The $3,800 Mazda Coupe That Out-Steered The Nissan Skyline

Everyone loves a turbocharged Japanese coupe from the 1980s or early 1990s. It was a golden era when automakers competed to push performance boundaries. The problem? Prices for icons like the Nissan Skyline GT-R have gone through the roof. But one forgotten Mazda, packing the same four-wheel-steering technology as the legendary Skyline, can still be found for pocket change.

We're talking about the Mazda MX-6 GT Turbo 4WS, a car that offered Skyline-tier handling for Civic money.

In the late 1980s, Japanese manufacturers were locked in a technology arms race. Nissan's R32 Skyline GT-R famously borrowed ideas from a Porsche 959 it tore apart, but it also introduced Super HICAS four-wheel steering. Honda had its own 4WS system on the Prelude. Yet Mazda quietly claimed a world first: speed-dependent four-wheel steering, debuting on the 1987 Mazda 626 sedan.

The system used hydraulics and mechanical links to turn the rear wheels slightly opposite at low speeds for maneuverability, and in the same direction as the fronts above 22 mph for sharper high-speed cornering.

Mazda realized that sporty coupes, not sedans, were the right home for this tech. So in 1988, it launched the MX-6 GT 4WS, a two-door turbocharged sleeper. 2-liter intercooled turbo four making 145 horsepower and 190 lb-ft of torque. 7 seconds. The 4WS system added 183 pounds, but the car still handled like a dream.

Only discreet badges hinted at its capability. Yet at $1,200 extra on a $15,499 base price, buyers hesitated. The option lasted just two years.

Today, the Mazda MX-6 GT Turbo 4WS is almost forgotten. S. We found a California seller asking $3,800 for a manual example that had been in storage. A project car in Australia went for $3,500. Running cars are rare. But for anyone who appreciates obscure 1980s Japanese engineering and wants a coupe that can hold its own against the Skyline in the corners, the MX-6 4WS is a bargain that's still hiding in plain sight.