During the 1970s and 1980s, Mitsubishi sought to raise its profile through motorsport, finding success with the Lancer 1600 GSR and Pajero in rally and rally-raid competition. The company had planned a Group B assault using a four-wheel-drive Starion coupe, but the abolition of Group B following fatal accidents in 1985 and 1986 forced a change of course. Mitsubishi instead homologated the sixth-generation Galant sedan for Group A competition, drawing on mechanical work done for the abandoned Starion programme.
The sixth-generation E38A/E39A Galant VR-4 debuted in 1987 as Mitsubishi's first high-performance four-wheel-drive production car. Its technical package was remarkable for the era: a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4G63T four-cylinder engine, full-time four-wheel drive with a viscous coupling centre differential, four-wheel steering, four-wheel independent suspension, and four-wheel ABS — the first time all four systems were integrated in a single road car.
To meet Group A's mandatory homologation requirement of 5,000 production units, Mitsubishi sold the car in North America, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and other Asia-Pacific markets. In road trim the car produced up to 195 horsepower depending on market, with a top speed exceeding 130 mph (210 km/h).
Campaigned by Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe, the Galant VR-4 recorded three WRC victories: Mikael Ericsson won the 1989 1000 Lakes Rally, Pentti Airikkala took the 1989 Lombard RAC Rally, and Kenneth Eriksson won the 1991 Swedish Rally. The car also won the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship outright in 1988 (Kenjiro Shinozuka) and 1991–92 (Ross Dunkerton), and the American National GT Championship in 1992 through Tim O'Neil.
Special trims produced during this generation included the VR-4 R (1987), VR-4 RS (1988), Super VR-4 (1990), VR-4 Monte Carlo (1990), and VR-4 Armed by Ralliart (1991). A liftback variant, the Eterna ZR-4, shared the same mechanical package.
By 1992, the homologated Lancer Evolution had taken over as Mitsubishi's WRC contender, freeing the Galant VR-4 from sporting regulation constraints. The seventh-generation model retained the proven four-wheel-drive system but replaced the turbocharged inline-four with a smoother twin-turbocharged 2.0-litre V6 (code 6A12TT), producing 237 horsepower. Transmission choices were a five-speed manual or a four-speed INVECS automatic with "fuzzy logic" adaptive shifting. The car was capable of 0–60 mph in around 6.5 seconds and a derestricted top speed of approximately 140 mph (230 km/h).
A 1994 facelift brought a new front bumper, tail lights, 15-inch wheels, and a high-rise spoiler. Japanese-market liftback variants sold as the Eterna XX-4 (1992) and Galant Sports GT (1994–96) used the same drivetrain.
The eighth-generation model, launched in 1996, represented the definitive version of the VR-4 concept. Engine displacement grew to 2.5 litres (6A13TT twin-turbo V6), lifting power to Japan's voluntary ceiling of 276 horsepower. The car could reach over 160 mph (260 km/h) without the speed limiter and accelerated from 0–60 mph in 5.3 seconds with the five-speed manual.
Technology highlights included Active Yaw Control (AYC) on the rear axle — first seen on the Lancer Evolution IV — which used sensors to detect and counteract oversteer, giving the large sedan agility beyond its size. The INVECS-II automatic was an advanced self-learning unit developed in consultation with Porsche's Tiptronic system.
For the first time, the Galant VR-4 was offered alongside a station wagon body style, the Legnum, sharing the same mechanical package. A limited-edition Super VR-4 run of approximately 800 cars was sold in January 1998 in both body styles, featuring Recaro seats and a Momo steering wheel. A facelift arrived in August 1998.
North America and Europe did not receive the eighth generation through official channels, but a growing grey import market gave the car a cult following in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia. In 2000, Ralliart was contracted to type-approve 200 units for official UK sale before Japanese emissions regulations ended production in 2002.
The Galant VR-4 occupies a unique place in Mitsubishi's history as the car that proved the company's all-wheel-drive expertise on the world rally stage before the Lancer Evolution claimed that role for the following two decades. Its 4G63T engine and AWD architecture informed the entire Lancer Evolution family, and the VR-4 nameplate itself is remembered as the first production car to integrate four-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, four-wheel independent suspension, and four-wheel ABS as a complete system.