Test Drive
2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse Gt
Let's get one thing out of the way first, in Mitsubishi's camp, the Lancer Evolution IX is the sports car of the group. It offers the best handling, the most speed, and also, the most uncompromising daily ride. To expect the new 4th generation Eclipse to be as raw and race-ready would be to misinterpret what the Eclipse is all about. Those that have the extra couple thousand in cash and only care about outright speed will choose the Evo. Those that want something a bit more comfortable with a different look will choose the street cruiser of the family, the Eclipse. Dumping the side-straked body styling of the previous 3rd generation Eclipse, the new body emerges as a sculpted, swooping beast. We came across many people, especially girls, who liked the way the car looked and stopped us to ask exactly what it was. Our only complaint about the styling lay in the rear end, which gives the Mitsubishi the feeling that it's confused about which end of itself is actually the front.
The interior quality is higher than that of the Evo and the layout is more ergonomic as well. When you drive the Eclipse, everything is near you and pointing towards you. If you're running down the highway, anything is just an easy reach away. For us, the only thing to reach for was the traction control off button, and we found out this car needed it in a bad way. The MIVEC equipped 3.8L SOHC V6 engine (coded 6G75) produces 263 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, which is easily enough to overcome the Eclipse's available grip at any time. Oversquare with a 95mm bore and a 90mm stroke, the 3.8L engine uses cast pistons, forged steel connection rods, and a forged steel crankshaft. The engine block, manufactured out of cast iron with revised oil passages, is fit with four-valves-per-cylinder aluminum heads and is backed up by a baffled oil pan. Seemingly designed by Mitsubishi to sustain lots of power, this new 6G75 engine is sure to be seen producing some big numbers in the future. At this year's SEMA show, we saw GReddy's prototype single turbo kit, and we hear that their test mule has some kick. 300 wheel hp for the new Eclipse is right around the corner for sure.
The incredibly broad torque curve is matched to a smooth six-speed manual transmission that features triple synchros on gears 1-3 and a new dual mass flywheel. Power is always easy to find, and the Eclipse will almost never be found outside of its power band. But with this kind of available power, the front-wheel drive layout of the car is unable to handle the output of the large engine. The Eclipse uses a standard strut-type front suspension and independent rear setup, and while the car has plenty of travel and ride composure, 260 lb-ft of torque out of a 3.8L is just too much twist for any front-wheel drive car, especially one without a limited-slip differential. That large cast-iron block hanging on the front end isn't doing the chassis balance any good, but once the car gets rolling, you won't really notice. Approach the limits of the car though, especially on lower speed turns, and you'll be wishing that this car were rear-wheel drive. And wouldn't that be great: The Evo to take on the turbo, all-wheel drive crowd, and the Eclipse to take on the big power, rear-drive 350Z boys; 3.5L Nissan vs. 3.8L Mitsubishi, six-speed vs. six-speed. It all seems to make sense, doesn't it? www.mitsucars.com
Billion Dollar Car $How
First Ever Vip Auto Fashion Show Debuts Within the confines of the 2NR readership base, the name Hot Import Nights needs no introduction. Show cars, strobes, sweaty guys, and girls in their delicates helped make HIN one of the most recognizable names on the import show circuit. A new venue has opened, one from the creators of HIN, one that promises to satisfy those who have a desire for something a little more upscale. Not that half-covered ass cheeks aren't upscale; hell, we never complained.
Launched at the Anaheim Convention Center, mere minutes away from the filming locations of numerous Orange County rich kid shows, the VIP Auto Fashion show brought out the big guns of the automotive world. From the Ferrari Enzo and Carrera GT greeting you at the door, the VIP Auto Fashion show held some of the world's most expensive and luxurious vehicles. Tuned BMW M3's, Porsche Turbos, and Audi A4's littered the show floor, while SP Engineering's stable of Lamborghini's stopped everybody in their tracks. On the Japanese side, Wald and Kenstyle-equipped VIP Infiniti G35's, M45's, and a few Lexus' represented, while Scion brought out their entire stable of show vehicles, including the 5Axis xA Speedster and Christian Rado's drag tC. What luxury car show wouldn't be complete without a few pimped out SUVs? Nestled in between Mercedes-Benz SL's and other low-slung rich rides, Range Rovers and the new 2007 Escalade showed the audience how to correctly tuck-in massive chrome wagon wheels. Wheels, such as the Lexani 30-inch monster and the Asanti Forged Diamond Series. Forget about JDM wheels, these rollers came packing more than 12,000 inlaid diamonds and a heart-stopping price tag. If you buy a set of these wheels, a Bentley is thrown into the package as a bonus. Buy wheels and get a Bentley for free? That's one damn expensive set of wheels.
"Wait a second, what about the ladies?" you ask. Don't worry, just because they went VIP doesn't mean they went all dudes. The rich know how to get down too. Appearing as if a runway had been shipped straight from Milan, all the girls were the typical sweetness you'd find at a standard HIN show, but this time wrapped in sleek, black cocktail dresses and perfectly positioned hairstyles. It was almost as if every high-roller room in Las Vegas had been let loose in Anaheim, not that our broke-asses would know anything about that. In fact, one of the best things about the show is absorbing the dollar rich atmosphere floating around. Should you buy a Ferrari? There's always next year, right? Check it out: www.vipautofashion.com
Coming Soon
One Serious Race Ready Mazda Rx-8 Preceded by the past appearance of the Rolex 24-Hour raced Goldin Brothers RX-8 in the Grand American road racing ranks, a new Grand-Am Rolex Series Mazda RX-8 is coming. Built in conjunction with the successful Grand-Am rotary racers at SpeedSource, Inc., the Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development RX-8 is being fully outfitted to tackle the ranks of the Rolex Series GT class, which includes such heavyweights as the Porsche GT3 Cup, the BMW M3, and the Pontiac GTO-R.
Having already taken a Grand-Am Street Touring championship in their relatively unmodified RX-8 racecar, SpeedSource was tapped by Mazdaspeed in order to take the RX-8 GT to the next level. But, in order to compete in the GT ranks, many modifications had to be made, rendering the car a mere shadow of the factory fighter. The RX-8 GT begins with a full tube frame chassis, built by SpeedSource and Riley Technologies. The carbon-fiber body panels are developed by Downing/Atlanta and at first glance appear to be stock RX-8 panels, but are actually sculpted for greater down force and less drag. Horsepower comes courtesy of a 9,000 rpm 20B three-rotor engine, which pumps its output into an EMCO six-speed sequential transaxle. Racing tires, upgraded brakes, and numerous other racing modifications mean this Mazda RX-8 has as much in common with a stock RX-8 as a NASCAR racer does with a stock Dodge Stratus. Luckily for us, Mazdaspeed is offering both the carbon body panels and various 20B engine parts for sale. With Mazdaspeed dipping its hands into a 20B-powered race car, does this mean a self-built, race ready, three-rotor powered FD3S RX-7 is within reach? More info is at: www.mazdaspeedmotorsports.com
Retraction
In our February 2006 issue we mistakingly credited the wrong photogrpaher for that month's cover shoot and model interview art. Both were in fact photographed by our good friend and digital genius Florian Schneider. Our apologies for the mistake!