True story:  within minutes of the 2001 Mitsubishi Spyder’s arrival, it was being scrutinized by the owners of a Camaro Z28 and a 4.6-liter Mustang GT with an aftermarket exhaust and a modified airbox.  “Three-liter 24-valve V6, two hundred horsepower,” the Mustang’s owner told us, without having to ask.  He looked at the Camaro’s owner and grinned.  “It’ll go pretty good, but he can’t run with us,” he said.

Luckily, the Spyder isn’t expected to go head-to-head with 300-horsepower, rear-drive pony cars.  Or is it?  It’s less frenetic and intense than those cars, but clearly more sporting than cars like the Chrysler Sebring and Toyota Solara droptops.

There might not be anything quite like the Spyder on the market these days.  It comes in more expensive and refined than the V6-powered ponycars from Ford and Chevrolet, but it pales in comparison (and price) to the sportiest, V-8 equipped models.  The Eclipse’s traditional front-driving competitors the Toyota Celica and Acura Integra don’t have convertible versions.  And potential sporty competitors like the BMW 328 convertible and Saab 9-3 convertible cost a heck of a lot more.

The Eclipse Spyder was introduced in 1996.  With the Eclipse’s 2000 redesign, the Spyder naturally had to follow, and it enters the market for 2000 with the same new fresh face.  Like the coupe, the new Spyder is more relaxed than the previous model.  It’s less of a stoplight dueler than it used to be.  But that’s not a bad thing (unless you’re one of those duelers, of course).

The design theme that’s quickly spreading to every corner of Mitsubishi’s product line is something that the company calls “geo-mechanical.”  Unlike the smooth, organic shapes of competitors like the Integra and Celica, the Eclipse Spyder is very defiantly a machine.  The Spyder’s body curves out to a high midline and then drops almost vertically to the ground, centering the look of the car on its connection to the ground.  The Spyder looks like a slot car, stuck magnetically to the road.  Up front, the rounded-headlight-under-glass look currently in vogue is there, and a stack of three grille-like strakes starts beneath them and runs the length of the car to create the distinctive door texturing.  The fenders are neatly flared.  In contrast to the heavily sculpted sides, the hood and decklid are smooth, so the sculpturing never looks overdone.  The rear treatment mirrors the front, with round taillights living in triangular pods and the strakes reappearing low on the bumper.

Inside, the changes to the Spyder are equally profound.  Previous models sported a heavy cockpit theme, with driver and passenger tucked in on either side of a large console, and the instrument panel angled heavily toward the driver.  The new Spyder is much more open, with a rounded, T-shaped dash.  The car feels large inside–the back seat isn’t a completely improbable concept, as it is in most convertibles this size.  The driving position and chair-backed seats are excellent appointments for a day-long drive.  That’s not to say, again, that the Spyder has gone soft.  The seats are heavily bolstered to keep everyone in place during hard cornering.  The bolstering is cut out at shoulder level to help the driver retain free arm movement as well, a nice touch.  With the top up, visibility through the small, oval rear window is terrible. Luckily, the top doesn’t have to stay up for long.  With the flip of two latches and the press of a button, the Spyder’s top performs a 15-second disappearing act and you’re ready to enjoy the sun.  The rubber-lined, red-lighted cubby below the sound system is a nice touch; the location of the cupholders directly behind the shifter, where the driver’s elbow is bound to take out a McDonald’s cup while shifting from third to fourth, is not.

The 200-hp 3.0 liter V6 comes to life with a very satisfying burble.  Less powerful than its turbocharged four-cylinder ancestor it may be, but the Spyder makes up for it with plenty of V6 torque and an arguably better sound.  It’s content to cruise at relatively low speeds, more docile and refined than the leash-straining Toyota Celica GT-S.  Unlike some other sports coupes, the car doesn’t feel disappointed if you don’t launch it at every opportunity.  That’s not to say that the Spyder doesn’t like being driven hard, of course.  It just doesn’t insist upon it.

Rough pavement does unkind things to convertibles, and the Spyder is no exception.  We experienced a little bit of cowl shake (in which the front and rear of the car seem to be twisting in different directions) on the uncertain surfaces.  It was only noticeable on the cruellest of roads, however.  On smooth roads, the Spyder is perfectly solid.  And it’s happy on good roads, too.  There aren’t many convertibles costing less than fifty thousand dollars that feel as though they’d be comfortable for a long trip, but the Spyder manages that.

The Spyder is the flagship of the Eclipse line, so it’s well-equipped.  Our test car, a GT model with the larger V6 engine (the lesser Eclipse Spyder GS has a four-cylinder) featured a manual transmission and leather interior, and stickered for $25,237.  That’s about $14,000 cheaper than a Saab 9-3 convertible, and certainly better than hacking the roof off of Toyota Celica (although it should be noted that Toyota may be acting upon that very impulse before long).

Inferior to its predecessor?  We think not.  Call us crazy, but we’re willing to give up ten horsepower and a turbocharger for a more modern design, a more comfortable interior, V6 torque–and a convertible top, which (as yet) isn’t offered on the Integra, Cougar, or Celica.  And if that’s not good enough, you can always go to a tuner for the first inevitable turbocharger kit, and go run with those Mustang and Camaro guys.

Specifications:

All specs are for the 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT, which we tested.

Length:     175.4 in
Width:        68.9 in
Height:        52.8 in
Wheelbase:    100.8 in
Curb weight:    3241 lb
Cargo space:    7.2 cu.ft.
Base price:    $25,237
Price as tested: $25,837 (est.)
Engine:     3.0 liter SOHC 24-valve V6
Drivetrain:     five-speed manual, front wheel drive
Horsepower:     200 @ 5500 rpm
Torque:     205 @ 4000 rpm
Fuel capacity:    16.4 gal
Est. mileage:    20/27

6/2009 update: I still like the looks of the “geo-mechanical” Mitsubishis, though time hasn’t been kind to the Eclipse’s reputation.  That horrible second “Fast and the Furious” movie probably didn’t help.  Eclipse convertibles seem to get a bit rubbery as they get old, too.