 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. Click image to enlarge |
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Related articles on CanadianDriver First Drives 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, by Paul Williams Test Drives 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, by Greg Wilson 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT-P, by Chris Chase Day-by-Day Reviews 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, by James Bergeron 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT-P, by James Bergeron Manufacturer’s web site |
Review and photos by Jil McIntosh
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2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder
Oshawa, Ontario – Generally, my rule about vehicles is a simple one: if the top goes down, all is good. On a hot summer night, a topless Yugo would be a fine choice, if it’s just about the stars overhead and the wind in your hair.
But there’s a caveat to my rule, of course; beyond the roofless factor, a car’s got to have something to back it up. With the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, there’s swoopy styling and a solid engine in its favour. Unfortunately, it’s a great driveline in search of a better home.
A 2.4-litre four-cylinder with five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic is the base model, but my tester was the 3.8-litre V6 with six-speed manual (a five-speed automatic is its optional gearbox). Oddly, Mitsubishi calls it the GT-P in all of its advertising and specifications, but the chrome on the tail reads GT V6.
  2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. Click image to enlarge |
Its ratings are 260 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. It’s the same engine used in the all-new 2009 Galant Ralliart, and it’s a strong choice in either vehicle. In the Spyder, it produces linear power that really hits its mark when it’s attached to the six-speed. Row it up through the gears and you’ll get pull in all of them; even in sixth, only the toughest highway manoeuvres will require that you pull it back a cog. The shifter feels good in the hand, with short throws and a clutch that engages smoothly. Meanwhile, exhaust makes its way out a single pipe with a rich, throaty rasp that’s the perfect complement. Against a published rate of 13.1 L/100 km in the city and 7.9 on the highway, I averaged 9.7 L/100 km, but it wants premium fuel.
What isn’t complementary is the driving experience attached to it. In first and second, torque-steer is so strong that you’d better hold on tight if you’re not planning to make a sharp right-hand turn. The tires chirp as they struggle to find grip, and the nose-heavy car rolls in and out of corners, rather than sharply snapping through them. All-wheel drive would probably help considerably, but the Eclipse is strictly a front-driver. The turning radius is very wide as well, making it a chore to spin in tight lots and nose into parking spaces.
    2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. Click image to enlarge |
Cowl shake is considerable, and even the doors sound tinny and flimsy; the car has been stiffened up to account for the missing roof, but not enough to make it feel solid and integrated. This seems like a car that was reverse-engineered from a coupe, rather than designed to be a drop-top, and combined with the torque-steer, it makes the Spyder tiring to drive. That’s a serious deficit in a vehicle that the company defines as a “sports convertible” and a “driver’s car”.
It’s definitely a driver-and-passenger car; the heavily-bolstered front seats have considerable legroom, while the second-row seats are simply there to give Mitsubishi a place to put the standard 650-watt Rockford audio system’s subwoofer. Taller drivers should be fine with the seating position, but even with the six-way power seat, I couldn’t find the right spot for my 5-foot-4 frame, and my ankle ended up turned sideways to get my foot onto the throttle. Visibility is fine out the front, but the high trunk, especially when combined with the small rear window when the top is up, makes it difficult to see out the rear. One minor irritation is that if you move the front seats forward to allow access to the rear, they don’t move back into their original position, and you’ve got to adjust the seatback again to where you had it.
The car’s curvy styling continues inside, with the same organic sweeps carried through on the dash and door panels (which include door pockets so tiny that I wonder why anyone even bothered). The GT-P features automatic climate control, heated leather seats, and the aforementioned Rockford stereo; six months’ worth of Sirius satellite radio is included, but you’ll have to buy an accessory adapter for your iPod or other music player, at $26 for the cable or $271 if you want a full interface. (Given the legendary Japanese propensity for electronic devices, I’m always surprised at the reluctance of most of that country’s automakers to put a front-and-centre auxiliary jack in every model as standard equipment.)
There are two window switches for four windows; a light touch will bring down the front windows, while firmer pressure drops both front and rear windows. That’s a nice touch and eliminates the possibility of driving with the top down and the rear quarter-windows up like rudders, which should earn anyone caught so driving a hefty ticket for dorkiness from the Taste Police.
 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. Click image to enlarge |
The Spyder comes solely with a semi-automatic woven cloth roof. Unhook two latches, and then hit a button to finish the job with electric power; a metal tonneau lifts up to accept it, and then covers the folded roof for a smooth finish. The manual specifies that the car shouldn’t go through an automatic car wash, and it’s not kidding. Convertibles aren’t meant for high-pressure water, but most new ones go through leak-free or with only minor water ingress. With the Eclipse, I was drier during my morning shower. Water poured in through both sides where the windows joined and met the roof, soaking the seats.
Naturally, the trunk is small, but with a length of 66 cm it’ll still get your groceries home or handle some overnight bags for a trip. The roof fits into a space already sectioned off, so there’s no worry of loading the trunk and then discovering that you haven’t accounted for enough leftover space and can’t lower the top.
 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. Click image to enlarge |
Despite its lack of sports car handling, the Eclipse Spyder does have several points in its favour. It’s reasonably priced for a convertible, with a base price of $32,298 for the four-cylinder and $37,298 for the V6, and that’s with a long list of standard features. Most of the extra-charge add-ons are cosmetic and consist primarily of ground and body effects. It’s a looker, with aggressive styling that’s sweet whether the top is up or down. The engine is a delight. And when the top goes down on a hot summer night, all is good. It’s up to you to test-drive it and decide if its lack of a sports car driving experience is enough to negate all that.
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Pricing: 2008 Mitsubishi Spyder GT-P
Base price: $37,298 Options: $160 (Premium paint)
Specifications
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