1989 Mitsubishi HSR-II: Blade Runner With a V6 - AllCarIndex
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Mitsubishi's1989 HSR-II concept wasn’t just a design study—it was a rolling manifesto. The second chapter in the High Speed Research series, it came to the Tokyo Motor Show looking like it had driven straight off a Ridley Scott set and onto the Nürburgring.
Styled by Akinori Nakanishi, the HSR-II wore its aggression proudly. Long, low, and wide, with more lines and vents than a fighter jet, it looked fast standing still. But this wasn’t about show. Beneath the wild bodywork sat a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged, twin-intercooled DOHC V6 punching out 350 horsepower at a screaming 7000 rpm and 440Nm of torque on tap from just 2500 rpm. Power was sent through a 4-speed automatic transmission electronically linked to the engine management system, with torque thrown to all four wheels and steered by all four wheels. No nonsense.
The real party trick, however, was the adaptive aerodynamics. At cruising speeds, the drag coefficient was a supercar-slaying 0.20. Slam the brakes, and a swarm of computer-controlled spoilers and ailerons would deploy like air brakes on an F-15, pushing the drag up to 0.40 for maximum downforce and stability. Form followed function, then function showed up with a degree in aerospace engineering.
Weighing just 1200 kg despite its 4800 mm length and stuffed with tech, it also had active suspension, trick brakes, and—wait for it—automatic parking. Yes, in 1989. Using guide tapes, the HSR-II could slide itself into a spot, no driver input needed. While the crowd gawked at the spoilers and space-age interior, the car quietly parallel parked itself. Job done.
The HSR-II was a brutal, beautiful contradiction: V6-powered lunacy wrapped in wind tunnel science, peppered with robotics. Mitsubishi called it research. We call it a forgotten masterpiece.
