How to Transform a 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX Into the Fast & the Furious Iconic Vehicle

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A barrage of bullets, a detonating NOS container, and voila—Brian O’Conner’s 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse meets its demise. Two decades have passed since that crucial sequence with Johnny Tran in the initial Fast and Furious movie, and truth be told, I’m undecided on whether Dom is still awaiting his “10-second vehicle.”

Regardless, with the Platinum Jubilee of The Fast and The Furious this year, the team at Throtl set out to craft a fresh F&F-style project, a contemporary interpretation of the famously modified D31A “Warning, Danger to Manifold!!!” Eclipse, showcased at the recent SEMA exhibition. Consequently, they acquired and metamorphosed a 1998 Eclipse GSX from a moderately customized runner in respectable condition into a period-authentic Kawasaki Green beast with contemporary enhancements, documenting the entire evolution on their YouTube channel.

The second-generation Mitsubishi Eclipse represented the pinnacle for Diamond Star Motors’ sports coupe, along with its counterpart, the Eagle Talon (the Plymouth Laser had been removed from the lineup by then). It’s where engineers discovered a blend of lightweight, exceptional handling, and a potent powerplant in the 4G63T engine. The Eclipse GS-T was the vehicle that inspired MotorTrend journalist Scott Kileen, back in 1996, to coin the phrase, “slithering through traffic like a Teflon projectile,” a phrase that I cherish.

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The base second-gen Eclipse was equipped with a 140-horsepower, naturally aspirated 2.0-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine, but the prized GS-T 2WD and GSX AWD variants boasted a turbocharged iteration producing 210 hp/214 lb-ft of torque. Over the years, modified AWD variations of these Diamond Star Motors (DSM) coupes have created shockwaves in the racing world on tracks worldwide. (For those delving into this specific realm, beginning with a search for “Eagle Talon Red Demon” is suggested.)

It was the inaugural Eclipse project for the Throtl team and their debut SEMA endeavor. Despite the base car being an AWD model (I believe the original was a GS trim), the final outcome mirrors O’Conner’s LAPD-built undercover vehicle, albeit utilizing contemporary components and methodologies. Post paint application, they added the same motif as the movie car, but as everyone is aware, the true transformation happened upon installation of the underbody illumination.

If you wish to delve into the details, you can peruse Throtl’s complete playlist of videos chronicling the project, or if you’re short on time, you can catch the entire recap in just over 22 minutes.

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