The 1986 Mitsubishi Colt Mirage Spyder Concept: A Forgotten Vision of Futuristic Fun

Retro Ingenuity - Sometimes the automotive world surprises us with machines that feel less like products and more like ideas made tangible—snapshots of what designers and engineers were dreaming about at a particular moment in time. The mid-1980s were full of that kind of experimental energy: wedge shapes, bold door mechanisms, and a willingness to treat even compact platforms as canvases for something exciting. Within that creative atmosphere emerged the Mitsubishi Colt Mirage Spyder Concept of 1986, a car that seemed built to stretch the imagination rather than fill showrooms. 

The 1986 Mitsubishi Colt Mirage Spyder Concept, a car that seemed built to stretch the imagination rather than fill showrooms. (Picture from AllCarIndex)

Mitsubishi based the concept on the second-generation Mirage, a modest, sensible hatchback known more for efficiency than theatrics. Yet the transformation into the Spyder was dramatic enough that the origin was almost unrecognizable. The designers carved the car into an open-top, speedster-style roadster with a profile so low it looked ready to slice through the air. Adding scissor doors—a feature usually reserved for high-end exotics—gave the prototype a futuristic flair, and the overall shape suggested a playful rebellion against the norms of its era. While surviving documentation about the interior is limited, the exterior alone indicated a focus on sensation as much as function. It was the sort of design crafted to spark a reaction before you even approached it. 

The 1986 Mitsubishi Colt Mirage Spyder Concept was shaped as an open-top speedster with an ultra-low profile that looked ready to cut through the air. (Picture from AllCarIndex)

Technical specifics were never the core purpose of the project, and Mitsubishi kept the details close. However, the concept likely borrowed from the Mirage’s familiar mechanical lineage. That would mean a 1.5-liter 4G15 inline-four resting under its sculpted panels, probably in the single overhead cam configuration common at the time. Engines of that type produced around 94 horsepower at the crank, more modest than muscular, but sufficient for a lightweight experimental roadster. For a car built primarily to showcase styling and possibility, the powerplant served more as a dependable companion than a headline feature. 

The 1986 Mitsubishi Colt Mirage Spyder Concept featured scissor doors typically seen on exotic cars, reinforcing its futuristic flair and playful defiance of 1980s design norms. (Picture from AllCarIndex)

The Spyder’s most visible moment in the spotlight arrived not on a motor show floor but on film. It made an appearance in Jackie Chan’s 1986 movie Armour of God, where its unusual silhouette and theatrical doors made it immediately memorable. For many viewers, this fleeting role became their only encounter with the car, reinforcing its status as something rare—almost mythical. 

The 1986 Mitsubishi Colt Mirage Spyder Concept likely drew from the Mirage’s mechanical roots, using a 1.5-liter 4G15 SOHC inline-four producing around 94 horsepower to suit its lightweight, experimental nature. (Picture from AllCarIndex)

Like many concept vehicles of its time, the Colt Mirage Spyder was never meant for mass production. It lived as a one-off prototype, a design experiment that existed long enough to leave an impression and then quietly fade into Mitsubishi’s archives. Yet its legacy feels surprisingly current. Today’s automotive landscape, with its revived interest in compact sports cars, retro-influenced styling cues, and the blending of the practical with the playful, echoes some of the spirit that shaped the Spyder decades ago. Even its audacious door design resonates with modern brands that use dramatic openings as part of their identity. | X6xQyx4NQNY |

What remains most compelling about the 1986 Colt Mirage Spyder Concept is the way it captures a moment when imagination outran expectations. It took a humble platform and reimagined it as something adventurous, cinematic, and almost whimsical. That kind of creative leap is why concept cars continue to fascinate; they remind us that automotive design isn’t only about engineering constraints or market demands, but also about daring to shape metal into ideas. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | STORY-CARS | ALLCARINDEX | CCDISCUSSION ]

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