Eclipse offers all you want in a sports car

This week we had a blast testing the 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GTS two-door convertible, a sports coupe with some size to it in addition to function and looks.

The Spyder GTS, introduced for the 2004 model year, is Mitsubishi’s premier Eclipse offering. It takes the $20,000 base and adds $10,000-plus in performance goodies and convertible design.

Think of the Spyder as an entry in the “Fast and Furious” street world, but one that doesn’t need any tweaking. From engine to exhaust to looks, it’s ready to go.

At the heart of its performance is the 3.0-liter, 24-valve, multi-port fuel-injected, variable-induction V-6 — more engine than this car needs, but that’s what makes it so fun to drive. The Spyder is responsive from a dead stop and continues taking off “like a shot” from midrange up. At work are 210 horsepower and 205 foot-pounds of torque.

We put the Spyder through its paces on some winding back roads, where we gained an appreciation for its handling. Mitsubishi isn’t charging $30,000-plus just for sports car looks, as Spyder includes rack-and-pinion steering with rpm-sensing power assist, sport-tuned four-wheel independent suspension, sport-tuned gas-filled shock absorbers, front and rear stabilizer bar, and front strut-tower brace. Translation: It corners nicely. The Spyder also has power-assisted, ventilated four-wheel disc brakes, anti-lock braking and traction control, all of which work well.

The beauty of today’s technology is that you can have a sports car with a convenient automatic transmission, but also offers — as the Spyder does — a chance to shift. The Sportronic four-speed clutchless shifter makes backroad cornering all the more fun.

Continuing with performance, Spyder’s 17-inch V-rated Goodyear Eagles are a fine set of performance tires, but we’d like to see what low-profile tread would do to the looks.

The leather front seats are a highlight of the interior, which offers a surprising amount of space up front. In fact, head and legroom weren’t an issue at all. And, yes, there is a back seat, but you won’t get eight legs in this Spyder. We could accommodate only one rear-seat passenger at a time, and they had to sit across the seat simply to have somewhere to put their legs. Three’s a crowd in a sports car anyway.

The power soft-top is easy to remove, with a quick release of two handles, and stows in the small trunk. The soft-top, interestingly, has a glass rear window plenty large enough to aid visibility.

Mitsubishi offers a strong safety package with dual front and front-side airbags, side-impact door beams, lower child-restraint anchor system, and energy-absorbing steering column. Other highlights include a 210-watt Infinity six-CD audio with seven speakers and steering-wheel-mounted controls, 12-way adjustable driver seat, and rear-window defroster with timer. Everything is standard on the GTS test model (the only “extra” is $595 for destination and handling). The base Spyder starts at just more than $25,000.

The Spyder delivers 20-mpg city and 27-mpg highway EPA ratings. As we said, it’s not a tiny car, weighing in at 3,395 pounds. Other important numbers include a 100.8-inch wheelbase and a 16.4-gallon fuel tank.

The Spyder operates in a crowded sports-coupe market, but with its powerful engine and comfortable and safe size we certainly would put the Eclipse Spyder on the shopping list. We give it an 8.5 on a scale of 1 to 10.

Likes: Racy, yet sophisticated look. Sportronic transmission.

Dislikes: Lack of low-profile tires. Bland instrument panel.