Mitsubishi Shogun BBR Turbo | High Mile Club

Heard the one about the BBR Shogun with almost twice the power of standard? Get comfy…

By Matt Bird / Monday, November 22, 2021 / Loading comments

Aftermarket tuners cranking up the performance of super SUVs is nothing new; companies like Manhart, Overfinch and Brabus will increase boost pressure and lower ride height to suit customers wishes. Indeed, many have been doing it for decades now. But the BBR Mitsubishi Shogun was a new one on us – we dare say it might be for you as well.

That’s the familiar BBR as well – Brodie Brittain Racing, put together by David Brodie and Ken Brittain in the 1970s. Having run a lot of Mitsubishi’s motorsport efforts up to 1987, the team decided to take their racing knowledge and drastically improve roadgoing Mitsubishis. The BBR Shogun Turbo was one such project.

The BBR overhaul was serious. Power was boosted from a mere 100hp to a much stronger 190hp thanks to a Garrett T3 turbo, which was supported by an uprated intercooler, exhaust, Weber carb, oil cooler and so on. The really committed could spend another £4k (on top of the £2,685 for the engine work) for uprated suspension, wheels, and tyres to really make the most of the performance.

It’s thought that only 400 were made. And back in the day the BBR Shogun was like nothing else – Performance Car called it “one of the most remarkable vehicles we’ve tested in years” – but the appeal of a modified Shogun in the late 1980s for thousands more than standard would surely have been limited.

Now, of course, it looks a brilliantly retro 4×4, as well as a forgotten bit of BBR history. It’s being sold by PHer TurboBlue, also known as Pete, who’s owned the Mitsubishi since 2012; you can check out his 19-page thread on the BBR Shogun here, detailing everything that’s been done in the following nine years. Suffice it to say a lot of time and effort has gone into rejuvenating the car – see page one for evidence of that!

Today it’s a 190,000-mile example that’s still in regular use. The Shogun isn’t perfect, as pointed out in the ad – a respray hasn’t gone perfectly, and there is a predictable assortment of scratches. A concours Mitsubishi Shogun, in truth, would be a real contradiction in terms, however rare and interesting this one is. Still, as the advert also mentions, this is a much more affordable route into a classic SUV than something like a Range Rover or G-Wagen. And even if a near-200hp Shogun from 1988 may not be the best-driving 4×4 in the world, who wouldn’t want to find what it’s like? Bet it’s still alright off-road, too…

For £5,995, which would probably buy half a rolling Defender project, the old Shogun looks intriguing. A standard one would, too, in truth, so with the BBR dimension as well it’s a real find. TurboBlue believes it could now be the sole survivor, which sounds believable given the age, niche appeal and numbers made. To many this would have just been another old Shogun, not really worth bothering with.

With BBR’s involvement, however, the dedicated few will recognise this car as something a bit different – and special. It would be nice, too, for a PHer-owned car to find a like-minded owner now to take it through 200,000. Just be sure to keep that thread updated…

See the original advert here

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