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05-22-2009, 10:09 AM
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When is a sports car not a sports car? When it shares a platform with an SUV. That was an expensive lesson for General Motors to learn with its disastrous Chevrolet SSR, so why should Mitsubishi hold out hope that having its Eclipse coupe sharing a platform with the Endeavor soft-roader is a good idea?
The current fourth-generation Eclipse is far removed from the original '90s performance icon. If you were involved with the street racing or off-road rally scene in the '90s, the Mitsubishi Eclipse was the hottest car on the street – or off. Representing one third of the Diamond Star Motors (DSM) triplets, the others being the Eagle Talon and Plymouth Laser, the Eclipse made its reputation on a ruggedly built, but ultimately fragile, turbocharged four-cylinder engine connected to a sophisticated all-wheel drive system. It was as close to a Lancer Evolution that North America would see for another decade.
The ultimate expression of the Eclipse's position in the import-tuning scene played out in the first movie in the Fast & Furious franchise, with the bright-green second-generation version as the show's star. Not long afterwards, when the Eclipse was due for a redesign, the company did away with the AWD system, and installed a heavy V6 in place of the turbo-four. Talk about a letdown. The third and subsequently fourth-generation Eclipses have promised so much in terms of performance and style, but haven't really resonated with the crowd that used to adore them.
It's a good thing that the Eclipse looks reasonably good, with big fenders, deep sills and that integrated rear spoiler. For 2009, it undergoes a little cosmetic surgery to better reflect the new corporate nose at Mitsubishi, with a blacked-out grille and front bumper. HID headlights are a new option. The rear now features a dual exhaust and darkened plastic mimicking an underbody diffuser.
More: 2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse (http://www.autoguide.com/manufacturer/mitsubishi/2009-mitsubishi-eclipse-1112.html) on AutoGuide.com
When is a sports car not a sports car? When it shares a platform with an SUV. That was an expensive lesson for General Motors to learn with its disastrous Chevrolet SSR, so why should Mitsubishi hold out hope that having its Eclipse coupe sharing a platform with the Endeavor soft-roader is a good idea?
The current fourth-generation Eclipse is far removed from the original '90s performance icon. If you were involved with the street racing or off-road rally scene in the '90s, the Mitsubishi Eclipse was the hottest car on the street – or off. Representing one third of the Diamond Star Motors (DSM) triplets, the others being the Eagle Talon and Plymouth Laser, the Eclipse made its reputation on a ruggedly built, but ultimately fragile, turbocharged four-cylinder engine connected to a sophisticated all-wheel drive system. It was as close to a Lancer Evolution that North America would see for another decade.
The ultimate expression of the Eclipse's position in the import-tuning scene played out in the first movie in the Fast & Furious franchise, with the bright-green second-generation version as the show's star. Not long afterwards, when the Eclipse was due for a redesign, the company did away with the AWD system, and installed a heavy V6 in place of the turbo-four. Talk about a letdown. The third and subsequently fourth-generation Eclipses have promised so much in terms of performance and style, but haven't really resonated with the crowd that used to adore them.
It's a good thing that the Eclipse looks reasonably good, with big fenders, deep sills and that integrated rear spoiler. For 2009, it undergoes a little cosmetic surgery to better reflect the new corporate nose at Mitsubishi, with a blacked-out grille and front bumper. HID headlights are a new option. The rear now features a dual exhaust and darkened plastic mimicking an underbody diffuser.
More: 2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse (http://www.autoguide.com/manufacturer/mitsubishi/2009-mitsubishi-eclipse-1112.html) on AutoGuide.com