Now for the good stuff: the engine specs. For my test week I didn't just have the base four-cylinder Eclipse, but rather the Eclipse GT with its
 |
| The Eclipse GT is equipped with a 3.8-litre, 24-valve, MIVEC V6, capable of producing 263-horsepower at 5,750 rpm and 260 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press) |
3.8-litre, 24-valve, MIVEC V6, capable of producing 263-horsepower at 5,750 rpm and 260 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm. Talk about a fantastic engine, what power! Weighing in between 1,575 and 1,638 kilos (3,472 and 3,611 pounds), depending on whether the six-speed manual or five-speed manual-mode automatic gearbox is included, the GT flies. I can't even begin to explain the perma-grin that was plastered across my face for the duration of the week. Even when people couldn't see me, like when I called my friend Rob to tell him about how awesome this car was, I'm pretty sure he could already feel the excitement and smile on my face as soon as I said "hello", because the first thing he asked me was, "Did you meet a guy?" Of course not, but I told him it was even better, I had the Eclipse GT. Acceleration from zero to 100 km/h is an impressive 6.0 seconds, getting me from point A to point B in a flash - traffic excluded. And along the way the GT's front and rear ventilated disc brakes with ABS and EBD were there to slow me down.
But while the engine's power made me smile from ear to ear, the audio system had me simply giddy with excitement. After all, what's a sports coupe without a killer stereo system? Boring. This is no snoozer stereo; in
 |
| Its nine-speaker sound setup incorporates a ten-inch trunk-mounted subwoofer. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press) |
fact I could probably wake up the neighbours with it due to its bassy capabilities. Until this point, the Ford Mustang GT had one of the best audio system's I'd come into contact with, but now I'm officially handing the title over to the Eclipse GT. Not only does its optional Rockford Fosgate system come with a 650-watt (max) 6-CD/MP3-compatiable head unit, but its nine-speaker sound setup incorporates a ten-inch trunk-mounted subwoofer. Hands down the best out there, or at least the best I've come into contact with, I'm sure it will be hard to beat. The clarity and quality of sound that comes out of its speakers blew my mind. It even has the option to increase or decrease the subwoofer "punch" to a maximum of six notches. Of course, knowing me, the punch was on six all the time, but even on Sundays, when I usually listen to the classical stylings of Bach, Beethoven or Handel, the bass, despite being on six, didn't take away from the Organ Fugue, or even the Eroica Symphony. Plus there are multiple settings to optimize whatever music is being played. Even my music guru friend Aaron agreed with me that this is one fantastic system. And he knows his stuff, since he'd worked at a world-famous recording studio as a sound editor.
