SCC Magazine – RRE Project Eclipse Intro

We have been working with Dave Coleman and josh Jacquot @ SCC Magazine on the build up of their new Eclipse project. The articles are starting to come out. Here is the introduction to the series.

Introducing Our Newest Project:
’97 Eclipse GSX

Sport Compact Car Magazine – May 1998
By Dave Coleman

Think back to when you were in high school. There was probably a girl back then who over the span of one summer transformed herself from cute wallflower to righteous babe. Maybe at the end of her sophomore year, you noticed her, but she was still somewhat awkward. Cute, but in a little kid kind of way. Then, the first day of her junior year, she came to class dressed to kill. Her hair was styled, her dress was short, her glasses were replaced with contact lenses. After one look, those teenage hormones were pumping, and you wonder how you ever overlooked her before. The same transformation has taken place with Mitsubishi’s Eclipse. Last year, it was a cute car. A solid performer, don’t get us wrong, but with styling that presented a smiling face to the world. The Eclipse is all grown up now, with a revised nose and tail moves the car’s attitude from happy to pissed off.

While Mitsubishi changed the styling of the Eclipse to something more aggressive-and more in tune with its performance intentions-it was smart enough, to leave the good stuff alone. Which means the 210-horsepower turbocharged engine, all-wheel drive system, limited slip differential and limpet-like grip that have made the Eclipse a favorite for those tight, twisty roads we all adore are still there for us to enjoy and improve on.

Our goal for the Eclipse is not to build a drag racer, but an all-around performance car that will be equally capable on the street and on the track. We will take advantages of the Eclipse’s inherent strengths while improving on its weaknesses. Be assured that although drag racing is not the goal, more power definitely is. And you will be informed of every step of every screw that is turned on our project, Along with our sister publication, Sport Compact Car, we will show you the best ways to extract more power from the Eclipse, regardless of your budget. Naturally, big power gains cost more money, but we’re aware that not everyone has NASA-sized budgets for their own cars, and there will be plenty of information on how to improve the car’s performance without taking out a second mortgage. Keep your eyes open for our next issue, for our first installment of Project Eclipse.