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Mitsubishi Eclipse - 2006 and Newer

nuievenuieve Member Posts: 43
edited December 2013 in Mitsubishi
I'm surprised to see no topics related to this extremely hot car.

 

http://media.mitsubishicars.com/Photos?model=&kw=&page=1

 

The only thing that bothers me is interior. While it's ok looking, it doesn't have free space for aftermarket options.

 

Where do I put Navigation system, for example?
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Comments

  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    a nice stereo standard equipment and keep the base price competitive I'd be all right with this nice looking new sports coupe from Mitsubishi. Those are the first production photos I've seen of it.

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • driftracerdriftracer Member Posts: 2,448
    tuner gurus will wreak havoc soon - here's hoping they do an AWD version like the Eclipse GSX and Talon TSi AWD of years past. I haven't heard anything either way about that.

     

    For information, there's a pretty interesting topic on Mitsubishi marketing and market placement here in News and Views.
  • seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    looks like a misshapen, missmatched mess from the outside. I strongly do not like the exterior styling. Of course I didn't like the stying of the 2 generations ago model the rear of the new one tries to remind us of.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,094
    No offense meant of course...but it looks way too much like the one of the 1995 gen...which is a girls car...
  • sean3sean3 Member Posts: 158
    The 95 gen was anything but in its tuner crowd, the 2000+ maybe so. the 2006 kinda looks like a Midlife crisis car, Loks good though.
  • carlisimocarlisimo Member Posts: 1,280
    Seems to be in the wrong part of Town Hall.

     

    ==

     

    Back when I was in elementary school... 10 years ago I guess... this is what we thought cars of the future would look like. It's nice to see that they've finally happened.

     

    But driftracer is right. There'll have to be a hot version of this car if it's going to get any street cred. The outgoing generation was a big change for the Eclipse, and its fans (it sold more than the previous ones, I think) might feel abandoned by this one. Fans of the old one might like it, but it's not as easy to get people back once they've been abandoned once.

     

    I hope it's not as large as it looks.
  • carguy58carguy58 Member Posts: 2,303
    The 95 was not a girls car. I am a 25 year old guy and I do remember when the 95 Eclipse came out. I liked that generation of Eclipse then and I like it now still.

     

    My take on the 06 Eclipse: The front end needs to be watered down a tweeny-tweeny bit. The back end looks like a 1998 Dodge Intrepid or 2001 Dodge Stratus a little bit. I don't like the back end with the Intrepid/stratus rear end. The back end needs to be totally reworked in my opinion.

     

    To me the 06 looks totally different than the 95 model. As a matter of fact the 95 model does not look that much different from the 94 model.
  • nuievenuieve Member Posts: 43
    "Girls car" is actually a compliment. Girls are aesthetes by nature, so that means everything is ok with a design of this one. ;)

     

    I'm surprised to see negative comments on its back end. I find it very beautiful (as the rest of the car). The car looks very harmonic to me from every angle. And small! Tastes do vary!

     

    The best thing about this car is that it doesn't look "economy"... well, the front-end is sort of generic, but that doesn't affect overall appeal. $$$-wise I'd rate its looks as a 30k-40k car. Also Mitsubishi claims 7 year/100 000 miles warranty, which deserves another thumb up for this car.

     

    I wonder if its V6 would be finally able to do 0-60 in less than 6 sec...
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Isnt the 3.8L a heavy engine? And front drive/high torque = not good, unless this one has had its curve retuned.

     

    ~alpha
  • trucker50trucker50 Member Posts: 108
    Just saw the video of the new Eclipse from the suto ahow....looks like the death knell may have sounded for my Grand Prix I bougth a month ago!
  • 1fastfurious21fastfurious2 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2.4 2003 34000mi. eclipse and love it. No gripes. Just having allot of fun with it.When and if they come out with a turbo/suspension kit I will add it.Until then,shut up,this car handles great! Is plenty fast. The stereo is great Infinity. Its too new for many after market speed parts.When they do ,you will see this is no girls car.Low slung as it is,it is going to be sweet indeed!
  • 1fastfurious21fastfurious2 Member Posts: 3
    As soon as it comes out I will be there to test drive. the new 2.4 is 160hp so they did something.Mine is 147hp 2.4? I pick the smaller engine because there is lots of room under the hood.So when I add on its easier to work on. plus they usually turbo the 4 cylinder ones dont they.he he he
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    I think any styling reference to the '95-'99 Eclipse is a boost for the upcoming model. The pics look pretty good to me. The 1G model developed healthy interest and solid sales, IIRC, but it was the 2G (and turbo AWD in particular) that put the car on the enthusiast map. I have long felt that the cockpit of that generation is the very best "sports" car layout I have ever experienced.

     

    To recall the success (visually, at least) of that model in these lean times seems a good call to me.

     

    I owned a Chrysler variant of the 3G model, and frankly I think it was a very competitive platform. Unfortunately, what it gained in refinement, I think it lost in fun-factor. It's extremely competent for a FWD, and very capable, though now behind much of the competition, but the beef is that it's not the quick, fun, tossable little terror that the 2G was.

     

    Bigger ain't always better, says I.

     

    Unfortunately I don't think the new body style will make a big enough splash in the market place. I'm usually pretty susceptible to solid styling cues, and this one isn't making me sweat or breathe hard, even though I think it's a big improvement.

     

    Anybody know if the 3.8L is aluminum? And how much the new puppy weighs?
  • novcenthusiastnovcenthusiast Member Posts: 80
    Judging from the articles I've read on the web, this car is REALLY massive. I've seen the V6 version estimated at 3500 lbs! Isn't that what a Mustang GT weighs?

     

    I actually like the styling, but with that much weight to lug around I wonder if the driving dynamics will be any good. It's based on the Galant/Endeavor(?) platform. Maybe they would have been better served basing the car off of the smaller, lighter Lancer and using a turbo for power in the performance version instead of a V6.

     

    It will be interesting to see if this car appeals to driving enthusiast.
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    Well, we're thinking somewhat along the same lines here.

     

    I know it's possible to make a serious driver's car that tips the scales at 3500lbs and above (Audi TT comes to mind), but there's not much history of that below the $30K mark, and regardless of how sumptuous the production models may be (this is Mitsu after all), I sure don't see an Eclipse coupe as a bestseller above that mark.

     

    I wish the Mitsu site had some specs on it...
  • eclipse3geclipse3g Member Posts: 1
    My only worry is the cost of this vehicle. I am very sure the GT model will run above the $30K mark, which isn't very appealing, (but at least you won't see one every where you turn like the horror story Civic.) I own a 3G base model RS, and I will more than likely, if the price is right get the GS model, just because of the reliability and performance of how the 3G I own now is, even for the base model. Its styling is different, and it looks like the interior has plenty of space in the front, hopefully more in the back this time, so more than a midget could sit back there. Well, I just can't wait to give it a test drive.
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    I believe you're correct on the price, 3G. either that, or it's going to be lacking equipment other V6 coupes are running I think.

     

    I have to respectfully disagree on the size issue though. I don't think a sporty 2+2 has any business being comfortable for four for any extended length of time. To me, if you want to haul four adults around in relative comfort on a regular basis, you buy a format suitable for such tasking. That's, IMO, mid-size sedan territory.

     

    Now my '01 Sebring LXi Coupe (a 3g with a skin job) had ample room to take my kids (then 8 and 10) on a local trip of, say, 1-2 hours, very comfortably. Of course that meant having to go without the rear-seat entertainment system, so our Town & Country pulled distance duty most often. Likewise, for carrying of office associates to lunch, it had ample room for quick back and forth. It also retained some sporting quality to the driving (even with the softer Chrysler spec springs and damping) to keep it interesting when unladed. But the 2g was a better driver's car, and no two ways! The cockpit was tighter in all the right places, and the little beast was tossable in a way the 3g just can't physically accomplish.

     

    All this upsizing is making for better utility, but what the devil are we doing as a country diluting our recreational driving with utility?

     

    I ask you! ;)

     

    Gimme a totally updated 2g with just a tad more room and a light weight, efficient, small displacement six and make it RWD or at least AWD, and make sure I can have Alcantara and leather seating, and I'll be a happy man!
  • mgrantmgrant Member Posts: 1
    the base price is 18k to 25k
  • baller3baller3 Member Posts: 1
    I agree with you I just bougth a 2004 2.4L GS and I love it is very fast the only thing I dont like is that it did not come with tinted windows and the rims are ok.One of the best cars I ever drove and I drove alot of cars I use to work at a HONDA dearlership and I drove every honda and the eclipse is still my favorite.
  • gsxgsx Member Posts: 1
    i agree, wheres the gsx version?, where is the AWD?, Where is the Turbo?
    and a V6 FWD, its sad i like the car but a fwd v6, non turbo is not what i have in mind.
    it looks good but i dont think ill buy one.
    i think mitsubishi should have tried this car with the 4g63 engine, but they put all there effort in the evo.
  • loki5811loki5811 Member Posts: 1
    I test drove a lot of cars lately from the mazda rx-8 to the chrysler crossfire all had their goods and bad. But as soon as I saw this car I decided on waiting for it to be released. It doesn't have the navigation that i want but pioneer makes a great in dash nav system for less than what dealerships charge for nav. Although i would love to see this in a Turbo or an AWD I think if she drives as nice as this years eclipse I am going to definatly buy this one. I am surprised to see that mitsubishi has only a 19k-26k msrp but saving some $$ for the aftermarket turbo and nav is a must. I checked out the showroom unveiling of the mitsu 06 eclipse and I want that color they show as a firey red/orange but what other colors do they have?
  • iluv2xlr8turboiluv2xlr8turbo Member Posts: 1
    This goes out to all of the haters (not just you whooo). I think you need to pull your head out of your behinds and get with the program. The second generation eclipses, which for those of you who are oblivious to the fact, are the 95-99's, are some the hottest cars to come off of a production line in quite some time. The fact that you could scoop one of these puppy's up brand new for less than 25K is flabbergasting. 210 HP turbo in a front or all wheel drive is craziness for that price.
    Obviously you have never driven one. It is not just the looks, but the speed that will pin your a** back in the seat through 4th gear. All of this with only 4-cylinders. I urge you to find me another car that can do that with such a limited engine. Put a couple thousand dollars into it, and you have yourself a sleeper. My 98 has got 420 horses in it and a dreamy 51,000 miles - Do the math. I will dust just about any car on the road (especially domestic -hehe:) )and certainly anything production in the same price range. The last car that even gave me a sweat was a 04 Infiniti G35 coupe which comes standard with 298 horses. Try beating that with your Neon.
    Any ways, some food for thought people. The 2nd generation body style was sleek, muscular, and to the point. Now let me elaborate, the GS was definitely for girls. Only the GST and GSX are on my good list here. Those cars with their aggressive stance and aerodynamic design continue to turn heads every time I take my baby out. I, for one, applaud Mitsubishi for going back to the drawing board because the 3rd gens look like sh*t. Who are they trying to kid with those "things" on the side...this is no Fararri.
    In closing, I hope you all continue to hate on the new eclipses' because I will think of you everytime I smoke another car off the line in my new 06. Oh yes, it will be mine!!!
    Try to keep up with my 98 or my 06 (once I have pumped a few mods in it).

    Peace - I'm spent!
  • lhesslhess Member Posts: 379
    just traded my 2001 eclipse spyder for an rx8. i figured i could drive a new car until mitsu drops the top on the new eclipse and then i'll get one of those. I know it was about a year with the current body style change (2000) before they made a convertible (2001). Anyone heard about the time frame for the new one? I love the looks of the 06.
  • elgatolocoelgatoloco Member Posts: 92
    The latest word we got for release of the new Spyder is April 2006. It will be an 07 model. The top itself has been SEVERELY strengthened & the rake on the windshield is pretty radical.
  • lhesslhess Member Posts: 379
    thanks for the info. really excited about this car for mitsubishi and I hope it helps boost them a little. i know the late 90's eclipses were hot with young buyers and they lost that with the 2000 body (even though i loved my 01 and only traded because my dna requires that i trade about every 3 years or so). I had great service from my dealer with the mitsu and it was about 99% trouble free. I did have the top replaced under warranty for a slight flaw that my service man caught and suggested i fix while under warranty. I will own the next one as well!! I always tell folks that i'm just providing a foster home for the rx8 until i can get the new spyder.
    Any photos of the spyder yet that i can go take a peek at?
  • toyunkitoyunki Member Posts: 25
    is it? that the engine that designed by Hyundai?
  • ckwilliackwillia Member Posts: 2
    saw a new eclipse in a mall parking lot today.. i must say i think it looks much better than the current version.. camera phone actually came in handy today, who knew
  • rjlaerorjlaero Member Posts: 659
    The June issue of Road & Track had a pretty nice write-up on the 06 Eclipse.

    0-60 in 5.8 sec. They desribed the engine as "buttery smooth w/ some serious rip". 263 horsepower w/ 260lb ft of torque. About 27 grand loaded up with just about every option including the 600 watt stereo.

    Looks like this car will be a winner for Mitsu this summer.
  • chris65amgchris65amg Member Posts: 372
    It appears as though Mitsu is using the Hyundai strategy.
  • lhesslhess Member Posts: 379
    the salesman there told me they are expecting 2 eclipses within the next few weeks. When they arrive, they have to sit in the showroom, no test drives and they can't sell them, until the official launch date. I can't wait to see one.
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    So it turns out the guy heading up the launch just walked off the job, possibly over micro-management from Japan, possibly over the budget limit of $25 million for the launch (typical major launches use up around $100 million in promotional revenue).

    Not a good thing for the model that will, in all likelihood, mean life or death for Mitsu US. After seeing the pricing, I think the car has a shot, but it appears they will have to rely pretty much on word of mouth to make it fly.
  • rjlaerorjlaero Member Posts: 659
    I still see Mitsu commercials all the time on TV. As much if not as more that other car companies.

    Just goes to show you that you don't have to advertise the most to sell the most cars.

    People spend as much time on the internet as they do watching TV nowadays, anyway. Interenet buzz can be more more effective than TV.
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    I see 'em a lot less than I used to rjlaero!

    That $25 million covers the entire budget, including print, web and PR junkets, so it's a telling figure in an overall strategy.

    I agree that the advertising budget isn't the end equation, but Mitsu isn't selling much of anything these days (down 43% again!), and it's a fact that pulling ad dollars is a bad strategy when the chips are down. Fact. They need more visibility now than ever before, especially on the eve of the debut of their best-selling offering historically.

    Even as a long-time Mitsu fan and patron, I have to say I don't think they'll be here next year if this intro doesn't fly.
  • lhesslhess Member Posts: 379
    when I bought my 8 back in March at the Mazda/Mitsu dealer, my salesguy gave me some info on the new eclipse (I traded an eclipse spyder). It had a post card to send in for further info on the car and I sent it in. I have received nothing and that is really unusual. I've done that with various mitsu cars and they have always sent something right away. Surely they have their promo material printed at this point?
  • modifiedmitsumodifiedmitsu Member Posts: 4
    Mitsubishi dealerships will showcase the 2006 Eclipse beginning in late May, 2005. NO OFFICIAL PRICING HAS BEEN SET.
    The new Eclipse is the fourth generation vehicle to wear the name, but the first-ever based on a platform designed and built expressly for the North American market
    The Eclipse GS is equipped with a 2.4-liter engine with either a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual transmission (162 horsepower and 162 lbs.-ft. of torque), and the Eclipse GT comes standard with a 3.8-liter, 60-degree, SOHC V6 engine – also enhanced by the MIVEC system – that is ideally suited to provide brisk acceleration for spirited driving while maintaining efficient fuel economy. Rated at 263 horsepower at 5750 rpm, with peak torque of 260 lbs.-ft. at 4500 rpm. The engine’s intake and exhaust are tuned to achieve maximum torque early in the rev-range for strong acceleration the instant the throttle is engaged, almost regardless of engine speed. It comes equipped with a new six-speed manual or five-speed automatic with Sportronic™ mode.
    To increase driver- and front passenger room, the Eclipse’s height was increased by nearly two inches, to 53.5 inches (or 53.8 inches when equipped with optional 18-inch wheels and tires
    The Eclipse’s exterior design makes a bold visual statement about the product and the person who owns it, distinguishing itself from the traditional, conservative or retro styling of segment competitors. The Eclipse’s athletic fender arches, wind tunnel-inspired front fascia and long, arching C-pillar help the Eclipse carve out its own unique style.
    In the interest of front passenger safety, all Eclipses are equipped with advanced front airbags, front seat mounted side-impact airbags and side curtain airbags.
    The Eclipse’s optional premium audio system features 650-watt amplification with nine speakers including a 10-inch, long-throw subwoofer in a fiberglass reinforced acoustic suspension enclosure. The six-disc, in-dash CD changer also plays MP3 files. In addition to the usual bass, midrange, treble, fader and balance controls, the Eclipse’s advanced Digital Signal Processor (DSP) gives the user total control over the subwoofer “punch” level. It offers custom music genre equalizer settings and sound field image settings including: Normal, Stage, Live and Hall. The Rockford Fosgate system also offers an industry-first DSP sound setting memory function that allows users to configure all eight DSP settings and save them in six preset locations for their favorite CDs, artists, or music genres.
    Mike @ Modified Mitsu
  • modifiedmitsumodifiedmitsu Member Posts: 4
    No materials related to the 06 Eclipse except a postcard preview have been sent or released to dealers as of May 15th. While the 06 Eclipse will debut on showroom floors in late May as a preview to the official retail launch which will happen in late June. Only high volume dealers are getting these vehicles during the first 30 day preview period.
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    You know, there's a real problem when a key salient point of a supposed performance car is a fershlugginer subwoofer!

    Who in Hades cares about the sound system? [rhetorical question]

    You gotta be pretty hard up to go boulevarding with your rear window bouncing like a bass drum skin in the first place, but exactly what does that do for the driver?

    It's heavier, taller and appears to boast a lower power to weight ratio than an Accord sedan.

    I have been a devoted admirer of the G2 Eclipse in all its guises and had really hoped for a return to that kind of sport. I owned a G3 variant and was saddened that, do to the company's inability to market it well, update it appropriately, and style it with any degree of panache, that it remained an also-ran for its entire career; it deserved better and I thought they would learn. This is disappointing.

    Subwoofer... :sick:
  • modifiedmitsumodifiedmitsu Member Posts: 4
    The information you have on their budget is wrong...
    They are spending very close to a $100 million dollars on the launch of the Eclipse and you will see an entirely different type of advertising campaign from Mitsubishi starting June 12th. Check out www.yahoo.com on June 12th.
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102344

    Well, if I've got it wrong, then so does Autoweek!

    Some say Schembri butted heads with the marketing department over how the Eclipse should be marketed. They say market studies showed the car should be aimed at men ages 25 to 40. But Schembri argued for courting baby boomers, too, they say.

    But the most difficult problem for the marketing executives, sources say, was the Eclipse's advertising budget: a paltry $25 million.

    That's when Mayer walked.

    "Kevin went through torture fighting for the budget," one source says. "A $25 million budget won't launch that car."


    Maybe they got it wrong; maybe someone decided to spend the cash after the fact. Are you by any chance an insider, modmit? It'd be nice to have some inside scoop here.

    I'm extremely pleased that they decided to return to the 2G for styling cues. IMO, they never should have left. Just about everything else I'm reading on this generation, though, seems to evidence even more of the blood-thinning that happened with the 3G, even though I believe that car was underrated.
  • modifiedmitsumodifiedmitsu Member Posts: 4
    I read that story too and according to everything I have been hearing, it is a smear campaign by a disgruntled ex-employee. Mitsubishi Motors replaced its primary Advertising Agency with the same company that has Pepsi as an account.
    Check out link title for the Press Releases from Today!
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    I love the new styling of the Eclipse. A big improvement over the old one. It looks like its ready to pounce and has a masculine yet elegant profile. All the standard safety features is a nice plus as well, although I gotta wonder why they bothered with curtain airbags when they could have got by with a dual chamber seat-mounted bag and saved a little money. The point of curtain airbags is to protect front and rear seat passengers but the ones in the Eclipse only protect the front seat. Anyway, the design is very futuristic looking, the performance is high, and all the right options are available for the bling-bling crowd (except for nav, but I don't care about that). I think this car should sell well. And I can't wait to see the convertible! I bet it's gonna look sweet! I just hope they improve the rear seat legroom at least an inch or raise the front seats enough so you can get your feet under them. I can handle sitting in the current convertible's rear seat for short trips, but the foot space is so small and the front seats so low that I have to turn my feet at an uncomfortable angle in order to fit and I only wear a size 8 shoe. I hope they take this chance to improve on this problem.
  • lhesslhess Member Posts: 379
    My only concern with it is the fact that it's a front wheel drive (I am correct on that one??). I just traded an 01 Spyder Gt that was only 200 hps and the torque steer on it was a little tricky at times. What's the 263 gonna be like? Also, I agree with the space in the back seat. In my convertible, I would have preferred that they completely eliminate the back seat and use that space for extra leg room up front and cargo space. Since I was the one making the payments, I had the privilege of refusing to ride in the back seat. Still, I loved the car and am anticipating buying the 07 spyder when it hits the streets!!
  • dawn7dawn7 Member Posts: 7
    2006 Eclipse Sales Halted Due to Brake Defect.

    Mitsubishi has issued an "urgent notice of stop sale" on the redesigned 2006 Eclipse. The problem involves the vacuum brake booster, which could cause brake failure.
  • lhesslhess Member Posts: 379
    this car has been the buzz for months. How long is this delay gonna last, any ideas?
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    Can you post a link, dawn7, because I can't find this on any of my usual industry sites?

    I flub like that would be fatal.
  • gwitzgwitz Member Posts: 1
    I have to disagree...I would say that many people in the target market believe the sound system is a key feature of any vehicle they intend to buy. Lets face it, this car isn't for the baby boomers, nor is it for gen x...its all about gen y - and we want a full performance package...not just a high-reving car.

    I think the design of this vehicle shows an excellent marketing blend that satisfies gen y's demand for futuristic lines and a full driving experience. As an owner of a G3 and an Endeavor, as well as an avid market researcher, I can say that Mitsu's N.America group has done extremely well in offering well balanced vehicles that meet the broadest needs of today's consumers. It may take time for the market to warm up to the new Mitsu, but if Corporate can keep it together, I believe their products will pull them through.

    Bottom line, the G2 owners of yesterday are moving on and Mitsu is fulfilling the needs of a new clientele. So, why exactly would they just recreate the G2? To please those G2 owners (who are now older) that will pass it by to get a minivan? No...to snag a new, fresh market.
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    I'll have to take your word for it gwitz. Personally, I'd be a little disappointed if an entire generation really places more emphasis on a sound system than on driving!

    I think there's a bottom line you may be missing, and I think Mitsu might be missing it too, and that's that tuners (the youth segment they'd most like to exploit) see the G2 as the ultimate expression of Mitsu's performance capability, and within that, it's the turbo AWD variants that draw the cash offers. There's a reason for that and it has zero to do with a stereo!

    None of this is to infer that the car is not good, nor that it may in fact be a better car than the G3, but more of a boulevard cruiser and less of a sports car doesn't sound like a great plan to capture a younger audience to me. At least not with the model that's supposed to be your sport offering. If they want to sell to a crowd set on amenities, they could pull a Scion, and offer a menu of goodies to play with on some other model.

    End all for me is I think this car will actually appeal to an older audience based on the larger size, larger engine, amenities and styling. I could be wrong; not that that's ever happened before. ;-}

    Anyway, the initial reviews I've read are pretty good, which is a good thing, but I worry that rather than a class leader here, we've got yet another mid-pack offering that will achieve whatever numbers it can on price and incentives.
  • lhesslhess Member Posts: 379
    audience. Let's face it, you build a car that appeals to these zit-faced tuners who want to mod the heck out of a car and run the heck out of it, and you've not done anything I would consider to be very smart. They may want them, but can they buy them? And, who is less costly on the warranty end of the car, a teenager with too much money or an adult out in the working world paying their own bills?

    I'm a 36-year old female. Just traded an 01 Eclipse Spyder GT for a Mazda RX 8 and the 06 Eclipse appeals to me very much. In fact, I see the 07 Spyder on my shopping list in a couple of years. I have disposable income, no children (thank you God for reliable birth control in my lifespan), and I'm responsible enough to take care of my purchases. Also, how can they make a turbo car and offer the kind of warranty they currently do?
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    It seems a good point lhess.

    Still, your typical tuner is taking a $9K-$12K used car and dumping 8-10 grand into it (often much more), so economically, they can do a GS (depending on credit scores) and aren't all that far off the GT buy in to begin with (question is would they?). Next, you may see them all as pubescent, but the average readership age for Sport Compact Magazine is 28, IIRC, and the last Southeast Nationals drew competitors averaging something like 38!

    As a young (IMO) female of 36, by the time you go topless Spyder in MY07, you'll be at the very end of your demographic usefullness for this car, according to the experts at Mitsu. According to them, you're old. Not your fault; I just think they have no real clue who their actual audience has become.

    Mostly I agree with you: this car is no way a demographic 18-40 target. More like a 26-55 is how I see it. That's how the recently departed Marketing VP saw it too, and that's part of why he left, according to reports. If they really wanted to nab the youth market, it would be a turbo'd AWD four-banger with less size, weight and junk. Yeah, it would have an optional killer sound system! As for the Boomer crowd (guilty), well, any enthusiast is going to balk first at the FWD, especially on the GT because of the torque-steer and the balance, and secondly at the weight, and thirdly at stright-line performance that doesn't approach a Z. The rest of the Boomers are going to find it fits their needs neatly, but won't go GS, I don't think.

    BTW, modern turbos and long-term warranties can co-exist quite peacefully. They're pretty darn reliable these days. And most of those zit-faced tuners, frankly, take far better routine day-to-day care of their cars than most 36 year-old females I've known; present company excepted of course!
    ;-}
  • dawn7dawn7 Member Posts: 7
    Here is a link and more info

    http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000040044633/

    Mitsubishi halts 2006 Eclipse sales

    "Mitsubishi stopped sales of the new 2006 Eclipse because of a problem with the vacuum brake booster could cause brake failure. Automotive News reports that Mitsubishi reported the problem to the NHTSA noting that up to 1185 vehicles could be involved in the recall. Only 44 Eclipses reached owners hands this month. We thought the Eclipse was supposed to change Mitsubishi fortunes."

    Automotive News:

    Mitsubishi has issued an "urgent notice of stop sale" on the redesigned 2006 Eclipse. The problem involves the vacuum brake booster, which could cause brake failure. Up to 1,185 vehicles could be affected.

    CarConnection:

    "Mitsubishi has halted sales of the '06 Eclipse after the company received reports of flawed brake systems from its Normal, Ill., plant. Automotive News reports that Mitsubishi reported the problem to the National Highway Traffic Safety ................

    In the vehicles, a problem with the vacuum brake booster could cause brake failure."
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