2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT-P Road Test

2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT-P (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com)

I really like the steering in this car, because it offers a good compromise for driving in town and out on the highway. Despite the torque steer, this Mitsubishi really entices you to floor the right pedal and drive more aggressively. Braking is excellent, its setup is powerful and sudden stops are easily controlled.

Here's a little troubling moment for my pride. It's the end of the day after work, and it's nice and sunny outside. I'm waiting at a traffic light on a busy intersection, and I decided to be a show-off and impress the occupants of the cars beside me by lowering the magic top. While it was folding down, the light turned green and I pressed on the gas. As soon as the car moved, the top completely stopped working, the tonneau cover still wide open and blocking my view behind. I had to scramble to the first parking lot and raise the top back up before being able to lower it again. Way to go, idiot.

Interior

2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT-P (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com)

It's a sports coupe, so you have to expect sitting close to the floor. The leather seats offer lumbar and lateral support, but the seating position becomes tiring after two hours of driving. The instrument panel is pretty simplistic, but straightforward; the essential instruments are all accounted for, the switchgear is all within reach and user-friendly. At night, the dials glow in a nice blue colour, a welcome departure from the typical green or orange. Apart from some hard plastic on the door panels, the cabin and the instruments are high-quality.

In back, the seats are more symbolic than practical. At least I can pick up my kids at the day-care. There's just not enough legroom. Even my three-year old son kicks my seatback, yelling at me that he wants more room. Gladly, insurance rates are less expensive with a four-seat car instead of two.

The 650-watt sound system in the Spyder is simply breathtaking. With the macho subwoofer wedged in the center of the back seat, this system is so powerful that it provokes nosebleeds.

While driving, I feel a slight lack in body stiffness when I fit road imperfections or railway crossings, but that's the case with almost any convertible. Otherwise, the low noise level in the cabin is appreciated, thanks to the materials used in fabricating the top, including a cloth lining sandwiched between the ragtop's layers. On the highway with the top hidden underneath the tonneau cover, wind turbulence is created in the cabin and you'll probably mess your hair. With the windows up, it's much more tolerable.

Conclusion

At $36,998, the Eclipse Spyder GT-P offers a lot. It's beautiful, it gathers attention, it's fast, and it has a well-isolated top that disappears in a flash. It's a shame that in Canada, we don't get the GT version that the Americans can buy, which offers 17-inch wheels and cloth seats, for less money. Still, it has a few flaws, and we can live with them. It's not like the

2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT-P (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com)

competition, being the Ford Mustang GT ($36,999), the Pontiac G6 GTP ($36,885) and the Toyota Solara SLE V6 ($39,200), is automotive perfection.

However, I would also risk opting for the $31,998 Eclipse Spyder GS. I'd lose 98 horsepower and a gear in the transmission, I'd have to manage with 17-inch wheels, I'd have to sit on cloth seats, but I could use regular unleaded gasoline. The power top is still there, the sound system will still give you a heart attack, and the GS is visually almost identical as the GT-P. Not bad for saving $5,000, don't you think?

What I like:
Beautiful car
Great power top
Performance

What I don't like:
Irritating torque steer
Symbolic rear seats
Requires premium fuel

CLICK HERE to view the 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT-P's specifications.