This Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 Wagon for Sale Is the Ultimate JDM Winter Ripper
With a twin-turbo V6, all-wheel-drive, and 276 horsepower, this Galant Wagon is the bigger, more mature Lancer Evo for the practical person.
The Japanese import market is getting more interesting by the year. Interesting stuff is flowing onto our shores for the first time, and this Mitsubishi Legnum VR-4 is possibly one of the most obscure cars in Facebook group Obscure Cars for Sale I’ve seen. And I think it’s a fairly cool proposition to own something unique.
With the door to 2023 opening up, more and more weird Japanese imports will be allowed in under our 25-year rule. Next year, 1998 model cars open up, which means lower-tier R34 Nissan Skylines could be imported legally. This means the boring base stuff is allowed, but the more exciting 25GT Turbo is eligible. It’s a rear-wheel-drive 280-horsepower R34 that could be a really neat alternative choice. But back in the land of Mitsubishi, the 1998 Lancer Evolution V will be eligible.
This Legnum VR-4 wagon, known to most of us as a Galant, got imported as a 1997 model in 2022. It’s a pretty neat car packed with a lot of technology and has the unique distinction of being a Japanese Car of the Year edition, which the seller claims there are only 1,200 made. It doesn’t come with many extras compared to a normal Legnum VR-4 but does get a Nardi steering wheel and a badge.
Since this was the final generation of Galant VR-4, Mitsubishi pulled some neat tricks from the Lancer Evo. Most notably, the sophisticated Active Yaw Control and rear differential technology that made the Evo a real handler. At 3,400 lbs, the Legnum VR-4 was no lightweight, though is relatively light by today’s standards. By comparison, an Evo V was 2,800 lbs.
It looks well-kept and very clean. With a claimed 75,000 miles, the $14,000 that the seller is asking doesn’t seem too far off the mark, though the automatic transmission deserves some penalty points. For a cool winter wagon, I don’t think you can find much else.
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