2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder Photo Gallery
Day 1:
Well, better late then never, as they say. This week I get to cruise around in the 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT-P. Although the weather has turned a little on the nippy side here in Ottawa, I’m sure I’ll manage to enjoy some top down driving throughout the week.
When the Eclipse Spyder was revealed in Detroit last January, I was there front and centre. I remember the flurry of photographers and the comments from the crowd. Mitsubishi took its coupe’s design and improved upon it - at least for the Spyder, in my opinion, and in the opinion of many others at the show. This car was built to prove Mitsubishi is back and here to create excitement about the brand.
With a starting price of $31,998.00, the Eclipse Spyder comes standard with a 5-speed manual tranmission mated to a 2.4L SOHC inline 4 cylinder engine producing 162hp. Also included is a 650 Watt Rockford Fosgate stereo system, air conditioning, heated seats, cruise control and 17″ alloy wheels. In other words, the Spyder comes fairly loaded in base (GS), form.
My tester ups the ante by moving up to the GT-P version, which increases engine size to a 3.8L V6 producing 260hp and 258lb-ft of torque. The 5-speed transmission becomes a 6-speed manual, the 17″ wheels are bumped up to 18″, and the interior is lined with leather front to back.
I’m praying for some sun and warmth this week to allow me to get the full experience this car has to offer. Lucky for me I had the opportunity last evening to cruise around top down in the mild late summer air.
2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT-P
MSRP as tested: $38,093.00
For more information on Mitsubishi and the Eclipse visit Mitsubishi Motors Canada
Updated Septemeber 21st 2006
Day 2:
It’s only my second day with the Eclipse, but I have already put quite a few kilometers on it. So far I have been having a blast cruising around both top-down and top-up in this sporty coupe.
It seems reactions to the Eclipse Spyder are mixed. Some absolutely love the styling, while others simply do not find it appealing at all. Out in the real world I’ve found the same type of reactions. Some can’t keep their eyes off of the vehicle, while others commented they liked it in pictures but in the metal the proportions are not quite right.
Personally, I think the Eclipse Spyder looks great, especially in the red colour of my test vehicle. It really stands out as a unique vehicle on the road. Most seem to be turned off by the bulbous rear end, but not me.
That rear end does cause some visibility issues from the driver’s seat, unfortunately. Top-down the high rear is not too much of an issue, and visibility is fairly decent.
Raising the roof causes more than a few issues with visibility. Rear visibility is very poor, sideways visibility is limited and the rear quarter blind spots are huge. There is no B pillar (thankfully) but the C pillar, essentially the rear corners of the soft top, is about two feet wide, creating almost zero visibility.
Good thing that front windshield is large: with enough power to get you in serious trouble with the law you’ll need it to keep a keen eye on the horizon.
Updated September 24th 2006
Day 3:
Who says a convertible can’t be practical? Although the trunk in the Eclipse Spyder is not massive, it can carry a good amount of groceries, as I found out this weekend during my weekly grocery run. I was actually a little worried, but the trunk swallowed it all easily.
Yesterday, I headed out to Costco and found this excellent deal on a colour laser printer. The printer is large: as a reference, it weights 80lbs. You wouldn’t think it would fit in a small coupe, and honestly, it wouldn’t have if the Eclipse weren’t a convertible. Lower the top, drop the box in gently from overhead, and close the roof again. No problem!
I bought the printer for my parents who live out of town; this gave me the opportunity to road trip the Spyder and test its cargo carrying capacity - both of which I was impressed with. The Eclipse is a very quiet and comfortable highway cruiser. I’m sure a great deal of its 3,700lbs curb weight can be attributed to the excellent sound deadening Mitsubishi engineers stuffed into every nook and cranny they could find. Road noise is kept to a bare minimum, even with the top down; with the top up, you forget you’re in a convertible.
The 3.8L V6 engine in the Eclipse Spyder is wonderfully smooth. I liken it to the Honda Accord V6 or Nissan 350z VQ engine. The snarl from the exhaust is truly intoxicating and with 260hp and 258lb-ft of torque, the feel from the engine is just as intoxicating as its sound. All I long for is for is that the Spyder was all-wheel or rear-wheel drive to complete the excitement factor.
I’m quite pleased with the handling of the Spyder as well. The car feels remarkably stiff, turn in is sharp and the steering has a weighty, solid feel. Get on the power a little early in the corner though and push becomes a problem with so many ponies trying get to the ground through the front wheels. Even with the traction control on you could burn the tires off this thing in quite the hurry.
Updated September 8th 2006
Day 4:
I hadn’t realized the Eclipse Spyder took premium fuel only until I headed to the pump to fill up the tank. I was anxious to see how many litres it would swallow, as I had traveled close to 500km and still had over a quarter tank left, according to the fuel gauge.
The Eclipse’s fuel consumption as rated by Natural Resources Canada is 13.3 / 8.2 L/100km (city/highway). With a heavy foot and love for the V6 snarl I averaged 10.5L/100km over a mix of 50/50 (city/highway) driving. Gearing that has the engine turning just barely 2,000 rpm in sixth gear on the highway allows for excellent fuel economy when desired.
I very much enjoyed the Eclipse Spyder over the course of the past week. It is an excellent cruiser and has enough grunt to still be classified as sporty. If you’re in the market for a sporty convertible or even just a cruising one, certainly give the Eclipse a look - you will not be disappointed.
*Rating out of 5:
2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder
Acceleration
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Handling
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Comfort
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Interior
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Audio System
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Gas Mileage
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*Rating based on vehicle’s classification
2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT-P
MSRP as tested: $38,093.00
For more information on Mitsubishi and the Eclipse visit Mitsubishi Motors Canada
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