Following the successful showing of the Mitsubishi HSR concept car at the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show, Mitsubishi developed the new GTO
as a technologically advanced sports coupe to compete with the
Honda NSX,
Mazda RX-7,
Nissan 300ZX,
Skyline GT-R,
and Toyota Supra,.
They resurrected the GTO name, and the car went on to serve as Mitsubishis flagship for the remainder of the decade. However, despite
the cachet of the badge at home, it was known as the Mitsubishi 3000GT outside Japan; the company was concerned that connoisseurs
would object to the evocative nameplate from the highly regarded Ferrari 250 GTO and Pontiac GTO being used on a Japanese vehicle.
However, regardless of its badge or eventual target market, every car was built on the same production line at Mitsubishis plant
in Nagoya, Japan.
