Everyone remembers the Eclipse GSX, Mitsubishi’s wildly popular sports coupe. Everyone also remembers the Galant VR-4, their rally-bred, turbocharged, AWD sedan. Before that arrived, however, Mitsubishi also offered a car that we almost forgot existed: the Galant GSX.
Lacking a turbo but equipped with AWD, with the Galant GSX it seemed like Mitsubishi was testing the waters before unleashing the VR-4 homologation special upon the US. The Galant GSX’s standard 16-valve, 2.0-liter twin-cam with Silent Shaft counterbalancers made 135 horsepower under its sporty red-lettered valve cover.
In this Motorweek review, it gets high praise for its smoothness, braking and spacious interior. However, the notchy 5-speed manual and a weak power steering pump left them cold, concluding that a front-drive GS with adjustable suspension was preferable.
The numbers are pretty respectable for its day. 0-60 comes at 9.4 seconds, and they were able to reach a quarter-mile in 17.1 seconds at 82 mph. Mileage rings in at 20 city, 23 highway. Starting at $16,369 and going up to over $20,000 for a fully loaded model, the less-sporty Camry All-Trac seemed like a better deal if you had to have AWD in a sedan. Of course, the following year Mitsubishi would import the Galant VR-4 to North America, and the GSX would be nothing more than a blip in history.
It probably deserved its “blip” status considering what Mitsubishi COULD do…and DID do with the VR-4.
I’m sorry.
That car could excusably be forgotten…even on just superficial terms.
It reeks of ruler+protractor design. Not sexy.
It would’ve turned out better if they put the finished clay model in the microwave.
Sure, Al.
What were Dodge offering back then? The Viper was over a year away.
Well, it’d just be a prime example of corporate division “synergy”…Mitsubishi was making microwaves, after all.
Dodge, meanwhile, was buying Mitsubishi engines.
The Galant’s microwave makeover could’ve potentially moved more product and perhaps even aided in the Viper’s development.
Just sayin’.
Personally, I like boxy sport sedans. 135hp isn’t enough? In my day Porsches had 60hp! Thumbs up.
…and then there was the Subaru Legacy sedan and wagon, with standard AWD…