Video highlights of this vehicle

What Is It?

Mitsubishi Eclipse Concept-E

What's Special About It?

This glimpse of what's to come from Mitsubishi blends aggressive styling with an advanced hybrid drivetrain to create a coupe that's both stylish and quick on its feet. Its cab-forward design creates a unique window line that draws the eye forward to the exaggerated wheel arches and 20-inch wheels. Those wheels are pushed to each corner as far as possible to give this Eclipse a wide stance that further reinforces its high-performance intentions.

Beyond its more obvious design themes are several more subtle touches that serve to elevate the Concept-E above the level of your average show car. Plasma running lights crackle at each end while sculptured side-exit exhausts peek out ahead of the rear wheels. Open the doors and their lower hinges pop out from behind hidden covers to keep the profile clean while the conventional-looking rear hatch actually opens sideways to free up extra headroom for rear-seat passengers. The driver and front passenger are treated to a dashboard that uses multilayer imaging technology to display all relevant information in a single screen.

As appealing as this concept is to the eye, it's more than just a pretty face. Underneath this running prototype is a 3.8-liter V6 fortified with an E-Boost electric drive system that provides considerable on-demand torque. Together the two systems produce over 470 horsepower, enough juice to make this the fastest coupe ever to wear the Eclipse nameplate.

What's Edmunds' Take?

After making a name for itself with turbocharged power and racy good looks, the Eclipse went a little soft with the current generation that has neither of the two. While the Concept-E may wear a million-dollar paint job and light up like a Las Vegas billboard, its basic shape gives a legitimate preview of what the next-generation Eclipse may look like. The 20-inch wheels won't make it to production, and the hybrid powertrain is likely to get left out as well, but a well-tuned 3.8-liter V6 and the right suspension could put the spark back in Mitsubishi's revered coupe. — Ed Hellwig