After my dare to be different series and the post over on Auto-Otaku about the Nissan HP10, I was thinking about similar options for FWD performance. About this time I read an article about Brian Fujita’s completely street-legal EVO III in the latest Grassroots Motorsports magazine. At the end of the article, Brian says, “I’d maybe like to build a 1999-2002 Mirage LS Coupe with a 2.4-liter MIVEC engine. Something light and front wheel drive.”

When people think performance Mitsubishi here in the US, 99% of the time it’s either an EVO or DSM getting the attention. The other 1% is probably talk about the Pajero. However, I believe Brian is on to something. When you look to Japan, the MIVEC 4G92 as found in performance Mirages made more power than Honda’s B16 with the exception of the EK Type-R. And it doesn’t end there. Mitsubishi offered GDI and cylinder deactivation in various versions of the 4G9x and 4G6x engines so the potential to build a fun and efficient commuter that stands out from the crowd is very doable.

Another great thing about being different in this case is that a Mirage will generally cost much less than a similar Honda. It also seems to be much easier to find clean, unmodified examples since they just weren’t as popular to mess with. If you were to really want something that stands out from the crowd, importing a Mirage or Colt hatchback would be a great way to thumb your nose at the establishment of both the Honda and Mitsubishi camps. Once again, different is good…