1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Performance, performance, performance. By Kevin Ransom, New Car Test Drive .com

Now, we've tested some speedy sport coupes in our day. But when we ponder the decision made by Mitsubishi

designers to drop a 210-horsepower engine into a car that weighs less than 3,000 pounds, we can only wonder:

In their previous jobs, did these guys design rocket boosters for NASA?

The Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T's brawny engine muscle and relative light weight makes for such startlingly

brisk out-of-the-blocks acceleration that it's somewhat akin to being hurtled from a slingshot.

Clearly, Mitsubishi designed this car for hot rodders. It's a great choice for weekend warriors who once envisioned themselves strapped in a Formula 1 car, racing around Monza, but instead settled into a career in marketing--or maybe engineering.