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Mitsubishi Eclipse coupe stings with power in slick new form
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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RIO NIDO, Calif. -- Take a block of metal skewed to the shape of a bullet, then machine the sides to vertical flat planes, leaving rolled shoulders and etched horizontal strakes with two bold arches drilled fore and aft to make room for wheels. Add a raked windshield that resembles the streamlined canopy of a jet fighter, and two tetragonal clear lenses at corners up front to shield a pair of headlamps underscored by three monochromatic accent streaks notched outboard into the bumper.
The resultant fluid car form, daring and bold and guaranteed to dazzle the eye, dresses new packaging for the Eclipse, Mitsubishi's sporty hatchback coupe.
Designers at the Mitsubishi Research and Design Center in Cypress, Calif., created this coupe and refer to the new styling as geo-mechanical, with a blend of distinct geometric patterns and edgework from hard mechanical forms.
Underlying inspiration for the unusual design came from forms of thick and bulky yet streamlined Machine Age toy cars and trains out of the Thirties, according to the chief designer, Dan Sims.
The look is substantial and strong, but also gracefully sleek like a compressed bullet with sides squared and prow honed to a hard point.
It also looks like it could race the wind, but it can.
A new six-cylinder engine, borrowed from the Galant sedan, delivers up to 205 horsepower and teams with either a five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic that adds a Sportronic clutch-less shifter.
Tests with the five-speed propel an Eclipse GT from standing start to 60 mph in only 7.1 seconds, which easily outpaces the car's primary sporty coupe competitors.
It can run through curves with equal aggression, as we discovered in racy tests over serpentine coils of blacktop winding with the Russian River along a redwood-shrouded route to the California coast.
On the two-lane river road from Rio Nido through Guernerville to Jenner at the river's estuary on the Pacific, we found abundant power underfoot. The manual stick shifted precisely, tight rack and pinion steering gears responded instantly to the slightest movement of the wheel and pointed the nose where you wanted to go, as new MacPherson struts in the independent suspension system blocked any body roll through hard corners and leveled so many bumps in the worn roadbed.
Every aspect of the car's styling, structure and mechanical content represents a new approach for what amounts to a third generational expression.
Mitsubishi unleashed Eclipse in 1989 as a 1990 model with turbo-charged power in a small hatchback package that spawned descriptions like the pocket-rocket.
Construction of the first and all successive issues of the Eclipse occurred at an Illinois plant. Building a Japanese car in the American heartland and lacing it with significant domestic equipment became a strategy for Mitsubishi to hedge escalating car prices in U.S. dollars against Japan's yen.
In 1995, Mitsubishi's designers in California pulled off a second-generation rendition for the Eclipse, then two years later applied curvy styling bulges up front.
This new treatment for Y2K Eclipse amounts to the most dramatic change in concept and format since its inception.
Think of the Eclipse as a bigger car than before.
Its wheelbase grew by two inches and the overall length extended by three as the roof rose by 1.8 inches, all to forge a larger structure which ultimately carves out more interior room for passengers, particularly in the two rear seats which gained almost a full inch of headroom and two inches of legroom.
It uses a different suspension system, discarding front multi-link upper plus lower A-arms in favor of MacPherson struts with lower A-arms, coil springs with tube shocks and shock tower bracing, as well as an anti-roll bar applied.
In the rear, upper A-arms combine with lower lateral and semi-trailing links, coil springs and anti-roll bar.
Although an aggressive driver would perhaps notice a trade-off with the new front arrangement from less precision when carving turns, it produces a smoother ride quality and performs better in straight-line movements.
The steering system -- with speed-sensitive power governing the rack and pinion mechanism -- reacts quickly and provides excellent feedback.
Two new engines go into the three Eclipse editions.
Mitsubishi's 2.4-liter four-pack works in the base RS and upgraded GS. The plant has an overhead cam, four valves in each cylinder and sequential multi-point fuel injection. Output reaches to 154 hp with a manual transmission, or nine less points with the automatic.
Eclipse's racy GT packs the single-cam V6, which displaces 3.0 liters and develops a torque-loaded 205 hp.
The shifter lever, mounted on the console in a sporty stance, connects to either a revised five-speed manual or the four-speed automatic.
A short-throw manual stick moves effortlessly fore and aft, with smooth clutch engagement and easy down-shifts.
The four-speed automatic contains an adaptive controller tied to a computer which quickly learns a driver's habits and manipulates shift patterns to suit the driving style. Take it easy and this one interprets that style by shifting gently at relatively low engine speed. Pep it up in a more sporty manner and it holds a gear to enhance speed. Tackle a long downhill descent and it drops down a gear to add engine braking.
With Sportronic manual mode, the shift lever slides laterally into a side gate, where to-or-fro stick action bumps up or down the gear ladder one notch at a time.
On-board safety systems of all Eclipse models begin with a steel superstructure which has front and rear crumple zones and side door bracing. Dual frontal air bags are in place, with options for seat-mounted side air bags, anti-lock brakes and a traction control device.
The GT edition caps this series with its V6 power, sport tuning of suspension components and performance tires mounted on 17-inch alloy wheels. A price-leading RS totes noteworthy conveniences like a tilting steering wheel, power windows and air conditioning with 15-inch alloy wheels, while the GS gets a sunroof, rear spoiler and 16-inch wheels, foglamps and leather-wrapped steering wheel. Options extend to a luxury kit with leather upholstery and Infinity sound system plus the Sportronic transmission.
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2000 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE Specs |
| Description: |
Subcompact 2+2 hatchback coupe
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| Model Options: |
Subcompact 2+2 hatchback coupe
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| Wheelbase: |
100.8 inches
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| Overall Length: |
175.4 inches
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| Engine Size: |
SOHC 2.4-L I4
SOHC 3.0-L V6
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| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/4/Sportronic
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| Drive: |
Front
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| Braking: |
RS/GS: Power disc/drum
GT: Power 4-disc
opt. ABS/TCS
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| Airbags: |
2 (front) + opt. 2 (side)
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| Gas Mileage: |
I4: 23/31 mpg
V6: 20/28 mpg
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| Price: |
$ 18,000 to $ 25,000 |
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