A Sports Car That's Appealing to All Generations
I always wonder why a given colour is chosen for a vehicle's debut, especially one as important as the unveiling of Mitsubishi's
new Eclipse Spyder. While a niche model, the Spyder is a bit of a flagship, an ambassador of the Japanese brand's evocative styling and sporting pretensions to the uninitiated.
Of course, a bright red or vivacious purple, not to mention the burnt orange used to introduce the Eclipse Coupe last year, would surely clash with the crimson-hued clothing worn by those stirring up emotions during the introductory stage show. A hypnotically inducing rhythm pulsated from the traditional Japanese Taiko drummers, yes the
same rather stunning women and manly men that perform in the brand's more recent TV ads.
Therefore, I think that Mitsubishi made the right choice in opting for silver-gray that looks to be a mixture of Liquid Silver Metallic and Titanium Pearl (but was probably just titanium), nevertheless silver being an unusually common although especially classy hue that was made more vibrant when reflecting the surrounding colours and bright lights that hovered over the revolving stage. Instead of shouting, "Look at me, here I am!" the Spyder merely circled round and round, not trying to upstage anyone or anything, but rather appearing quietly confident that its power came from fitting into rather than standing out.
Not to say that the new convertible isn't a knockout. It looks fabulous, and if painted Pure Red, Sunset Pearlescent or even UV Blue Pearl, no doubt will pull eyeballs right out of their sockets when it drives down the road. But the silver tone shows a different side to Mitsubishi, an upscale elegance
that will no doubt be more appealing to those who will be buying their Spyder with all the trimmings.
And yes, the new drop-top offers at least as many high-end goodies as the coupe, revered by most who've driven it as one of the best in its class. I love the coupe, especially in top-tier GT trim with all the upgrade packages and special terra cotta leather interior. Call me spoiled, but this interior is truly special, with some of the most comfortable and supportive seats in the entire industry.
The new Spyder looks as if it pulls the front seats right out of the coupe, and after a quick turn inside felt just as fabulous. The rear seats, however, are expectedly abbreviated, no longer as useful as those in the coupe. Where the coupe features sculpted rear "buckets", the Spyder gets fairly decent lower cushions but an almost fully upright single seatback that is painful to even look at. My guess is that Mitsubishi has done its research and in doing so figured out that most convertible buyers only use the rear seats as a handy spot for a briefcase or purse. The fact that an eight-inch subwoofer is set right into the seatback makes this point even clearer.
I always wonder why a given colour is chosen for a vehicle's debut, especially one as important as the unveiling of Mitsubishi's
 |
| While a niche model, the Spyder is a bit of a flagship, an ambassador of the Japanese brand's evocative styling and sporting pretensions to the uninitiated. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Of course, a bright red or vivacious purple, not to mention the burnt orange used to introduce the Eclipse Coupe last year, would surely clash with the crimson-hued clothing worn by those stirring up emotions during the introductory stage show. A hypnotically inducing rhythm pulsated from the traditional Japanese Taiko drummers, yes the
 |
| I think that Mitsubishi made the right choice in opting for silver-gray that looks to be a mixture of Liquid Silver Metallic and Titanium Pearl. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Therefore, I think that Mitsubishi made the right choice in opting for silver-gray that looks to be a mixture of Liquid Silver Metallic and Titanium Pearl (but was probably just titanium), nevertheless silver being an unusually common although especially classy hue that was made more vibrant when reflecting the surrounding colours and bright lights that hovered over the revolving stage. Instead of shouting, "Look at me, here I am!" the Spyder merely circled round and round, not trying to upstage anyone or anything, but rather appearing quietly confident that its power came from fitting into rather than standing out.
Not to say that the new convertible isn't a knockout. It looks fabulous, and if painted Pure Red, Sunset Pearlescent or even UV Blue Pearl, no doubt will pull eyeballs right out of their sockets when it drives down the road. But the silver tone shows a different side to Mitsubishi, an upscale elegance
 |
| My guess is that Mitsubishi has done its research and in doing so figured out that most convertible buyers only use the rear seats as a handy spot for a briefcase or purse, because sitting in it looks painful. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
And yes, the new drop-top offers at least as many high-end goodies as the coupe, revered by most who've driven it as one of the best in its class. I love the coupe, especially in top-tier GT trim with all the upgrade packages and special terra cotta leather interior. Call me spoiled, but this interior is truly special, with some of the most comfortable and supportive seats in the entire industry.
The new Spyder looks as if it pulls the front seats right out of the coupe, and after a quick turn inside felt just as fabulous. The rear seats, however, are expectedly abbreviated, no longer as useful as those in the coupe. Where the coupe features sculpted rear "buckets", the Spyder gets fairly decent lower cushions but an almost fully upright single seatback that is painful to even look at. My guess is that Mitsubishi has done its research and in doing so figured out that most convertible buyers only use the rear seats as a handy spot for a briefcase or purse. The fact that an eight-inch subwoofer is set right into the seatback makes this point even clearer.