Everything about this car screams power. From its profile straight out of a science fiction movie to its muscular V6 and its stimulating behaviour on the road. Even the impressive rear spoiler gives the impression that at the slightest touch of the gas pedal, retractable wings will spring out of the sides carry this 2+2 away.

The high-intensity discharge headlamps are one of the new features of the model.

Fear not. The Mitsubishi Eclipse GT-P is definitely earthbound. But the fact that we have to rein it in at 100 km/h on our highways emphasizes the anachronism that sets the rules of the road in this country against the modern technological advances of the auto industry.

Who can forget the time when pony cars stampeded across Canada? The triumphant return of the Mustang/Camaro/Challenger trio capitalizes on the nostalgia for those glory days. At the time, no one worried about things like tire grip, power steering precision or suspension and brake efficiency. The word “ergonomics” wasn’t even in the dictionary. It was all about chrome and the 0-100 dash – pardon me, the 0-60.

Welcome to the future
The times, they have changed. We invented the notion of political correctness, and motorists learned the usefulness of efficient brakes. A car like the Eclipse now features a slew of passive safety systems (pyrotechnic seat belt pretensioners, air bags, etc.) and advanced driving aids (traction control) that would have been unimaginable mere decades ago.

And its “humble” V6 unleashes as many horses as a good deal of fuel-hungry V8s of days gone by.

And thanks to its tailgate and folding rear seats, the Eclipse even offers a spacious cargo area that can accommodate cumbersome packages like a flat-screen TV. Try fitting that into a Cuda! Luckily, flat-screen TVs didn’t exist back then either.

But enough about yesterday. For 2009, the Eclipse benefits from a lightly refreshed outline. New front and rear shields, two-toned for my GT-P Coupe tester, set the new crop apart.

The impressive spoiler topping the tailgate is a new, distinguishing feature of the 2009 GT-P.

To clearly advertise the high-end status of the GT-P Coupe (and associate it with movies like The Fast and The Furious), the small spoiler adorning the tailgate of the 2008 model has been replaced with a more impressive one. The accessory arouses considerable comment, especially among the younger crowd. But on a day-to-day basis it is utterly useless. It blocks rear visibility, complicates the lifting of the tailgate with its heaviness and in no way increases rear traction – unless, perhaps, you’re screaming down an Autobahn at 200 km/h. But this isn’t Germany.

A new chrome twin-tipped exhaust, which is new for 2009 and “improves” the engine’s sound.

Built for Americans
We must remember that the Eclipse was invented specifically for the Americans. As such, Mitsubishi strategists are really banking on its spectacular effect, hence the addition of the over-size spoiler, but also a new, chrome twin-tipped exhaust, which is new for 2009 and “improves” the engine’s sound.

That being said, this new Eclipse is not all about show. Its high-intensity discharge headlamps, also new in 2009, undeniably improve nighttime driving.

And driving this coupe is surprising in many ways. A very stiff chassis, a well-adjusted suspension that never succumbs to rolling or bouncing, and a very precise and well-modulated power steering ensure that the moment you step out of the car, you just want to get back in and keep on going.

The six-speed manual transmission on our tester proved precise and satisfyingly well spaced, allowing us to happily make the most of the 265 ponies of the V6 (two more than in 2008). The engine produces enough low-rpm torque to set the car in motion in second gear. An easy undertaking thanks to a too-stiff clutch benefiting from just enough travel.

As for fuel consumption, the engine the Eclipse shares with the Galant mid-size sedan and Endeavor crossover is very, very thirsty. On a 250-kilometre city/highway drive, we averaged nearly 14 litres per 100 km. A far cry from the 11 L/100 km rating touted by the manufacturer.

Interestingly, according to the automaker’s numbers, the optional five-speed automatic Sportronic transmission would consume only one tiny percentage point more fuel. An interesting fact indeed, as the V6 requires premium fuel.

The V6 powering this front-wheel-drive model is particularly potent.

Cabin for two. Period.
The inside reflects the outside: modern and inviting. Of course, one must be minimally flexible to climb in, as the seats are quite low. In addition, the long doors that make it easier to get into complicate things when the coupe is parked in a narrow spot. The doors are heavy too, something that becomes apparent when exiting the car on an upward slope.

The bucket seats are comfortable and form-fitting.

On the other hand, the leather-draped seats are comfortable and heated. Comfort-wise, there’s not quite enough room to rest the left foot when it’s not working the clutch.

A few other irksome things come to mind as well. They remind me that the design of this fourth-generation incarnation is largely similar to that of the previous model, which dates back to 2000. I’m thinking, among other things, of the tilting steering wheel that isn’t telescopic, the too-small rearview mirrors and the absence of a tailgate opener in the cabin.

What’s more, unless you choose the “Terra Cotta Sport” (read: beige) interior, the Eclipse is delivered in wall-to-wall black. It’s dark. It wouldn’t be so bad if the quality of the plastics didn’t evoke the 2007 Jeep Patriot. But that’s just not the case.

Soundproofing isn’t up to par either in a cabin where you’d rather hear just the delicious roar of the engine, and not the sound of the Goodyear Eagle RS-As licking the pavement. Of course, when you crank up the standard 650-watt Rockford Fosgate Premium stereo, you don’t hear the road any longer. That being said, a headphone jack would’ve been appreciated.

A real 2+2
There are two passenger seats in back. Virtual seats, that is. The Eclipse should be described as a 2+2 and not a four-seater as the manufacturer claims. Anyways, these minuscule would-be seats, particularly hard to climb into, are used more often than not as a storage place for purses and shopping bags.

However, the trunk area can be adjusted thanks to the folding rear seat backs. The useful space (normally 455 litres) triples at the very least. Unfortunately, you have to struggle over the high tailgate sill to store your gear. After all, at 90 centimetres off the ground, it’s waist-high! And as for the floor of the trunk space, it’s 30 centimetres lower than the sill. My back hurts just thinking about it.

In the end, the Eclipse is a sports car for the extroverted driver. For him or her, practicality is often less important than image. This coupe is undeniably fun to drive. But in a market where such models now abound, the Eclipse trails behind its competitors in several ways, an issue than can only be resolved by a complete overhaul.

Music-lovers will enjoy the powerful, 650-watt Rockford Fosgate Premium stereo.