Originally Posted by deft spyder

(page 1)


Well, I'm really excited about this opportunity... here's some background.

At MOD '05 I met David O'Connell. I didn't know who he was, but he looked at the VLS doors and complimented me on them, and I told him my company/buddy designed them... to which he replied, "really, thats pretty cool, I designed this"... and I didn't know what he was talking about until I realized he was talking about the 3000GT Spyder!

David turns out to be the cheif designer at Mitsubishi R&D of America. Dave was the first designer at Mitsu America, starting as entry level back in 1984. Coming from the Starion project, he was there from ground zero on our 3000GT.

I talked to him for a while, even took a pic with him... this guy is a piece of automotive history. For instance, did you know the 2nd gen from 3 fangs were originally 9 fangs! They ended up breaking them off till there were three (very reminicent of the back end of an EVO MR). Did you know that the design took cues from an actual Japanese Samurai warrior? Did you know the success of the Starion paved the way to develop the 3000GT? Dave is the sort of guy who as so much excitement in his voice about our cars and so many stories about the 3000GT that you can't help but be swept up in his appreciation and love for it.

This is the sort of fantastic insight into the design process of the 3000GT that none of us really get to hear unless you just happen to run into a guy like this.

David's involvement is concerned with the design of the car... the body, the scoops, the body functionality... and if you always wondered about something to do with the production, idea making, creation, steps to concept, influence, etc... this is your chance to ask him. many of the concept pictures seen at MOD '05 are actually done by him.

David has agreed to do a 20 questions Q&A with me. Here's how we are working it. I am going to ask some obvious questions I think are obvious, like "What was the cycle for getting the 3000GT idea from concept to production?" but we are opening it up to everyone to ask the question you'd like to know.

Ask your question here, all of the questions will be compiled, and the top 20 or so will be submitted. David also works with one of the guys on the Stealth project, so if you have questions about that, he may be able to get an answer on that as well.

Silly questions, off topic, or just lame will of course be dropped, as david is a busy guy and I wont bother him with that sort of stuff. Avoid questions like in his words "brake composition" because he simply doesn't work in that department.

I told him that guaranteed someone will ask "will there be a new VR4?", and I have already heard his response on that, but don't be suprised if he can't say too much on the topic He does have to keep some things quiet. But yeah, lets ask him!

All of the questions and answers will be posted on deftracing.com as a new article. Our interview may be in person and recorded, or through email... whatever his schedule allows.

This is an awesome opportunity, so lets make it good!

Originally Posted by deft spyder

(page 24)

man I always love talking to this guy on the phone. He is back now from all his business meetings, and he's ready to go and still excited. He told me that he's pulled alot of stuff for us to use too... should be great. He likened it to automotive archaeology

So he mentioned that Dan Fins, General Manager of Mitsu, should be in on it because he was the guy at Chrysler for the Stealth side of it.

Yes Stealth guys... we now have your guy with the interview, and he is now going to sit in on the interview to answer the Stealth stuff!

That guy is out of the country, so I'm going to give him a call on the 18th and were going to try and set it up for the week of the 25th.

ALSO, as I was talking to him... I joked that I hoped he was at all these meetings making the new VR4... and he laughed and I could hear in his voice he was trying to figure out how to word what eventually was said:

"well, i dont know how to put it, but you can tell the guys we have something in the works.. we have the recipe but we're still cooking it up."

"Can i ask you..."

?Probably not "

"OK, well, vaguely put, would you say it is probably in the veins of what we like?"

"Yes, I think it is"

"So, would you say maybe within a year we might see this?"

"yes."

Yeah, there's quotes there but I'm just doing this from memory... but you read it here...something big and in the "VR4 vein" of interest (I sincerely doubt it is a vr4, he even mentioned vr6 as a joke, so i think we wont see a vr4 definitely)... but I'm excited to see what my friend is cooking up.