By Richard S. Chang
photographer: Richard S. Chang
I've 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 it's not until now-my first baby steps behind the wheel of the 2000 Eclipse Spyder-that it has dawned on me that I have absolutely no good (OK, non-fabricated) explanation for the common convertible synonym: Spyder. And it's been years-years-since 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 Mitsubishi's little creature. Actually, it's 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 torque-with or without a turbo or all-wheel drive-makes 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 gas-no matter how abrupt and heavy-elicits the same controlled response. That's not to say the Spyder doesn't 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, it's more John Mellencamp than John Cougar.
When the SST-the Eclipse concept-was 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 wasn't 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 contestants-the Mustang convertible and the Chrysler Sebring-are 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 come-tragically-with a four-speed auto tranny and Mitsubishi's 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