June 14^th, 2005

Ebullient Eclipse

Character in Spades, will Eclipse's Heart prove to be Diamond's Ace?

The 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse is among the most important launches of the year. Mitsubishi's survival in the American market depends on its being able to communicate the virtues of its halo model, a car which has long transc-ended the niche character of the sport coupé segment. Pricing is between $19,399 for the base, 2.4-liter MIVEC four-cylinder-powered model, through $28,269 for a fully-loaded, 3.8-liter MIVEC V6 Eclipse with 5-speed automatic and painted in Sunset Pearlescent

Road to the '06 Eclipse

1982-1989 Starion - persistent rumor has it that the Starion was so named due to a Japanese mispronunciation. Regard-less, the Starion - debuting in North America simultaneously with the Mitsubishi nameplate - gave Mitsubishi a  turbocharged, niche-zeitgeist image early in the game

1990-1994 Eclipse

The cars that turned the Starion's niche appeal into success, the first-generation Eclipse (top) and the larger, more expensive 1991-1999 3000 GT combined technology with sleek, modern packag-ing and affordability

1995-1999 Eclipse - by the time the Eclipse was restyled for 1995, Mitsubishi as a whole had doubled its U.S. sales. The Spyder convertible debuted for 1997

2000-2005 Eclipse - when a complete Eclipse redesign debuted in 1999 as a 2000 model, effectively the third generation, Mitsubishi sales were set to triple what they had been at Eclipse's introduction, to more than 300,000 cars. The Eclipse grew heavier, and more mature, content with normally aspirated engines and front-wheel-drive. The Galant-sourced six-cylinder engine, as relaxed in character as the new car, could not ignite tuner’s imaginations in quite the way that the old 210hp @ 6,000rpm, 214lb-ft @ 3,000rpm, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder had. It had definite mainstream appeal, but the zeitgeist image had crumbled

For 2001, Mitsubishi took the roof off the Eclipse again. A new Eclipse Spyder, based on the '06 Eclipse, is expected next year

2003-present Endeavor - the new SUV was the first to use the PS, or Project America, platform. These underpinnings were developed with both the Galant sedan, and the Eclipse coupé, in mind. Conceiving an SUV at the same time as a sedan, both on the same platform, gave designers and engineers valuable perspective in the flexibility that would be necessary. Endeavor also debuted a more Japanese style at Mitsubishi, as instituted by 2001-2004 design head Olivier Boulay in an attempt to differentiate the company as it chased more mainstream segments

1999-2003 Mitsubishi Galant

Meanwhile, the Galant became more outwardly emotive for 2004, improving bending resistance by 140% and torsional rigidity by 100% over its predecessor

We first saw the new Eclipse at the 2004 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, as the Concept–E, powered by a Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing and lift Electronic Control (MIVEC)-equipped 269bhp 3.8-liter V6 mated to two hybrid motors in a system dubbed E-Boost featuring help from Rod Millen. One of these sat behind the cabin, sending 201bhp to the rear tires and thus providing all-wheel-drive and a total output of 470bhp. Further back, lithium-ion battery packs were mounted near the rear axle, in search of 50/50 weight distribution

The MIVEC V6 and design have been retained; the hybrid motors and weight distribution have not. This, then, is the 2006 Eclipse, its lines remarkably faithful to the original concept, the somewhat longer front overhang (necessitated by the PS platform) aside

The industry often talks about design reach and, even literally in its treatment of basic shapes, Mitsubishi's new Eclipse certainly personifies the concept. While the basic form bears resemblance to the geometric Audi TT, none of the Eclipse's detailing touches seem content with basic geometry. The circles – whether the wheel-arches themselves or the speedometer and tachometer housings – are pushed outward at their corners. With a drag coefficient of 0.35, it is evident that style has taken precedence over substance – which, paradoxically enough, may well make Eclipse the head of the zeitgeist again, in an "age of style, not design," of "exuberance and extravagance," as Automobile suggests

Inside the new Eclipse, the signature round air vents, with a hazard switch placed between the two central outlets, continue. The radio is still atop the climate controls, but integration of these pieces is far more seamless than on the outgoing model, housed as they are within the organic forms of the dashboard. Conversely, atop it all, the binnacle housing the clock; compass, and temperature read-outs looks as tacked-on as ever. Below the climate controls, the switches for the heated seats appear as similar afterthoughts, although these are, at least, back-lit. Rowing through the gearbox is a pleasure, despite a slightly notchy fourth-to-fifth shift, largely because of the lever's carefully considered location. As ever, the handbrake is at the driver’s side; convenient, as rotation might prove handy in a car set up to generate less cornering force at the rear than one might expect from a sport coupé

At night, these minor foibles are forgiven as the entire motorcycle-like gauge pod and dashboard come aglow in an ice-blue light which touches even the shifter, contrasted by hints of red in the instrument needles and temperature markings. It is a minimalist, yet technical, look, from which only the fussy door mirror controls; switch blanks on the left side, and the execution of the manual shifter knob detract

On the road, the new Eclipse benefits from the Galant's suspension travel, to the point where even the new 18-inch wheels run over rough roads without excessive jounce. The Eclipse has equal front and rear tracks, unlike the Mustang GT and Nissan 350Z, both of which have a slightly larger rear track. This, combined with roll axis tuning designed to counter the possible inadvertent rotation of a front-heavy weight distribution, has made Eclipse less throttle-steerable than we might like. Yet touch the brakes, mid-corner (an ill-advised maneuver, we'll grant), and it turns-in with a quick dart. It is surprising, then, that the front and rear stabilizer bars are so close in diameter to each other. The roll axis is likely oriented less upward than one might expect, to counter the understeer, so that the stabilizers can promote more neutral handling. Dynamically, this is a smooth car – one whose springs are soft, but whose dampers are considerably stiff. Thanks to this, there is no float, and rough roads are dispatched without disturbance and with nary a quiver, albeit that the front wheels are always ready to skitter over bumps as the torque peak in each gear is approached. On-center, the steering is responsive and quick although, as with so many front-wheel-drive cars, feedback is deadened considerably as it moves toward off-center. Turn-in could be quicker. Eclipse is easy - and entertaining - to drive quickly, and might be easier still save for jumpy pedal action

Eclipse is the first of six new products to be launched by MMNA over the next twenty-six months. The Dodge Dakota-based 2006 Raider pickup truck is next, due in August. If less authentic than an imported L200 pickup might have been, Raider demonstrates that for all the rumbling about the DaimlerChrysler-Mitsubishi fallout, the troubled Japanese automaker’s German-American partner has not completely abandoned it. Packing V6 or 4.7-liter V8 engines, the Raider features a boxed and hydroformed frame in extended cab or 4-door double cab body styles, and a double-wishbone front suspension. Originally, it was predicted for up to 40,000 sales, annually, although one assumes that brand awareness must improve before this is attainable

Eclipse is launched with television spots intercutting shots of the car with Kodo drums. "From the syncopated beat of Kodo drums to the distinctly current spin of the Mitsubishi logo, the advertising boldly speaks to consumers, asking why satisfy when you can thrill?" explains BBDO North America chief creative officer David Lubars. BBDO is now handling the MMNA advertising account. There can be little doubt that Mitsubishi’s advertising efforts have long been somewhat misjudged, and we are glad to see a more cohesive strategy beginning to play itself out

Mitsubishi's Japanese design, as instituted by former design head Olivier Boulay, will gradually be increasingly visible in its products, thus correlating with the marketing strategy. As evidenced by the 2005 CZ2 Cabriolet Concept above, Mitsubishi interiors are expected to develop long dashpads, most so at their horizontal midpoints, with a descending wave on either side of a console that reaches forward to meet the driver. As windshields grow increasingly forward-raked, the dashboards themselves will tilt downward for visibility, permitting free-standing instru-ments ahead of the steering-wheel. It is, essentially, a cocooning effect without the housing that has traditionally been used to produce it, and thus a more airy experience

Whether in its innovative Gasoline Direct Injection system (top); its award-winning new Colt which will soon branch out to the Colt Cabrio (middle), or its Paris-Dakar-winning Montero, Mitsu-bishi's authenticity shines much better outside of North America, where the Colt is not available, and where Paris-Dakar means little. Eclipse, once a Stateside legend, looks to change this

Despite all the negativity surrounding Mitsubishi, two things stand out about where the company is going: Eclipse, and Ralliart (a badge which sits proudly on the Eclipse's new MIVEC 3.8-liter V6). It is fitting, perhaps, that both labels imply enthusiasm – enthusiasm of the kind that Mitsubishi’s products have rarely lacked, but have largely failed to convey to the mainstream

Ralliart should be to Mitsubishi what MazdaSpeed and NISMO are to Mazda and Nissan, respectively. The Eclipse's commonality with the Endeavor and Galant may see MIVEC V6-equipped versions of both vehicles, possibly with stick-shifts, as has already been demonstrated by the 2005 Ralliart Endeavor and Ralliart Galant Concepts

First, however, the Eclipse needs to succeed. This is not the product of a troubled company; rather, it has a bullish, courageously polarizing personality. Moreover, despite backing away from its Best Backed Cars in the World slogan, Mitsubishi continues to offer a 10-year/ 100,000 mile powertrain limited warranty, and a 5-year/ 60,000 mile limited warranty for the rest (7-year/ 100,000-mile anti-corrosion), together with 5 years of roadside assistance. The Illinois factory can churn out 42,000 annually. It may be quite busy - if the marketing matches the car

The 2006 Eclipse, the fourth generation of Mitsubishi's sport coupé, ranks among the most important launches of the year. It is the latest in a line that was once iconic, yet whose outgoing predecessor and parent company have both suffered in recent years, for similar reasons if in different ways.

No matter - however unlikely, Eclipse has the brio to charm, and Mitsubishi is starting to show signs of confidence again. The new car should have been launched this past weekend, but its debut was enthusiastically pushed forward to May 19^th by a Mitsubishi anxious for buzz. "Since our product ramp-up had been virtually flawless, we saw no reason to hold back on deliveries of this fabulous new car to showrooms," says MMNA executive vice president of sales and marketing Dave Schembri ('Mitsubishi launches 2006 Eclipse early; automaker counting heavily on new model’s success,’ Automotive News, May 19^th, 2005). Just forty-five days after MMNA appointed BBDO as its new creative agency, its media buyer PHD has completed its recommendations, and an all-new ad campaign has been launched.

At our local dealer, Ann Arbor Automotive, sales consultant Jake Chi tells us that the new Eclipse has been well-received in its opening few weeks. It is the first of six products for which Chi and his 625 North American counterpart dealers are anxious, products MMNA hopes to deliver to market over the next twenty-six months. It is a frenzy that only a company under severe fire can work itself into and, judging by the Eclipse, its chances of success are worthy of the fiercest of underdogs.

The Eclipse first debuted sixteen years ago, in early 1989 as a 1990 coupé built in America as part of a joint-production venture with Chrysler. Eclipse; Eagle Talon, and Plymouth Laser rolled out of Mitsubishi’s plant in Normal, Illinois as the Japanese manufacturer, a late-comer to the U.S. market, sought to solidify its niche appeal.

All three were hits, the Eclipse differentiating itself - rightly so, as all three were Mitsubishi-engineered - from the Plymouth variant by front and rear spoilers that were said to improve its coefficient-of-drag from 0.33 to 0.29, and by eschewing the base 90bhp SOHC 1.8-liter engine. Offering a  135bhp DOHC 2.0-liter, or 190bhp turbocharged model, Eclipse – even fully-equipped at $17,000 - undercut VW's Corrado coupé by 25%.

By the time the Eclipse was restyled for 1995, Mitsubishi as a whole had doubled its U.S. sales. When a complete Eclipse redesign debuted in 1999 as a 2000 model, effectively the third generation, Mitsubishi sales were set to triple what they had been at Eclipse's introduction, to more than 300,000 cars.

Yet in the five years since those heady days, Mitsubishi's troubles have reminded us what a tough business this is. The company has faded fast, its Fuso truck division hit hard in its home country by scandal, and its U.S. distributor mired in inevitable defaults on its generous financing deals in the post-9/11 climate. Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) has been through three CEOs in less than three years, not to mention at least three advertising campaigns.

At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this past January, the company attempted to reassure the world that despite its problems, and despite a 37% decline in U.S. sales through 2004, its ongoing turnaround would be successful. New MMNA CEO - and Mitsubishi veteran - Rich Gilligan emphasized that Japan's oldest manufacturer was "here to stay." 70% of Mitsubishi's sales are outside of Japan and, even though the new Colt (winner of Germany's prestigious Golden Steering Wheel award) and a series of VW-sourced diesels have pushed the brand on its way to 250,000 sales across Europe by 2007, America - where more than 4 million Mitsubishis have been sold since 1982 - is still vital.

Stateside setbacks have forced MMNA to cut back, and to terminate its slowest-selling models without the benefit of a redesign. At the entry level, Mirage disappeared after 2001, replaced by the larger and slightly more expensive Lancer; conversely, at the other end, 2004 marked the near-luxury Diamante's end.

It now appears that 2006 will be the final model year for the Montero, an iconic SUV considered by many at Mitsubishi – thanks in part to decades of Paris-Dakar rally wins – as the pinnacle of the company’s engineering prowess.

Through all of this, much has been made of the idea that the company is pinning its hopes on the Eclipse, a coupé in a market that has long been viewed as a relatively small niche.

The emphasis on versatility at the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit, in January, could be seen to threaten the livelihood of coupés. DaimlerChrysler, for instance, has confirmed that the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Stratus coupés will disappear after the 2006 model year. Certainly, since the Eclipse's best days, we have lost the Chrysler Avenger; Dodge Daytona; Ford Probe; Honda Prelude; Mazda MX-6; Mercury Cougar; Nissan 240SX; Toyota Celica, and Volkswagen Corrado.

However, a check of the running sales charts on our home page illustrates the astounding impact of the Mustang, a coupé that America has taken to its heart once again. There are also the Acura RSX; Chevrolet Cobalt SS; Hyundai Tiburon; Saturn ION RedLine, and Scion tC to contend with, not to mention – at the other 'bookend' of the segment – the larger Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and the upcoming Pontiac G6 Coupé. GM, for one, has emphasized that it is not walking away from the coupé market. Sedans, noted GM vehicle line executive Lori Queen to Automotive News at NAIAS, might draw two-thirds of the market, but coupés are still an important "second choice."

Moreover, Mitsubishi knows full well how dependent it has been on the Eclipse in years past. Take 1994, for instance, when this niche product was its highest-volume model; 1996, a year in which it matched the Galant mainstream sedan's sales; 1998, when Eclipse and Eclipse Spyder made up a full 40% of MMNA's 147,956 annual sales, or 1999, when the pair outsold the entry-level Mirage; near-luxury Diamante, and 3000GT sports car combined.

Eclipse, then, is a core vehicle for Mitsubishi. "In the past, it's proven to have longer sales legs in the marketplace than most sporty coupés," noted Motor Trend recently (Motor Trend, June 2005). Think back to the mid- and late-90s, and this was the choice of the Sport Compact Crowd – at least, for those affluent enough to pick it as the basis for their modifications rather than the ubiquitous Honda Civic. Forced induction and the availability of all-wheel-drive from 1990 meant that Mitsubishi got the jump on the tuner trend, an enviable position which it held until the end of the decade. That the all-wheel-drive, turbocharged Eclipse GS-T accounted for just 15% of total Eclipse sales in 1999 (with a similar proportion throughout its life) was immaterial; it was an image-builder in the same way that the Si and CRX encouraged tuners to modify the most humble of Honda Civics (‘Spyder, No Bites,’ Autoweek, April 3^rd, 2000).

Somewhere between 2000 and 2005, however, the image crumbled. The Eclipse grew heavier and more mature, content with normally aspirated engines and front-wheel-drive. The addition of a Galant-sourced engine to the line-up, six-cylinders for the first time, could not ignite tuner’s imaginations in quite the way that the outgoing 210hp @ 6,000rpm, 214lb-ft @ 3,000rpm, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder had. Moreover, Mitsubishi never took advantage of the mechanical commonality between V6 Eclipse and V6 Galant to install a manual transmission in the latter. Using logic reminiscent of that which had eradicated turbocharging and all-wheel-drive from the Eclipse, the company reasoned that a stick-shift, V6 Galant would have sold to only 1-2% of Galant buyers ('Mitsubishi Galant,' Autoweek, June 28^th, 1999).

What was behind this change in strategy, a change which - as MMNA admitted - roused Eclipse enthusiasts to write-in so angrily? As Daniel Pund postulated in Autoweek five years ago, each of Mitsubishi's products "seemed to go its own way within its own class, and each to some degree had a passionate, if not large, following.

"Each is now dead, either entirely or at least in the form in which it gained that following.

"Problem was, Mitsubishi was losing money… it turned its first profit in seven years only two years ago (1998)" (‘Spyder, No Bites,’ Autoweek, April 3^rd, 2000).

Mitsubishi craved growth in the North American market. Increased market share, through increasing sales in the U.S, Canada, and Mexico to 600,000 by 2006, was considered the solution to its financial instability (‘Mitsubishi hoping product blitz will increase North American market share,’ Autoweek, November 18^th, 2002).

As the company sought a more mainstream appeal, executives began pre-empting the inevitable backlash that would result from enthusiasts - even, when necessary, denying that Mitsubishi had ever possessed a niche appeal. "We had to stop being a me, too company," said then-MMNA CEO Pierre Gagnon in 2002. "We had to take a different approach" ('Mitsubishi Motors steps out of competitors' shadows,' The News & Observer, 2002).

Yet the company faced teething troubles in implementing this different approach. Gagnon, formerly of Saturn, did much to improve Mitsubishi's customer service but, in product terms, things seemed confused both externally - in Mitsubishi's chasing of more mainstream segments - and internally, within its existing line-up. The all-new Endeavor SUV, for instance, stepped all over Mitsubishi's own Montero Sport. Endeavor was expected to sell 80,000 units, which even Mitsubishi noted would drop Montero Sport from 54,000 copies in 2002 to 20,000 annually (‘2003 Detroit: Mitsubishi endeavors to be bold; wagon’s goal is standout styling,’ Automotive News, January 6^th, 2003).

As it became increasingly apparent that the strategy was half-baked, Mitsubishi looked to establish a clearer identity, searching for better brand awareness - a compromise, of sorts, between the in-crowd appeal it had enjoyed, and the mainstream sales it sought.

"As good as the Highlander and Pilot are, they have a tendency to disappear in a parking lot," said Gagnon at the Endeavor's launch in 2003, adding, "the Endeavor is no me-too SUV" ('2003 Detroit: Mitsubishi endeavors to be bold; wagon's goal is standout styling,' Automotive News, January 6^th, 2003).

Peripherally, it was different - not in the same sense that Mitsubishi's previous surprisingly-popular-products-in-niche-markets had been but, rather, in its style. Endeavor's lines were courtesy Frenchman Olivier Boulay, hired in April 2001 to revitalize Mitsubishi design. Boulay is a strong character and, both while working at Subaru in the early-90s and, more recently, at Mitsubishi, he wanted to see these Japanese companies espouse the virtues of Japanese design. "The Japanese know how to make cars," he told Automotive News last year.

"Now, it's time for them to go their own way with design and stop leaning so much on American design" ('2004 Detroit: Mitsubishi’s goal is to stop copying Americans,' Automotive News, January 6^th, 2004).

Although Boulay has now moved on, it is from this former Maybach designer's leadership that the new Eclipse comes. It is also from the Endeavor/ Galant PS (better known as Project America) platform that the Eclipse's underpinnings are derived. Mitsubishi today has fifteen platforms, globally; it wants six by 2010, and Galant-Endeavor-Eclipse mirrors Toyota's Camry-Highlander-Solara strategy.

Galant, Endeavor, and Eclipse are, logically enough, built in Mitsubishi's Illinois plant. Although it might be ill-advised to build a sporting car on, say, Toyota's Camry platform, a spin in a Galant will indicate that the Mitsubishi mainstreamer's moves are more agile, and more controlled, than those of most of its competitors. MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link at the rear, combined with excellent rigidity, is a configuration not as cheap as Camry's all-around MacPhersons, but it is eminently more tunable and, ultimately, more capable.

To illustrate the PS platform's versatility, it was also intended to underpin the next-generation, near-luxury Diamante, which may well happen in Australia, where the near-luxury sedan is built. Mitsubishi has now dropped the Diamante after seven long years on the U.S. market in its latter generation, although it is known that the Australian plant needs to export Diamantes to remain viable. Given America's love of large cars, one wonders whether Mitsubishi can find enough USPs to give this segment another try – perhaps with an all-wheel-drive model, which PS can support (as seen in the Endeavor SUV).

The wheel has now come full-circle; Mitsubishi rushed away from its niche market to find mainstream appeal and, in doing so, has had to re-think itself. The failure of Mitsubishi's post-2000 strategery has resulted in a conundrum: whereas a company would normally be expected to focus on its core models in such a situation, it is unclear which of Mitsubishi's vehicles would fall into this category.

This is where the 2006 Eclipse - a core model with the benefit of hindsight - shines. Merely that Mitsubishi again admits the car's primary audience to be young, aged between 25 and 35, indicates something of a return to form.

We first saw the new Eclipse at the 2004 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, as the Concept–E, powered by a Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing and lift Electronic Control (MIVEC)-equipped 269bhp 3.8-liter V6 mated to two hybrid motors in a system dubbed E-Boost featuring help from Rod Millen. One of these sat behind the cabin, sending 201bhp to the rear tires and thus providing all-wheel-drive and a total output of 470bhp. Further back, lithium-ion battery packs were mounted near the rear axle, in search of 50/50 weight distribution.

"This is the flagship of creativity for the company," said Eclipse lead interior and exterior designer Michael Desmond at the time (‘2004 Detroit: Mitsubishi’s goal is to stop copying Americans,’ Automotive News, January 6th, 2004). Just as the three generations before it, Eclipse would continue as a product of the company’s Cypress, CA design studio – but this time, like the Endeavor, its development would be coordinated with a U.S-based production engineering team.

Mitsubishi had the Eclipse in mind from PS/ Project America's outset, and the platform showed early signs of the flexibility that would be required. Conceiving an SUV at the same time as a sedan, both on the same platform, gave designers and engineers the necessary perspective to get things right - for both variants. "We really enjoyed the efficiency of not having to tweak and twist the current platform to make it fit the large tires and all of those things," noted Mitsubishi project manager for research and development Shinzo Nomura at the Endeavor's launch (‘2003 Detroit: Mitsubishi endeavors to be bold; wagon’s goal is standout styling,’ Automotive News, January 6^th, 2003).

Eclipse's preconceived influence placed a flat crossmember across the '04-current Galant's front control-arm mounting points and gave it front and rear anti-roll bars. Galant's bending resistance increased by 140% over the previous generation's, and the new sedan was 100% more torsionally rigid than the old.

Mitsubishi proudly touts that, as a result of the contemporary Galant's platform, Eclipse's own bending rigidity is 119% higher than its predecessor's, with torsional rigidity up 11%. By comparison, the outgoing Eclipse was up just 41% in bending rigidity over the wobbly second-generation's, with torsional rigidity improved by merely 26%. On the previous four-cylinder Eclipse coupé, no strut brace was available; this has now changed. The significant push for rigidity in Eclipse-for-2006 is vital to the suspension's ability to do its job - and, by corollary, to Mitsubishi's efforts to install damping stiff enough for sporting pretensions.

On the other hand, the Galant, as noted earlier, is possessed of a pleasant ride/ handling compromise. Its ride quality is a key USP (an aspect which Mitsubishi has curiously failed to promote), and now the new Eclipse benefits from its suspension travel, to the point where even the new 18-inch wheels run over rough roads without excessive jounce. Indeed, this aspect illustrates why DaimlerChrysler was, before last year’s controversy in which DCX stepped back from its 37.3% investment in Mitsubishi, willing to permit the Japanese the engineering lead in a chassis that was intended to underpin the next-generation Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Stratus.

For all of this, the PS platform also adds size and weight. That wheelbase makes for a huge, forty-foot turning radius, albeit that it beats the old Eclipse's 41.1 feet. Front and rear tracks have increased by 2.4-inches, while length and height are up by just over 2-inches, and width, by over 3-inches. Do not, however, take this as a recommendation to carry passengers in the rear for any considerable distance; both headroom and legroom in the rear are tight, although the Eclipse manages a 15.7 cu. ft. cargo capacity with the rear seats folded (and without the optional subwoofer) - on par with the trunk space of a Scion xB.

Why are the tracks so wide? Simply put, the Endeavor SUV bears some responsibility. As then-MMNA CEO Pierre Gagnon noted at Endeavor's launch in 2003, it "had to be designed for the U.S. market.

"It had to be roomy with a lot of cargo space. It had to have a wide enough track that you can fit a 4-by-8 sheet of plywood into the back" (‘Mitsubishi’s new Endeavor SUV has U.S. pedigree,’ Automotive News, January 17^th, 2003).

The Eclipse's weight, at between 3,274 and 3,538 pounds, has increased by up to 12%, with between 61 and 62% of it riding over the front axle. A Mustang GT weighs-in slightly less than an Eclipse V6; a Nissan 350Z comes in 250 lbs lighter.

In mainstreaming the Eclipse for the third-generation, Mitsubishi had overreacted to the changing American coupé market. Yet, certainly, there were indications that it had been on the right track. "You love these cars, but the reasons against the purchase are clear: not enough passenger space, less-than-stellar fuel economy," wrote Road & Track International Editor Sam Mitani of the mature sports car buyer's dilemma (Road & Track, March 2004). Efficiency aside, he noted the four-door, four-seater Mazda RX-8 as one, more practical evolution of the basic concept, and predicted that the 2006 Eclipse would be another.

So it is that this latest, fourth-generation Eclipse has six standard airbags, including front-seat-mounted side-impact airbags and front seat curtain airbags, couched in a structure that is more rigid, offering the pragmatic complements of climate control; power leather seats with lumbar support, and a 650-watt Rockford Fosgate, 9-speaker system with a 10-inch subwoofer.

The Eclipse has equal front and rear tracks, unlike the Mustang GT and Nissan 350Z, both of which have a slightly wider rear track, with respect to the front. This, combined with roll axis tuning (read: a low-mounted rear suspension) designed to counter the possible inadvertent rotation of a front-heavy weight distribution, has made Eclipse less throttle-steerable than we might like. Yet touch the brakes, mid-corner (an ill-advised maneuver, we'll grant), and it turns-in with a quick dart.

It is surprising, then, that the front and rear stabilizer bars are so close in diameter to each other (22mm, and between 20 and 21mm, respectively). The roll axis is likely oriented less upward than is common, to counter the understeer, so that the stabilizers can promote more neutral handling.

The last time we reported on Mitsubishi (see article), we encouraged the company to take MIVEC to its V6 engine. This has been done, and the Eclipse GT's 263hp @ 5750rpm, 260lb-ft @ 4,500rpm, 3.8-liter V6 is the most powerful in its front-wheel-drive class. The EPA estimates its fuel efficiency at 18/ 26 mpg. Expect this MIVEC iteration of the engine to feature on the Galant, for 2007 at the latest - and, please, let's have a transplant of the Eclipse's stick-shift into a V6-powered Galant GTZ.

Shopping the Eclipse is easy, and unlikely to produce sticker shock. First, the new car starts at $300 under the old one. However, a little more choice might be welcome in a market that increasingly craves personalization. The base RS line is gone, leaving just GS and GT. GS stickers for $19,399, with a 162hp, 162lb-ft, 2.4-liter MIVEC SOHC four-cylinder engine mated to a 5-speed manual or optional ($900) 4-speed automatic. Four-cylinder horsepower is up 10% on last year. Upgrade, and get the GT, with its oversquare 3.8-liter MIVEC SOHC V6; 6-speed manual, and 18" alloy wheels. Both are well-equipped, although the GS subtracts in its standard equipment not only the usual driving lights, but also the ability to order leather; power and heated seats; climate control, and 18-inch wheels. This makes Eclipse cheaper to build, if at the expense of variety. Mind you, Acura pulls similar tricks, and has been praised for its lack of options; the Honda luxury label proudly suggests that "everything comes standard."

As Car and Driver suggests, "get the hard-working 162-hp, 2.4-liter four if big fuel bills bug you. We tried one and left it smiling" (‘The Eclipse casts its biggest shadow yet,’ Car and Driver, July 2005). As did we; the four-cylinder Eclipse GS, weighing just over 3,250lbs in base, manual form, is possessed of effervescence that is hard to find, even in the sports car segment – a certain, continued urge of encouragement in its bulging fenders; in the ease with which one’s hand falls to its gearbox, and in its howling exhaust note.

Dynamically, this is a smooth car – one whose springs are soft, but whose dampers are considerably stiffer than we were expecting, having read preliminary observations in the media. Thanks to the dampers' stiffness, there is no float, and rough roads are dispatched without disturbance and with nary a quiver, albeit that the front wheels are always ready to skitter over bumps as the torque peak in each gear is approached. On-center, the steering is responsive and quick (2.64 turns, lock-to-lock) although, as with so many front-wheel-drive cars, feedback is deadened considerably as it moves toward off-center. Torque steer rears its head as the torque peak approaches, resulting – eventually – in a spinning inside front wheel. Mitsubishi does not offer a limited-slip differential.

Rowing through the gearbox is a pleasure, largely because of the lever's carefully considered location and the smooth clutch action, although a less rubbery action would be preferable – particularly in the 4-cylinder GS' notchy shift from fourth to fifth. The lever itself, manual or automatic, has been pushed aft, and falls more easily to hand. As ever, the handbrake is at the driver’s side; convenient, as rotation might prove handy in a car which feels as though it generates less cornering force at the rear than one might expect from a sport coupé.

The long wheelbase means that the Eclipse never appears frenetic; rather, the car encourages pressing-on through its exhaust note; its gearbox, and - less positively - its abrupt throttle. Eclipse is easy - and entertaining - to drive quickly, and might be more fluent still save for this jumpy pedal action. The throttle is not as violent as that on the majority of today's Nissan products, but – particularly for the four-cylinder – piloting an Eclipse around a corner at speed demands concentration.

One can see why Mitsubishi has saddled the throttle with quick response at the forefront of its travel, in the sense that the chassis itself is not particularly willing to rotate and so lifting-off completely forces it to tuck-in. Yet the overly-enthusiastic throttle, mated to the softer springs, throws the weight around a touch too much. Expect this to improve when the 2007 Eclipse Spyder launches; if history is any guide, Mitsubishi will stiffen the rear springs to carry the extra weight in the rear. The Spyder will be critical to Mitsubishi as a image car; in 2003, it outsold the Miata.

In this segment, all of this can often be somewhat academic next to the design, for which we freely admit to have fallen. Mitsubishi may be running a touch low on cash, but you wouldn't know it to look at the Eclipse. As Car and Driver put it, "nothing about the new Eclipse says, crisis car.

"There's no hurry-it-up design, no chintzy details, nothing that implies Mitsubishi isn’t still thinking, isn't still swinging.

"Almost everywhere you gaze, something interesting is happening. Crisis? What crisis?" (‘The Eclipse casts its biggest shadow yet,’ Car and Driver, July 2005).

Mitsubishi implores, "you've practically lost your license just looking at it." As Boulay told Automotive News in 2004, the Eclipse was designed to look more expensive than the outgoing model, even as its base price has dropped. Inside and out, it is the company’s greatest effort in years, a clear evolution from the Galant mainstreamer in its glistening sliver dashboard, yet more cohesive in its layout and its color schemes, and improved in its fit and finish.

The industry often talks about design reach –  GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner was the most recent to cite it as critical – and, even literally in its treatment of basic shapes, Mitsubishi's new Eclipse certainly personifies the concept. While the basic form bears resemblance to the geometric Audi TT, none of the Eclipse's detailing touches seem content with basic geometry. The circles – whether the wheel-arches themselves or the speedometer and tachometer housings – are pushed outward at their corners.

With a drag coefficient of 0.35, it is evident that style has taken precedence over substance – which, paradoxically enough, may well make Eclipse the head of the zeitgeist again, in an "age of style, not design," of "exuberance and extravagance," as Automobile suggests (‘City Slickers,’ Automobile, July 2005). Frontal area, at 23.8ft² (as estimated by Car and Driver), makes for a C_dA of 8.3ft².

Inside the new Eclipse, the signature round air vents, with a hazard switch placed between the two central outlets, continue. The radio is still atop the climate controls, but integration of these pieces is far more seamless than on the outgoing model, housed as they are within the organic forms of the dashboard.

Conversely, atop it all, the binnacle housing the clock; compass, and temperature read-outs looks as tacked-on as ever. Below the climate controls, the switches for the heated seats appear as similar afterthoughts, although these are, at least, back-lit. Indeed, at night, these minor foibles are forgiven as the entire panel comes aglow in an ice-blue light which touches even the shifter, contrasted by hints of red in the instrument needles and temperature markings. It is a minimalist, yet technical, look, from which only the fussy door mirror controls; switch blanks on the left side, and the execution of the manual shifter knob detract. One might have preferred something a touch more… titanium?

Mitsubishi interiors, as in the recent 2005 CZ2 Cabriolet Concept which will spawn the European Colt Cabrio, are expected to develop long dashpads, most so at their horizontal midpoints, with a descending wave on either side of a console that reaches forward to meet the driver. As windshields grow increasingly forward-raked, the dashboards themselves will tilt downward for visibility, permitting free-standing instruments ahead of the steering-wheel. It is, essentially, a cocooning effect without the housing that has traditionally been used to produce it, and thus a more airy experience. In the Eclipse, it helps that one sits low in the chassis, itself lowered to 5.8-inches of ground clearance (on 17-inch tires).

That said, the steering-wheel – as Car and Driver has also noticed – needs a reach adjustment. Too many manufacturers appear to think that permitting the wheel to merely rake, upward and down, is sufficient.

At first glance, one wonders whether they've misjudged the side mirrors, which fall not at the A-pillar, but are attached to the body at the base of the willfully weird side windows that Mitsubishi has seen fit to install. That said, this positioning does improve the visibility of a car whose failings in this area are legendary. The old Mitsubishi 3000GT, too, had massive blind spots, and our highway jaunts in the new Eclipse suggested that this brand trait has been carried over. Things are, however, better than before, and it all bodes well for the next-generation Eclipse Spyder (a car which a friend seriously considered a few years ago, before opting instead for a - perhaps - similarly individual Saab 9⁵ precisely because she could not see out of the Eclipse).

We came away from the 2005 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, where the 2006 Eclipse (and '06 Raider pickup truck) were launched, with mixed feelings about Mitsubishi's chances of survival. The company joined Acura and Suzuki as the only three still left talking about their customers - including the dreaded lifestyle word - as opposed to their products. By contrast, most other manufacturers spoke of wheels pushed to their corners, or talked of a particularly innovative feature, with virtually every stand speaking our language from the CEO, down.

Having driven the Eclipse, we are more buoyant. Those who enjoyed the bulging looks and effusive character of the second-generation will find much to love about the fourth, if they can overlook the long front overhang that the PS platform has necessitated.

Still, in predicting whether the Eclipse will pull the company out of its problems, the fact remains that Mitsubishi has seen less success than its product line deserves. Even Montero, its oldest vehicle, is still capable, its locking differentials belying the plastic cladding which has rendered it somewhat a caricature of its former self. European Photography Editor Christian Wimmer loves these vehicles, and many at Mitsubishi still consider Montero (also known as the Pajero and Shogun to the rest of the world) the pinnacle of the company’s engineering prowess. Perhaps it was this pride that prevented Mitsubishi from simply rebadging Dodge's Durango, which had been the original plan. Durango would hardly have been a candidate for the grueling Paris-Dakar rally, which Pajero has won year after year but, paradoxically, the glamour of that event has merely a niche following in the United States.

That said, the World Rally Championship has, of course, popularized the Lancer Evolution. When launched in 2003, the car was expected to sell 6,000 annually (‘Mitsubishi hoping product blitz will increase North American market share,’ Autoweek, November 18^th, 2002). The all-conquering 276hp, 286lb-ft, turbocharged Lancer Evolution is more than competition for Subaru's Impreza WRX STi; indeed, both are extraordinarily capable sports sedans that rewrite the laws of physics (if, also, interior expectations at this price point).

The midsize Galant is roomy, and possessed of a ride/ handling compromise that reminds us in part of the better French cars of old. Galant was, at its launch, originally predicted to manage 100,000 sales, annually (‘2004 Mitsubishi Galant,’ Autoweek, October 13^th, 2003). Now going into its third model year, the sedan is selling at barely half that rate.

The failed connection between quality-of-product and sales is, as company executives have freely noted, in part attributable to MMNA's marketing strategy. This has been in a state of flux for years, and 2005 began with an ongoing review in which the incumbent Deutsch agency did not take part. The company’s previous, peripheral Best-Backed Cars in the World tagline - as we've suggested many a time - was distinctly unsuited for the budget-mandated move away from the television medium in which such peripheral messages would best fit.

Under a new account with BBDO, the ad campaign is now changing to j. cool, suggesting an emphasis on its Japanese heritage which should, if Boulay's team has done their jobs, be better expressed in the cars' lines. The new tagline, Driven to Thrill, is - says Mitsubishi - "designed to communicate to consumers that Mitsubishi is a company that is driven to thrill - in ever aspect - from its engineering, to its product design, to its people."

However, Boulay's departure makes things more difficult than they should have been. Automotive News' Yuzo Yamaguchi told an intriguing story last year in which DaimlerChrysler AG executive Andreas Renschler; Mercedes-Benz design chief Peter Pfeiffer, and 30 German managers landed in Tokyo, in March 2004, to view the new crop of products at Mitsubishi. Boulay was out of town, and the Germans "didn’t like much of what they found," reported Yamaguchi; "they soon began tweaking designs, narrowing a grille here and shifting an A-pillar there."

When Boulay returned two weeks later, he took Pfeiffer on a second tour, and explained the context for the work being done. "Thus, within a three week span, Mitsubishi’s future designs went from approved to rejected, and redrawn to re-approved," concluded Yamaguchi (‘Red ink washes away Mitsubishi’s product plan, Montero in Limbo,’ Automotive News, August 16th, 2004).

There is consistency - cohesiveness - in Boulay's unique vision, and Mitsubishi needs these qualities. It is our hope that Boulay has left enough understanding of his vision within the company for marketing to be more integrated with the product, for the Eclipse's voice is unique enough to be worthy of an audience - a group provoked enough to, at least, give it the benefit of a test-drive.

Marketing aside, Mitsubishi has endured some criticism after DaimlerChrysler reduced its investment in the company last year. If DaimlerChrysler had no confidence in the company's future, why should consumers? Indeed, one imagines that the Best Backed Cars in the World campaign was in quick response to this concern.

Witness, however, the new, Dakota-based, 2006 Raider. "Mitsubishi would like to offer the next-generation L200 compact pickup that Mitsubishi builds in Thailand," noted Automotive News last year, adding, "that’s not possible, though, because of America’s tariff on imported pickups" (‘Red ink washes away Mitsubishi’s product plan, Montero in Limbo,’ Automotive News, August 16th, 2004). Thus, we will get the Mitsubishi Raider in August, assembled at the Chrysler plant in Warren, MI. If less authentic than the L200 might have been, it demonstrates that for all the rumbling about the DaimlerChrysler-Mitsubishi fallout, the troubled Japanese automaker’s German-American partner has not completely abandoned it. Packing V6 or 4.7-liter V8 engines, the Raider features a boxed and hydroformed frame in extended cab or 4-door double cab body styles, and a double-wishbone front suspension. Originally, the Raider was predicted for up to 40,000 sales, annually (‘Mitsubishi’s new N.A. boss promises long-awaited pickup,’ Automotive News, October 1^st, 2003).

Keep in mind, too, that the Dodge Caliber Concept seen in Geneva this past March rides on a platform co-developed with Mitsubishi, and powered by a Chrysler/ Hyundai/ Mitsubishi jointly-developed four-cylinder. These underpinnings could spawn any number of vehicles, including the next-generation Chrysler PT Cruiser; Dodge Neon, and Mitsubishi Lancer, as well as the 2005 Dodge Nitro Concept presented in Chicago. Moreover, the 2005 Mitsubishi Nessie Concept, as shown in Geneva, packed a hydrogen-powered V8 engine rumored to have come from DaimlerChrysler.

Here in America, the Raider comes in August and the Eclipse Spyder in January 2006, followed by a new Outlander; a new Lancer in the fall of 2006, and the Lancer Evolution in 2007.

Before all of this, however, the Eclipse must do well. The Normal, IL factory can turn out 42,000 Eclipses a year and, based on the car itself, they should be busy. Certainly, the product is good – and its image is better than perhaps it should be, if traditional opinion-leader theory is to be believed. Even through Mitsubishi's considerable troubles, the aging, outgoing Eclipse's sales beat the brand's overall slide by half in the first four months of 2005. It is currently neck-and-neck with the Acura RSX and Hyundai Tiburon through May 2005.

"Mired in a sand trap for several years now, Mitsubishi has chipped one into the cup," Car and Driver concluded recently (‘The Eclipse casts its biggest shadow yet,’ Car and Driver, July 2005).

We agree. Even through its maker's strategic and financial troubles, this affordable coupé has the design to differentiate itself; the uniqueness of character and yet the sense of purpose to provoke desire, and the name to break through the clutter. Time will tell if MMNA's marketing - and future product strategy - can take advantage of its intriguing new halo car.