@TazerGames]

Maivac ? O.o

[@gerrycolt]

mitsubishi version of the ss3 celica

[@JohnsGarageIreland]

And great example of it 👍

[@multishit6664]

Its basically a Chrysler Sebring. lol.