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Есть ли здесь Buyers Guide VR4 типа этого только русского писателя?


Buyers guide Galant VR-4

When we think of performance Mitsubishis, we almost always think of Lancer Evolutions. Well, there is another Mitsubishi that has a 280bhp turbocharged engine and which also uses a sophisticated four-wheel-drive system similar to that employed by the Evo. The Galant VR-4 is a big car in comparison to an early Evo, but the powerful V6 engine and excellent handling and traction provided by the sophisticated underpinnings mean that the VR-4 isn’t far behind. What’s more, the VR-4 not only provides near-supercar levels of performance and grip but, unlike many of the rally-inspired slingshots, it’s also capable of very civilised high-speed cruising. With the estate version, it’s also extremely capacious.

Built by Ralliart Japan between 1996 and 2002, the Galant and Legnum (estate) VR-4 was based on the Galant V6. Additional power came from a pair of small, efficient turbos, one for each cylinder bank of the 2.5-litre engine. This brought output up from around 160bhp to 280bhp, with 2671b ft of torque, which made driving the VR-4 an altogether more exciting proposition. The engine itself was made more robust with an improved oil system and lowered compression ratio. The intention was to add plenty of power without losing the engine’s silky smoothness, and careful matching of the turbo characteristics to the motor largely ensured this.

The dramatic rise in power and torque output meant that the chassis had to undergo some serious work, with strengthening of critical body shell areas and up rating of suspension and braking systems. A four-wheel-drive system based on that of the Lancer Evo was incorporated, and this allowed the effective transfer of power to the tarmac under all manner of road conditions. It could be fully exploited through either a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission, the latter being the INVECS-ll adaptive intelligent ‘box with a Tiptronic-style shift.

Central to the performance of the four-wheel drive system was the Active Yaw Control feature, which used an electronically-controlled rear differential unit that could apportion torque as determined by the AYC computer and its wheel-speed sensors. This helped to control wheel spin as well as limit over steer and under steer conditions, making the handling more predictable and improving the car’s feel on the road.

The bodywork received some attention to make it obvious that you weren’t looking at any old Galant — this one was a bit special. Restyled front and rear bumper moldings improved road presence and aerodynamics and, in estate form (named Legnum in Japan), the Galant has to be one of the best-looking and most sure-footed estate cars on the road. From the shark nose, through the sculpted sides and on to the tough rear end, the car looked pretty mean, and the turbocharged engine meant it had plenty of grunt to back that up.

It’s a well-equipped car, too, with standard air-conditioning, multiple airbags, a sophisticated ABS system and all the usual electronic refinements. In short, with decent cars available for less than ten grand, it’s a heck of a lot of car for the money.

The vast majority of cars available will be grey imports, available in Japan from 1996. Most of these will be Type S versions, either the four-door Galant saloon or the heavier Legnum estate. There was also a Type V, which had a less sporty spec. The Type S is the real thing, with wide alloys, a more focused specification and, originally, a price about ten per cent higher than the Type V. Both manual and auto gearbox models were available. The five-speed manual cars had 280bhp at their disposal, but the pre-98 automatic cars were limited to 260bhp.

There are so many variations of options that the UK owner’s club (Club VR-4) hasn’t fully logged exactly what was a basic spec and what was a factory addition. All cars have the Active Yaw Control system, but whether this is always accompanied by Traction Control is not certain. Some cars have back-lit instrumentation almost like DEFI gauges but, again, why this should be on some cars and not others is a mystery at the moment. Finding technical information about these cars is a real challenge.

Trim variations are also widespread, and leather and Recaro seating options are common. The Recaros are part of a Sports package that includes a Momo steering wheel and carbon fibre-effect dash trim. Leather seats are accompanied by walnut fascia trim to accentuate the luxury feel of the cabin.

In 1998, there was a face-lift model which saw the auto INVECS Il-equipped cars being brought up to 280PS to match their manual counterparts, while externally there were a few new parts to distinguish the latest cars from the old. New front and rear bumpers were fitted, as were new side skirts. Some cars also had wheel arch extensions, but there are also some later cars without them, so these aren’t necessarily part of the original package.

With the Galant and Legnum VR-4s being brought into the UK on the grey market, the official UK Mitsubishi importers decided to get in on the act, too. Ralliart UK (an entirely separate concern to the Ralliart rally team) began to import cars, converted them for the UK/Euro regulations, and they were then sold through the official Mitsubishi dealer network and carried the extensive manufacturer’s warranty. These are effectively the same as any other grey imports, but have been fully converted to meet UK regulations — and these cars had additional work, such as extra anti-corrosion treatment. Galant VR-4 saloons and estates went on sale for £28,995 in March 1999, and were only available with Recaro sports trim levels and the automatic INVECS-ll five-speed ‘intelligent’ transmission. Not many of these Ralliart UK-converted cars were eventually sold through the official channels; probably no more than 200 in all. It was discontinued in 2002.

The 6A13 2.5-litre, 24-valve V6 motor pushes the Galant along with either 280PS, or 260PS in the earlier estate guise, so the car is no slouch. Twin turbos help the motor to reach these power levels, so buying used means checking for signs of abuse and poor servicing. Look for any signs of oil smoke (bluish colour) when the car is running, to give an indication of whether or not the turbos are beginning to get tired. While you’re at it, whip out the dipstick and see if the oil feels smooth or gritty between your fingertips. If it’s as black as a coal hole picnic, you might want to look at a different car.

To help ensure that the motor has been looked after, you need to get as much service history as you can and, if you’re looking at a UK-supplied car, that means a full history showing oil changes every 4500 miles, if possible, and regular garage visits around the 9000-mile mark. This is the key to getting a good car that’s going to last well without giving any expensive problems down the line.

In common with some other Mitsubishis, the top end of the motor can get a bit noisy as the hydraulic followers wear. Apart from the annoying tapping sound, this problem isn’t going to degrade into anything that can cause catastrophic failure, but it can be expensive to cure because you have to buy a set of 24 valve lash adjusters and get them fitted. You could always just turn up the stereo a bit more, though...

One service item that is essential to look after is the timing belt. With a scheduled swap at 54,000 miles, this needs doing if you are to stop it breaking and then causing the valves to be bent or snapped by rapid collision with the pistons. Combined with a large service, you could be looking at a bill up to a £700, but it’s a lot cheaper than major head surgery, and the interval is long enough so that you shouldn’t be doing it too often.

As for as the rest, everything seems pretty reliable. The real problems arise when an owner hasn’t looked after the car or hasn’t had it serviced correctly, which is why the previous history is so important. If you are going to be the first owner since the car’s importation to the UK, make sure you have a solid-gold mechanical warranty to give you some back-up if there are any hiccups. Oh, and did we mention the fuel consumption?

On a good day, when you’re cruising gently, you can get mid-20s, or about 280 miles from a full tank. Get the red mist and start booting it and mid- teens aren’t far away. On track, the VR-4 will hit single figures if you’re trying, but the thick end of 300bhp needs a fair chunk of fuel to be burned, regardless of what you’re driving, so pay up and smile. At least you’ll be having plenty of fun.

Reports for the manual gearbox give it a clean bill of health, so all you have to do is make sure it changes gears nice and smoothly and that the previous punters haven’t ragged it to death. But the auto is a slightly different proposition.