Mitsubishi 3000 GT “Beckenbauer Edition”: Classic Cars |

Pfffftttt. The whistling festival gets louder as we approach the Allianz Arena. But the noise doesn’t come from the big stadium. Today is empty because FC Bayern is playing away. The twin turbochargers of the yellow Mitsubishi 3000 GT “Beckenbauer Edition” sports competition disturb the peace.

The Japanese extreme athlete’s journey took us to Munich, home of FC Bayern, by accident. Because we’re bringing the Mitsubishi 3000 GT “Beckenbauer Edition” home a little bit today, following in the footsteps of Franz Beckenbauer. What does the 3000 GT have to do with FC Bayern, let alone Kaiser Franz? One would think today that Subaru’s Libero would be a better fit. Let’s go back in time: During the winter break of the 1993/94 season, Vice President Beckenbauer took over as coach of a weakened Bayern. Meanwhile, Mitsubishi’s flagship, the 3000 GT, has flat tires for German dealers. The car is very expensive, the brand offers very little prestige. Beckenbauer, who was also the uncrowned king of personal marketing at the time, signed an advertising contract with the brand. Also interesting: Tips for our products on Amazon

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Classic Cars drives the Mitsubishi 3000 GT “Beckenbauer Edition”

Franz Beckenbauer and Mitsubishi – these become events, advertising motifs, autograph cards. And a special 3000 GT series called the “Beckenbauer Edition”. To do this, the company retrieves 30 parked cars from dealers, paints them yellow, screws on expensive OZ rims and Remus exhaust systems, the king will sign off and deliver the cars to the most enthusiastic customers. Beckenbauer has also been given one, which he treasures because of his all-wheel drive in his adopted home of Kitzbühel in Austria. And it is certainly your choice as we head to the team training on Säbener Straße via Autobahn 8.

Today we move number 24 through the evening of the state capital. Mitsubishi Germany bought the car in 2018 and lovingly restored it. Officially, the 3000 GT produces 286 hp (210 kW) – a range that other Japanese sports cars also sleep on. It’s a smart compromise to avoid exacerbating the horsepower wars of the early ’90s and not endanger the man behind the wheel. Actual performance is probably 40 hp higher. And thanks to the exhaust system and chip making, the Mitsubishi 3000 GT “Beckenbauer Edition” even has more than 400 horses.

There is a sticker from arch-rivals 1860 Munich on the house number

Franz Beckenbauer’s life is closely intertwined with FC Bayern Munich and the city. He was born on September 11, 1945 in Munich-Giesing. Football was born in his childhood. Directly opposite his birthplace at Zugspitzstrasse 6 is the football field where he spent most of his childhood. When we get there with the Mitsubishi 3000 GT “Beckenbauer Edition”, the playground is completely renovated and the house is also renovated. Ironically, there is a peeling sticker on the home number from 1860 Munich – the club that 13-year-old Beckenbauer almost moved to if a player from the team hadn’t slapped him in the face. Instead, he goes to local rivals FC Bayern and makes history.

As Beckenbauer’s Mitsubishi slowly warms up, the route leads to the Olympic Park, where the shining figure of the king had his best moment. The first few meters you may think that the tachometer is faulty – the long-term first gear ratio is mainly responsible. The seats have a combination of grip and comfort that’s perfect for everyday use, and tech fans can enjoy accessories like an LCD screen for air conditioning or a switch to extend the rear spoiler. When the futuristic tent design is visible behind the trees, we remember the era of FC Bayern with Beckenbauer as libero. From 1972 onwards, the Munich team regularly defeated their opponents in front of 80,000 spectators. The highlight, however, was undoubtedly the victory in the World Cup final against the Netherlands in 1974. The whole nation was electrified, children of the seventies remember the last decades later. A good story.

The fastest automatic card in the world

From the Olympic Park we drive to the current Bayern stadium. The Allianz Arena is associated with Franz Beckenbauer for two reasons: He was an insurance broker by training and, at a young age, he worked as a clerk at Allianz, which would later become his club’s stadium sponsor. As president, Beckenbauer was also one of the main people responsible for planning in the early 2000s. The sports coupe feels better on open roads than in heavy city traffic. It’s time to put the 3000 GT into acceleration mode: pop-up lights up, rear spoiler up (looks cooler from the inside than the outside), slow down and hit the accelerator pedal on the green carpet. The V6 revs up, the speedometer needle fights wild turbo whistles, while the boost pressure indicator is no longer happily manageable. “Sleep there,” the king would say. The Mitsubishi 3000 GT “Beckenbauer Edition” is not only fast for an old car, but also by today’s standards. Probably the fastest autograph card in the world.

There has been a regular sports car show on Säbener Straße. There is still a stop to be made, simply because Beckenbauer’s Mitsubishi probably spent most of its time in the parking lot there. Säbener Straße has always been the training camp of FC Bayern. The last travelers leave the luxury clubhouse and the trail seems almost deserted. Only occasionally does a cyclist pass by. The sun is long gone, but the club’s colors shine through the windshield on the yellow 3000 GT. They are all already standing there in their sports cars. Müller, Hoeneß, Maier, Breitner, Rummenigge. Of course, Franz also has his cars: BMW 3.0 S and 2800 CS, Corvette, Mercedes W116, even Ford Fiesta. And then in 1994 with the Mitsubishi 3000 GT. Unfortunately, Beckenbauer managed to win the 1993/94 championship in his first season as Bayern coach – whether and what role the Japanese sportsman played in this is unknown. It was also to be the last German championship title for Kaiser.

Technical data of the Mitsubishi 3000 GT “Beckenbauer Edition”