You may know a little more about the Legnum than you think. This car (also called the Aspire, MX/MF, VRG and VRM) was produced from 1996 to 2003 by Mitsubishi Motors and sold as the Galant Station Wagon in America. Although the Galant wagon was sold as the Legnum in Japan, it's mechanically identical to every other version of the Galant but for its long roof and big trunk.
4G93 DOHC 16 Valve
This was the Legnum cum Galant Wagon's base four-cylinder engine. Although this non-turbocharged powerplant's 138-horsepower and 133 pound-foot of torque aren't particularly impressive for a 3,400-pound-plus car, it does at least have some provenance. The 4G93 is very similar in design to the 4G63 turbo used in Mitsubishi's legendary Lancer Evolution. The 4G93 is a dual-overhead camshaft engine displacing 1.8L, which it attains by way of an 81mm bore and an 89mm stroke. The 4G93's advanced cylinder heads allow it to run a compression ratio that would be considered stratospheric for most street engines (12-to-1). Additionally, this engine was sold primarily in Japan, where 100-octane-plus gas is available at any corner pump.
4G93 DOHC Turbocharged
Take the 4G93's huge compression ratio, drop it to 10:1, install a Garrett turbocharger and you have the 4G93 turbo. Not to be confused with the 4G63 turbo, this engine made 204 horsepower and 200 foot-pounds of torque. Like the naturally-aspirated version, the 4G93 turbo used gasoline direct injection for increased horsepower and fuel efficiency with reduced emissions. This was the middle-range engine for those who wanted performance. This engine was also used in the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 3, so factory performance upgrades abound.
6A13 Twin-Turbo V6
If you like a station wagon that can haul more than kids, then the Galant/Legnum VR-4 is your ride. This option package came with Mitsubishi's much-lauded twin-turbo, 2,498cc (2.5L), dual-overhead cam V6 producing a healthy 276 horsepower and 268 foot-pounds of torque. This engine was capable of powering a stock Galant sedan to about 15.6 second in the quarter mile--high 13-second time slips are attainable with modest aftermarket upgrades like an air filter and manual boost controller valve. More serious upgrades can push this engine to well over 500 horsepower, which makes a good case for the Legnum VR-4's standard all-wheel-drive system.
Tags: 4G63 turbo, 4G93 DOHC, 4G93 turbo, compression ratio, foot-pounds torque, horsepower foot-pounds
