What is the American version of the Mitsubishi Starion?
The Dodge Stealth was the American version of the Mitsubishi Starion, a high-performance sports car that was produced from 1983 to 1989. The Stealth was essentially a rebadged Starion, sharing the same platform, engine, and overall design, but with some minor cosmetic differences to align it with Dodge's brand identity.
Origins of the Dodge Stealth
In the early 1980s, Mitsubishi was looking to expand its presence in the North American market, and Chrysler Corporation, Mitsubishi's partner at the time, saw an opportunity to bring a high-performance sports car to the United States. The result was the Dodge Stealth, which was essentially a twin of the Mitsubishi Starion, but with a few key differences.
Shared Platform and Powertrain
The Dodge Stealth and Mitsubishi Starion shared the same platform, which was a rear-wheel-drive design with a turbocharged inline-six engine. The Stealth was available with either a 3.0-liter or a 3.0-liter twin-turbo engine, both of which were derived from Mitsubishi's proven 6G72 engine family. The Stealth's performance was on par with the Starion, with the twin-turbo model capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in under 5 seconds.
Cosmetic Differences
While the Stealth and Starion were mechanically identical, there were some notable cosmetic differences between the two models. The Stealth featured a more angular and aggressive front-end design, with a larger grille and more pronounced fender flares, to align it with Dodge's brand identity. The Stealth also had unique taillights and a slightly different rear-end design compared to the Starion.
Conclusion
The Dodge Stealth was a successful collaboration between Mitsubishi and Chrysler, allowing Dodge to offer a high-performance sports car that could compete with the likes of the Nissan 300ZX and Toyota Supra. While the Stealth was essentially a rebadged Starion, the subtle cosmetic changes and Dodge branding helped it carve out its own identity in the American market.
What was the sister car to the Mitsubishi Starion?
The Mitsubishi Starion and the Chrysler Conquest, affectionately known as “Starquests,” are quite a bit more expensive than they were a year ago but have appreciated later and in smaller increments than most of their hair metal–era peers.
What is the Mitsubishi Starion the same as?
Starting in 1984, the Starion was rebadged as both the Dodge and the Plymouth Conquest, changing only the badges and logos found on the vehicle while retaining everything else Mitsubishi.
Was the Mitsubishi Starion sold in the US?
It was marketed in North America by Mitsubishi as the Starion from 1983 until 1989. It was also sold as a captive import by Chrysler as the Conquest, under both the Dodge and Plymouth names from 1984 until 1986 and only under the Chrysler name from 1987 until 1989.
Are Mitsubishi Starion fast?
The Starion fitted that purpose perfectly. With a top speed of 135 mph and 0-60 in 7.5 seconds, not even the new Porsche 944 could fend off its challenge.
What is the rarest car to exist?
Here are six of the rarest cars in the world.
- McLaren F1 LM. The McLaren F1 LM is the fastest and most powerful McLaren ever made一and yes, it was built for the streets instead of the tracks.
- Lamborghini Veneno.
- Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing”
- Ferrari Testarossa Spider.
- Bugatti La Voiture Noire.
- Ferrari 250 GTO.
Is the Mitsubishi Starion fast?
The Starion fitted that purpose perfectly. With a top speed of 135 mph and 0-60 in 7.5 seconds, not even the new Porsche 944 could fend off its challenge.
What car is a stallion?
The Toyota Stallion is a nameplate used on three different pickup truck models by Toyota: Toyota Stallion (K40), a rebadged second-generation Toyota Stout for the South African market, 1965–1978. Toyota Stallion (F40), a rebadged third-generation Toyota Kijang for the South African market, 1994–2000.
Is the Mitsubishi Starion rare?
Almost every car from that decade gets lots of attention today, except for the Mitsubishi Starion. It is quite a rare car to see nowadays and almost always gets confused for either a Toyota Supra or an RX-7.
What car did Mitsubishi make for Dodge?
Beginning with the 1978 model year, Dodge marketed a rebadged variant of the early Mitsubishi Galant Lambda coupe, as the Dodge Challenger — through Dodge dealers as a captive import, originally as the "Dodge Colt Challenger".
Is it Mitsubishi Starion or Stallion?
Thanks to the heavy Japanese accent, the name went from Stallion to Starion during transcription. Once Mitsubishi's headquarters had to communicate globally, the car became known as the Starion. Japanese is a recognized language spoken by roughly 130 million people.
