Mitsubishi speaks of “the attainable exotic” in reference to the company’s new Eclipse Spyder, and although that might sound like marketing hyperbole when the car in question starts at about 26 grand, you need to hear the rest of the justification.
Company spokesmen cite the car’s zoomy styling and equipment, but we think it’s mostly about the roof. Fabricated by the American Sunroof Company to Mitsubishi’s specifications, the new ragtop is powered by a hydraulic mechanism that stows or erects it in about 19 seconds. All you do is manhandle two windshield-frame clasps and push a button.
When stowed, a power hard-tonneau panel that integrates the appearance of the rear deck covers the whole deal, tidily avoiding the so-called baby-buggy look you see with high roof stacks. The design makes no effort to mimic the coupe’s roofline, and the spyder flaunts its own unique profile.
2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT
The material used is acrylic cloth, dyed black or gray before the threads are spun into fabric to avoid the uneven discoloration typically found at high-wear areas on cheaper tops. Acrylic itself is a step up from the vinyl used on some cars in the same price segment.
2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT
There’s a cotton headliner, with a natural rubber layer between it and the acrylic outer fabric. Natural rubber is preferable to the more commonly used butyl rubber, says Mitsubishi, because it holds its shape better and resists stretching and shrinking during exposure to extreme temperatures. That ballooning effect you see on old convertibles is mostly due to the use of butyl rubber.
2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT
But the natural-rubber process is quite complicated. In this case, molten rubber is applied to the inner and outer roof layers using a technique known as “knife-over-roll coating” and then fused together and cured for six weeks. To ensure good sealing, Mitsubishi adopted the short-stroke mechanism we’ve seen on more-expensive cars with sashless windows, where the glass drops down a tad when the door is opened and closed to engage special door seals. The idea is to reduce wind noise and improve atmospheric sealing for better heater and air-conditioner performance.
2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT Engine MIVEC
| Chassis | |
| Brakes F/R: | ABS, vented disc/vented disc |
| Tires F-R: | 235/45 R18 |
| Driveline: | Front Wheel Drive |
| Engine | |
| Type: | V6 |
| Displacement cu in (cc): | 234 (3828) |
| Power bhp (kW) at RPM: | 260(194) / 5750 |
| Torque lb-ft (Nm) at RPM: | 258(355) / 4500 |
| Redline at RPM: | 6500 |
| Exterior | |
| Length × Width × Height in: | 179.7 × 72.2 × 54.4 |
| Weight lb (kg): | 3671 (1665) |
| Performance | |
| Acceleration 0-60 mph s: | ~ 7 |
| Top Speed mph (km/h): | n.a. |
| Fuel Economy EPA city/highway mpg (l/100 km): | n.a. |
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