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2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT Every year like clockwork, as soon as the weather warms sales of convertibles perk up. And this year one ragtop sure to fire up interest is the new 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. It's the latest drop top version of one of America's most popular sport coupes. So sun and fun are pretty much guaranteed. Mitsubishi calls the 2007 Eclipse Spyder an "attainable exotic." Now calling the popular but very accessible Eclipse an exotic is certainly stretching it a bit, but this 4th generation Eclipse convertible is certainly a very inviting example of the drop top breed. Unlike many modern ragtops, the Spyder was engineered from the start for convertible duty. This means a much stiffer chassis than previous Spyders, which is wrapped in the latest Eclipse lineup's very smooth, flowing, but clearly aggressive and head-turning lines, and topped by a multi-layer cloth top that power folds out of sight beneath a solid tonneau cover.
Seating is by high-back buckets with good back support, but a need for more under the thighs. Only the GT gets the optional 6-way power adjustments, but leather and heat are optional on both models. But serious audio is standard. Every Eclipse Spyder gets a 650-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system with nine speakers, a 6-disc CD changer, and an 8-inch subwoofer between the rear seats. Manual climate controls are also standard, but GT buyers can opt for an available automatic system. Rear seating is devoid of any real leg room, so it's best regarded as a place for child seats or extra cargo, which is needed, since the trunk will hold only 5.2 cubic-feet of stuff; hardly enough for a single's groceries. To move it down the road, the Spyder gets the same engine lineup as the Eclipse coupe. The GS has the 2.4-liter single-cam 4 with 162 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. Our GT-grade test car sports Mitsubishi's 3.8-liter single cam V6 for 260 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The 4-banger gets a choice of 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmissions, while the V6 gets either a 6-speed manual or our car's 5-speed automatic with traction control. Our car also wears optional 18-inch alloy wheels. 17-inchers are standard. And with the V6 spinning them up, we reach 60 in 6.7-seconds, or the same as in our Coupe test, and that's with 200 pounds more car. The quarter mile was only a hair slower than the hardtop at 15.3 seconds at 94 miles-per-hour. The V6 delivers serious punch on the low end, and continues to hammer out power all the way to the 6,500 rpm redline. That snappy power delivery does make for a bit of front-drive torque steer, however, so keep your hands firmly on the wheel when you hit the gas. And when you hit the corners, the Spyder chassis is extremely well balanced, with minimal front plow, although you do feel the extra weight.
The EPA suggests the Eclipse Spyder will manage 18 mpg city and 26 highway. Our daily Eclipse driving result was 23 miles-per-gallon. Prices for the '07 Spyder start at $25,984 for the GS, and $28,864 for the GT. So the Eclipse Spyder may not be exotic, but it certainly is attainable. The 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder is the kind of machine that really fires up car buyers when the weather gets warm and makes that perfect combination of sun and fun a summer-long guarantee.
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It opens up the impressively wide interior with slick styling that perfectly complements the racy exterior. There is the same tricked out but efficient control layout that we like so much in our long term Eclipse Coupe. The sporty motorcycle style gauges are illuminated by blue LEDs that fit the Spyder's expressive character to a "T".
There's very little body roll, and good steering feel, but the front end's torque steer requires you to be very smooth on the throttle when exiting corners. Brakes are discs at both ends with standard ABS. Stops from 60 average a good 122 feet, with plenty of pedal feel and top notch stability. In day to day driving, the Spyder feels solid, with a firm ride that does get a little choppy over broken pavement. We did notice rather pronounced A-pillar shake, a bit more than the solid chassis feel would suggest.