Ive been a few years on with this auto-type thing (amazingly, no one has caught on to my act), and I have driven a good shake of convertibles. But its not until nowmy first baby steps behind the wheel of the 2000 Eclipse Spyderthat it has dawned on me that I have absolutely no good (OK, non-fabricated) explanation for the common convertible synonym: Spyder. And its been yearsyearssince I first heard it said, by Maury Povich during some Current Affair bit on the messy James Dean affair. These days, there are no fewer than three production models which bear that spindly signature. On the concept side, things are out of control. Every other car seems to be a Spyder. This is definitely something that requires a bit of looking into.
But first there is the issue of Mitsubishis little creature. Actually, its not so little anymore, as the Eclipse has grown out of its previous design. Love or hate the new Eclipse (as the line has been drawn), I guarantee that you will love the Eclipse Spyder GT a little more or hate it a little less. Two hundred horsepower and 205 lb-ft of torquewith or without a turbo or all-wheel drivemakes an impression, especially right now, in the straights and narrows of my current testing ground, the stretching desert around Phoenix.
I heavily foot the gas pedal as I roll toward some waves of pavement that remind me of a tame Disney roller coaster. Acceleration is smooth. The 3.0L V-6 powerplant has been dampened to a muffled wheeze. Each peck from my foot on the gasno matter how abrupt and heavyelicits the same controlled response. Thats not to say the Spyder doesnt move. Quite the contrary, the car pulls when needed and wanted; it just does it with manners. The subdued nature of the motor might throw off old-school Eclipse die-hards used to the rough-edged tossing power of the previous-gen GSX. Now, its more John Mellencamp than John Cougar.
When the SSTthe Eclipse conceptwas first unveiled at the 98 NAIAS, its aggressive design already proved itself to be a radically different creature from its predecessors. When engine options were revealed a year later, that further drove home the fact that the Eclipse wasnt just entering a new generation, but abandoning the old ones altogether. It seemed completely untunable, at least in the same respect as Eclipses of old. No more quick fixes with the boost controller and turbo upgrades. But all of this is not new. What is new is the Spyder. So does Mitsubishi expect us to gawk and stare and want to get inside the Eclipse (and forget about the past) just by taking its top off?
OK, it works. In the $25,000-and-under class, the Eclipse Spyder is with little competition. The only other two contestantsthe Mustang convertible and the Chrysler Sebringare easily outgunned. Neither have the concept edge of the Eclipse nor the same sort of power and delivery. The new Eclipse may not have been the most exciting product Mitsubishi could have brought us. The Spyder is decisively better.
One marked upgrade is the suspension. Added features not found on the coupe include a front strut tower brace and boxed-rear control arms. On the GT, stickier 215/50VR17 tires and 17-inch lightweight alloys help steering and car control. Though most Spyders cometragicallywith a four-speed auto tranny and Mitsubishis version of the pseudo-sequential quick shift, called the Sportstronic, mine has the more apt five-speed manual gear box. Nothing spectacular, but no glaring defects. Throws are solid though a bit clunky. Still, an easy pick over the auto.
Inside, the cabin maintains the integrity of the earlier concept version but at a more real-world level. Shame, I often wonder what is so impractical about cutting-edge aesthetics. Anyway, the true hero here is the stereo system, built in collaboration with Infinity. The standard unit comes with an AM/FM receiver, CD player, and sevencount em: sevenspeakers. The unit has no trouble overcoming the wind noise while cruising with the top down, for which this car was built. Dont abandon those dreams of taking the Eclipse Spyder to the tuners. Just put them on hold. Youll want to cruise around in it for a while first.
By Richard S. Chang
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