Thug in a suit
When people are asked what fast four door Japanese sedan they would like to own, majority of them would answer with either a Lancer Evolution or a Subaru Impreza. Turbocharged, four wheel drive, and designed to go fast in a sedan body, there really isn't any other choice in that segment. There's another niche segment in the performance sedan category though, and if you don't mind front-wheel drive and less raw power and less of a ballistic missile sensibility, the cars in this class probably provide the best compromise between performance and comfort.
While the Lancer Evo's Darwinian dance through history is well documented and widely known, the Galant is its older, often ignored elder brother. Used as the platform for Mitsubishi's rallying efforts before the Evolution came into being, the Galant, like its arch rival, the Subaru Legacy, enjoyed a brief success as homologated specials for the road. Equipped with large displacement V6 engines, some with twin-turbos thrown into the model range alongside creature comforts such as leather interiors, climate control, and upmarket aspirations, the Galant was a big hit in Japan and every market it was sold in.
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Meet Raiyan Islam's Mitsubishi Galant VR. It's second only to the turbocharged, four wheel drive VR4 in terms of performance credentials. Even then, in VR form, the Galant has enough muscle, equipped with a 173 hp 2.5 liter 6A13 engine and a 4-speed tiptronic gearbox. Part of the VR package is an aggressive but subtle bodykit, stiffer suspension, and a full range of luxury options.
Compared to the rally bred machines preceding the eighth generation Galant, this generation is supposed to be softer, less focused on performance. When I took it out on the road for a run, it was immediately clear that the VR is quietly capable of almost anything you ask of it. It may not be the brawniest thug in town, but there is a touch of elegance to the way the Galant reacts to jabs of the accelerator. Response is instant even when you keep the gear lever at D. Downshift manually with the tiptronic gearbox and the car rears up, the engine revs higher and faster, and a grin is plastered to your face. Encounter obstacles on the road and the boosted 4 wheel disc brakes pull the kind-of-heavy sedan to a stop without any tragic incidents.
Inside, the leather automatic seats provide you a throne to recline on as you rest from humouring your inner hooligan. There's tasteful wood paneling on the center console, Nardi OEM steering wheel, and gear lever, while the sunlight filtering through the sunroof gives the cabin an airy feel.
The exterior - possibly one of the most alluring shapes of any sedan ever produced. It's handsome from any angle, the shark-like nose hinting at the aggression in its blood. The stock bodykit accentuates the shape in all the right places in a way only a manufacturer designed bodykit can, without all the messy fuss of aftermarket items.
In fact, the car is almost completely stock in every way, Raiyan preferring to keep the car as close to the original condition of the car as possible. Maintenance isn't exactly cheap, but relative to the experience you have of owning one, cost shouldn't be an issue.
This beauty of a car is currently up for sale. Visit our Facebook page for contact details of the owner, and the test drive alone will be enough to convince you.
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