Introduction
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Let's face it, a lot of the enjoyment we
get from a sporty-looking car is that people look at us driving it. It's
as American as apple pie to like to be seen tooling around in a cool new
ride.
We won't speculate on why that's so (save that for Psychology Today),
but it explains a great deal about the appeal of the 1997 Eagle Talon line-up,
as well as its tribe of identical cousins from Mitsubishi, surname Eclipse.
People on the sidewalk pick this smart-looking coupe out of traffic as
it flies past--and since it's an Eagle-brand car from Chrysler, flying
is, naturally, what it likes to do best.
Talons and Eclipses are built in Mitsubishi's factory in Normal, Illinois,
sharing major sheetmetal and virtually identical interiors as well as subdural
mechanical bits. Ob-servations made concerning the Talon, therefore, also
apply to the Eclipse.
The Talon/Eclipse duo comprise a modern range of sporty cars that provide
ample driving fun, with engine options from mild to wild--if your definition
of mild power in a base model starts at a whacking 140 hp. Turbocharging
and all-wheel-drive models add another order of magnitude to the driving
excitement. And the Eclipse adds the option of a soft top, new to the lineup
last year and available only in the Mitsubishi version.
These cars are way stylish and big fun to drive, even in entry-level
form.
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