Mitsubishi Lancer 1600GSR (1973)

Publication: Car Graphic
Format: From Our Motoring Diaries
Date: November 1973
Author: “C/G Test Group” (uncredited)

Road testing the Mitsubishi Lancer 1600GSR

Just after we had fully enjoyed testing the Works Rally Lancer for our Road Test (see the August issue), Mitsubishi released a hot twin-carb Lancer onto the market. Without hesitation, we contacted Mitsubishi and arranged to borrow a pale metallic green Lancer 1600GSR.

In an era flooded with over-decorated domestic cars, the Lancer’s neat, understated bodywork is immediately refreshing. Against the early-autumn landscapes of Izu and Hakone, the Lancer fits perfectly; it is light and sprightly, reminiscent of an Escort in its agility.

The GSR’s body is under 4m in overall length, and weighs only 825kg. In contrast, its SOHC long-stroke (76.9x86.0mm) 1597cc engine, tuned with twin Stromberg carburetors and a compression ratio of 9.5, is relatively powerful at 110ps/6700rpm and 14.2kgm/4800rpm.

The combination of this engine, which develops strong torque across a wide rev range, with a 5-speed gearbox with appropriate ratios (shared with the Lancer SL-5 and GSL) and a shortened final drive (from 3.89 to 4.22) yields especially impressive performance.

By engaging the light clutch gently around 2000rpm and shifting up repeatedly at 4000rpm, you can quickly pull away from the flow of traffic. However, if you try to extract maximum acceleration by releasing the clutch abruptly around 5000rpm, the rigid rear axle will go wild. The red zone on the tachometer begins at 6000rpm, below the maximum output speed of 6700rpm, but there is no shortage of power even during rapid acceleration.

The engine is smooth and quick to rev, and while the needle on the tachometer rises energetically, there is no need to push it past 6000rpm. After a quick shift, you immediately re-enter the power band and get instant, powerful acceleration. In fact, even on a gentle uphill in third gear, full throttle can produce momentary wheelspin.

Despite the low gearing, each gear has good extension. When revved up to 6000rpm, which is not at all psychologically uncomfortable, the car reaches 43, 78, 110, and 160km/h in first, second, third, and fourth gears, respectively. With an indicated 100km/h on the speedometer (the actual speed was 95.5km/h), the engine is turning 3900rpm in fourth gear, or 3350rpm in fifth gear. With the windows closed, the cabin remains pleasantly quiet. Overall noise levels are low, and if the law allows, you can enjoy quiet cruising at 140km/h, with 4800rpm on the tachometer. However, if you push on to 160km/h, or 5300rpm, engine noise rises sharply, and you instinctively reach for the radio’s volume knob.

Thanks to the lightweight body and a relatively high absolute torque, the Lancer’s flexibility is excellent. Although the engine is not a pure flat-torque type, pickup is very strong across almost the entire rev range, so much so that it will move away in fifth gear from 1500rpm, or 45km/h, without fuss. Despite using premium gasoline, the Saturn unit still emits a light pinging at full throttle in the low and medium speed range. Still, as long as your throttle work is not clumsy, you can start smoothly from a stop in second gear.

This flexibility, combined with an exceptionally light clutch and unusually light steering at low speeds, makes low-speed city driving no hardship at all. Visibility is good, and it is easy to grasp the location of all four corners of the compact body, so psychologically, it is a remarkably easy car to drive. The ride, which can feel a little stiff at low speeds, improves as speed increases. Above 100km/h, it could even be called soft.

When we stretched the GSR’s legs on the open, winding roads in the mountains around Hakone, we found its handling to be even better than expected. The 155-width Bridgestone RD201 tires, set to 2.0kg/cm² pressure all around, are a little lacking in absolute cornering power, but when the car starts to break away at the limit, it does so very smoothly and is easy to control. Understeer is moderate, and if desired, power oversteer can be induced very naturally, making cornering a genuine pleasure.

The rigid rear axle, although a simple design that does not even include a torque rod, keeps wheelspin to a minimum even under full throttle in tight corners. It provides both satisfying acceleration and controllable power slides, making the car easy to manage. The moderate degree of understeer is demonstrated by the fact that even in a tight second-gear corner, lifting your right foot sharply hardly induces tuck-in. There is some body roll, but the cornering posture remains very stable.

Even if you overdo your inputs on the somewhat heavy throttle (the test car’s pedal was unusually stiff), there is no need to panic. Simply ease your right foot off slightly, and if more correction is needed, just return the light and precise steering accordingly. The obedient Lancer will faithfully return to the intended line, just as it should.

At first, we were impressed by the not-too-stiff springs and the effective dampers, but after a prolonged session of hard cornering, we began to notice a lack of damping. Even slight undulations in the road caused exaggerated reactions, giving the car a floating sensation. On downhill straights, it felt unsettling enough that we instinctively wanted to ease off the throttle. We thought that maybe the oil in the dampers had overheated, spoiling their effectiveness, so we stopped and waited an hour for them to cool down, but this had no effect. At the time, the odometer was only showing around 3,500km, which is far too early for any real deterioration in the functioning of the dampers themselves.

The seats, while not particularly outstanding, are well-shaped and adequately soft both front and rear. The rear seats are fairly flat, and there are no grab handles, so passengers can feel some discomfort in hard cornering, but space is adequate for two adults. Compared to the many coupes and hardtops that sacrifice interior space for the sake of style, with steeply sloping roofs and rear windows, the Lancer is far more practical and agreeable.

The disc/drum brakes with powerful servo assistance are very good. Pedal effort is very light, which feels strange at first when moving your foot from the heavy throttle, but you quickly get used to it and find the brakes extremely easy to control. Most drivers in this car will rely on the crisp shifting and strong engine braking to help with deceleration, but even when we deliberately pushed the brakes hard, we detected no signs of fade.

The steering, with a variable ratio of 15.6-18.2:1 common to all Lancers, is also very good, being light and accurate at any speed. The leather-wrapped wheel is easy to grip in terms of size and shape, so your hands won’t fumble or feel rushed even when pushing hard on winding roads.

After covering 600km over the weekend in Izu and on the empty mountain roads of Hakone, our conclusion is that the GSR, while very orthodox in its layout, is a well-balanced and all-around excellent car. It is easy to drive under any conditions, yet still feels sporty. Despite the challenging conditions of traffic jams and mountain roads, it recorded a respectable fuel economy of 10.6km/l overall. If it were given wider wheels, better tires, and high-quality dampers, it could easily become the Escort Mexico of Japan.