Mitsubishi Eclipse Transformed to Mid-Engined RWD DIY Supercar

James from the performance car workshop ‘Speed Farm’ based in Canada is turning a fourth generation Mitsubishi Eclipse into a mid-engined supercar at home, and he’s already got pretty far with the project.

Let’s face it, these days Mitsubishi is known for making dreary, uninspired SUVs, crossovers and pickups that resemble white goods next to the iconic models built during the 90s. One of these models was the Mitsubishi Eclipse, but by the time it got to its fourth generation Mitsubishi had already started its descent into mediocrity, and it didn’t really leave a lasting impression. James is looking to change that.

The engine in question is a six-cylinder 3.8-litre 6G75 – the bigger engine of the two sold in the fourth generation Eclipse, which James says fits in better with the project. It’s canted forward slightly by 30 degrees (which is better for the physics of the car once it’s over the rear axle) and has a bigger water pump than the smaller four-cylinder, so it’s able to cope with a larger amount of coolant – that’s important given the radiator is in the stock position and thus the pipework has been seriously extended.

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Despite relocating the engine to the opposite end of the car, James says the process was surprisingly straightforward, although he did have to do a good amount of research beforehand. The biggest hassle was creating the tube frame for the rear end to support a second front-style subframe and fabricating his own strut towers.

The Eclipse was then treated to a little extra power by adding a new intake, headers and tune, so it now produces around 275bhp and is much lighter than the stock setup, weighing in at around 1230kg. It’s worth watching this space, though, because James has stated he’s planning to add either two K04 turbochargers or a bigger single PT6266 for even more power, an uprated suspension setup and a host of aerodynamic upgrades to put that power to the tarmac, such as a flat floor, splitter and massive rear wing.