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Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder sporty coupe flips its ragtop lid
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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In a classy styling statement, Mitsubishi's designers let the sun shine into a sporty coupe by pealing back its metal lid.
The resultant ragtop, with lines so fluid you cannot detect a single straight edge among so many arcs and curves and swept-back shapes, stems from Mitsubishi's subcompact 2+2 Eclipse coupe that's made in America.
Call this new one the Spyder. As the name implies, it's wickedly fun to drive.
Spyder comes together in Illinois at a joint-venture plant known as Diamond Star Motors. It arrives in the marketplace with appealing prices at a time when more exotic sportsters seem like so many endangered species.
Spyder's skin has been shaped so smooth that it slices through air at a rate that ranks in world-class stature.
Its cockpit contains so many instruments and precise controls, a contoured bucket and padded wheel, that you feel like you're strapped into some landlocked skyship.
The turbocharged powerplant installed in Spyder GS-T behaves with such aggressive acceleration that it will whip almost anything that dares to challenge your line in the fast lane.
A second variation, Spyder GS, packs a naturally-aspirated engine borrowed from the Eclipse Galant sedan.
It pares the power and economizes on extra equipment, yet the price for this convertible adds up to a such a fair figure that any test conjures the trite auto descriptive: More bang for the buck.
Score this pair -- GS and turbo GS-T -- at the top of any list of sexy, slinky, sporty convertibles.
In a test, expect GS-T to knock your socks off.
Its turbocharged and intercooled engine, in 2.0-liter format featuring dual overhead camshaft and four valves for each of four cylinders, generates up to 210 hp with manual 5-speed stick or 205 hp with optional automatic 4-speed.
That's enough on-board muscle to propel this pop-top rocket from a stop-light start to 60 mph in a fraction over seven seconds.
Keep the revs high -- up to a redline at 7000 -- and GS-T will kindle aggressive pedal action through all gears with mid-range speeds.
Don't expect such forceful acceleration with the Spyder GS, as its 2.4-liter four, rated at 141 hp, consumes about two more seconds to reach 60 mph.
Of course, any car that can run a quarter-mile time in under ten flat should be considered forceful, and GS does feel responsive. It perhaps compensates for GS-T's thrusty action with a price tag that totals to 5,300 fewer dollars.
Both Spyders feel uncommonly rigid and stable while in motion, a point which not every convertible can achieve.
This rigidity begins with the chassis of Eclipse coupe, itself noteworthy in terms of resistance to motion-driven forces for torsion and flex which can introduce bad behavior in a vehicle. When a coupe's roof comes off, however, such deletion leaves the platform with far less strength.
Mitsubishi's engineers countered by adding steel braces at key flex points. Points addressed to boost rigidity include A pillars, front and rear floor sections and quarter panels before cross members were implanted behind the rear seat to support the new rear trunk deck and the convertible's top mechanism.
Spyder's new lid in electro-mechanical motion operates with push-button convenience. Detach two header latches, hit a switch on the instrument panel and the gizmo moves up and back before collapsing into a well behind the rear seat.
Mitsubishi unveiled the original Eclipse in 1989 as a 1990 model.
Then in 1994 the Japanese automaker's California-based designers pulled off a second-generation rendition with 1995 label that, like the original, came together in Illinois at Diamond Star.
Building a Japanese car in the American heartland has been Mitsubishi's method of hedging escalating car prices in U.S. dollars when factored against the Japanese yen.
So it goes with Spyder, which pops off the same Illinois assembly line as Eclipse's coupes.
Mitsubishi's pricing strategy, as measured against a slick design and available horsepower, makes the biggest competitive point with Spyder.
The GS rendition with Galant's engine and a nice complement of instruments and amenities, tallies to $19,700.
For $1,500 more, Spyder GS gains a package of convenience features, including air conditioning, cruise control, a built-in security system and more. In addition, the $830 appearance package for GS installs a rear spoiler, foglamps and 16-inch wheels and tires.
The turbo GS-T Spyder, listing for a base figure of about $25,000, totes all of these amenities, including spoiler and big wheels and tires.
For the auto shifter, add another $840 to either car.
These prices, pegged from $20,000 to $26,000, compare reasonably with other convertible choices, although in an opinion derived from various test drives they don't factor the most important aspect of this car's appeal: Fun.
Fun to drive, Spyder is the kind of car you'd take for a spin simply for the pleasure of taking it for that spin.
The turbo kick from front-wheel-drive GS-T will pin you to your seat and pump up your blood pressure the first time you turn it loose.
The non-turbo plant should not be dismissed simply because its horsepower rating appears as a far lesser figure than the turbo. When mounted in a car weighing less than 2,900 lbs, this engine has a kick of its own and dollar for dollar offers excellent value.
The 5-speed manual shifter -- thankfully available on both models for those like me who seek complete control in motion -- feels tight, notchy, easy to shift.
The electronically-controlled automatic with four forward gears is sophisticated, unobtrusive, quiet and still controllable manually, if desired.
Also, Eclipse Spyder contains hidden safety elements like dual airbags and structural crumple zones.
1996 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1996 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER Specs |
| Description: |
Subcompact 2+2 convertible |
| Model Options: |
Subcompact 2+2 convertible |
| Wheelbase: |
98.8 inches |
| Overall Length: |
172.2 inches
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| Engine Size: |
GS: SOHC 2.4-L I-4
GS-T: DOHC 2.0-L I-4 Turbo
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| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
GS: Disc/drum
GS-T: 4-disc/ABS opt. |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
GS: 20/28 mpg
GS-T: 23/31 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 19,700 to $ 26,000 |
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