With Mitsubishi's North American model lineup re-imagining in full swing, it may be easy to forget the one vehicle that started it all. With the Evo coming to Canada for the first time and a sporty new Outlander crossover currently hogging the Mitsu spotlight, one shouldn't overlook the sexy, affordable and powerful Eclipse Spyder.

This isn't a pretender: it's a fully capable machine that is ready to tear up the asphalt at a moment's notice. It's also well built and attractive — both to the eyes and the wallet.

There are only two trim levels available on the Eclipse Spyder — the GS and the GT-P — and the differences are instantly apparent. My tester was the GT-P, which has a much larger engine (it's a whopper: a 3.8-litre V6, compared to the GS' 2.4-litre four-cylinder) as well as a standard six-speed manual transmission (the GS comes with either a five-speed manual or five-speed auto). Those are the big ones that you'll notice while driving, though there are a several other differences such as the GT-P's getting standard traction control, larger wheels, tires and brakes, aluminum pedals, leather seats and a bunch more. For an extra $5,000 on the nose for the GT-P, I wouldn't hesitate to say it's absolutely worth breaking open your piggy bank and spending the extra dimes and nickels.

The engine itself is always ready to move the Eclipse Spyder quickly at the drop of a hat or a green flag. Sports cars are getting more and more jacked up on horsepower and torque nowadays and with a 3.8-litre V6, you might expect more than the Eclipse's 260 hp and 258-lb.ft. of torque. With those numbers, and considering the Eclipse Spyder weighs a little less than 3,800 lb., you might also expect this convertible to be a tad sluggish, but in reality, it's not. With its 59/41 front-to-rear weight distribution, you can feel how front-heavy it is around corners, but in a straight line, it's good to go. And combined with the aerodynamic look and fantastic growl coming from the exhaust, this looks and sounds the part as much as it acts it.

The interior is just as much a thing of beauty as the exterior. Whereas past Mitsubishi passenger cars borrowed interiors from its big SUVs, the new Eclipse has an interior to call its own. The centre console is simple and uncluttered, as is the rest of the dash. The four gauges behind the steering wheel have chrome-look surrounds and instead of having ugly (but apparently "sporty-looking") white-face gauges, only the edges — where needle touches number — are coloured white. It's a great compromise that still gives it that sporty flavour.

This thing is technically a four-seater but I avoided putting people in the back seats at all costs — I was downright claustrophobic when I tried sitting back there. The front seats, meanwhile, are all about hugging you closely and keeping you from tumbling sideways while taking sharp corners at not-completely-safe speeds. They were fantastic at that, though I noticed there wasn't a lot of shoulder room when I simply needed comfort.

Going from top-up to top-down takes a mere 19 seconds according to Mitsubishi, and the whole package looks both sleek and handsome when all is said and done, thanks to the fact that the cloth top is stowed completely out of sight. Though the trunk only has 5.2 cu. ft. of room, you won't lose any of it when the top goes down. And hey, if you really need to carry around golf clubs or a packed hockey bag, just throw it in the back seat, since you'll rarely have people back there anyway.

But really, you'll rarely be carrying around a lot of cargo because that's not what this car is meant for. The Eclipse Spyder exists to provide a whole lot of fun, which it does admirably.

The fact that you can buy this fun at an affordable price is just the icing on the cake.

Fact File
2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT-P
As tested, before tax: $36,998
Options: none
Freight: $1,245
Configuration: front-engine/FWD
Engine/Transmission: 3.8-litre V6 MIVEC / 6-speed manual
Horsepower : 260 @ 5,750 rpm
Torque: 258 lb.-ft. @ 4,500 rpm
Fuel required: 67 litres, premium
EnerGuide fuel economy rating (L/100 km): 13.3 city, 8.2 hwy.
Observed fuel economy: 10.5 L/100 km. over 465 km. combined
Warranty: 5 years/100,000 km

MSRP range: $31,998 - $36,998
Engines available: 2.4L I4 (162 hp/162 lb.-ft.), 3.8L V6 (260/258)
Transmissions available: 6-speed manual, 5-speed automatic, 6-speed automatic

Competitors: Ford Mustang, Pontiac G6 convertible
Strengths: Quick acceleration, unique look, quality interior
Weaknesses: Tiny rear seats, tiny trunk

Spyder vs. Mustang vs. G6

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