1984 Mitsubishi Scorpion GL 2.6L (2555cc) from Australia and New Zealand
Summary:
A powerful 4 cylinder - not to be underestimated
Faults:
With the age of the car, it's not so much "what's gone wrong", but what has needed to be replaced as a safety necessity - in this case, just about everything in the time that I've owned it, excluding the A/C compressor and the windows.
Typically, the timing chain slackened off, the diff-centre needed to be rebuilt and with the performance options that I made for the vehicle, the starter motor needed to be replaced a few times. With the compression ratio being higher than standard, I switched to a Bosch reduction-drive starter, the one used out of the TN and TP Magna.
General Comments:
Without modifications, this car was powerful and very comfortable to drive, and not bad for blowing off other 4 cylinder vehicles of smaller stature (with the occasional straight-6 falling victim to its power).
With modifications (and this is a very modifiable car, with some parts harder to find than others), Twin Weber carburettors, Genie Extractors, sports exhaust, lowered 1.25" all round (and those are just for starters), it handles better than on rails and can take sweeping bends at well over 100 km/h without even thinking of stepping the rear wheels out. It brakes like a dream, the take-off is superb (especially with a modified cam) and it doesn't spin the wheels unless you want it to.
To date, this car has dragged off 10 consecutive VL-Commodores (some stock, most modified - automatics are a little harder to beat and throw in a greater challenge). This car hasn't done any quarter-mile times as yet, but it has gone from 0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds in 2nd gear @ 5900 RPM.
All in all, this is a very reliable car, which cost a bit to modify (about $15,000), but once the goals were achieved, the results have more than paid off.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 12th February, 2002
9th Apr 2003, 21:33
My 2.6 sigma astron goes 0-100km/h in 4 seconds flat, 3 speed auto with a 2.0 inch exhaust.
But my scorpion does it in under 4.0 seconds easily without even an exhaust kit. The 2.6 astron motor is such a revvy motor I cannot believe it. The technology is amazing, sigmas are the best sports cars to ever come out of Japan. A sigma would easily beat an R33/4 GTR Skyline or VL Turbo.
I haven't ran my sigmas down the 1/4 yet, but I'd guess they'd make low 11 second passes easily. Wow. Sigma power.
4th Sep 2003, 07:39
11seconds you are dreaming!!!
All I have is cam, extractors, modified carby and re-graphed dizzy and I pull 16.8sec at 138mph on bold street tires.
3rd Nov 2002, 18:28
0-120 km/h in 8.0 seconds in 2nd gear @ 5900 RPM.
No modifications to my scorpion btw ;)