The Mitsubishi Eclipse has retained its public appeal because of significant marketing-influenced changes it has undergone in its eleven-year history. There are currently three (some say there are four) generations of this car, and by looking at the first and then the third generations, one would never make the connection. The car has maintained many of its fundamental concepts and taken on several new ones. Every time that a new model is introduced, the import community becomes filled with excitement. The owners of first and second-generation cars hope that tradition will not be broken and that the original concepts are not lost, while newcomers to the world of imports want to see something new and exciting.

The first generation Mitsubishi Eclipse (1989-1994) was a performance-oriented car that was marketed to younger adults and teens. Concepts were tested in 1988. Limited numbers of the first car were released in 1989, but true public marketing didn't begin until 1990. The Eclipse was a product of Diamond Star Motors (DSM), which also released clones of the Eclipse for Plymouth (Laser) and Eagle (Talon). Mitsubishi supplied the motor and all other components, and DSM assembled them i

Third generation (2000-present) Eclipses have broken tradition in almost every aspect and have changed their marketing aim to primarily college graduates and single adults. The Eclipse has always had a juvenile appearance that gave it a mischievous personality. This personality is one thing that made some people love it so much. The third generation gave up this look in exchange for the look of a true sports car. However, it is not a real sports car. It is bigger, and no longer looks like a troublemaker. It has even been accused of entering the class of the Pontiac Grand Prix. This is a class that most young people avoid because the cars look too much like something that their moms would drive. That accusation does not only come from its new look, it also comes from the biggest breech of Eclipse tradition that one could imagine. In 2000 the public was informed of the newest addition to this line of cars. The third generation would include the GT model. It replaced the GS-T and the GSX. What could they possibly change on the car to require a new model? The answer came as an insult to many Eclipse owners. The GT was equipped with a V6 engine; something that was never dreamed of. The challenge of building a fast four-cylinder engine was the backbone of this car. It was the perfect combination of affordability, fuel economy, and power. People loved the car because it had accomplished these three things and performed beyond expectations. Now, the favorite models were gone, and many fans of the car are outraged. Most of them see this as a marketing plot to attract a

Some common words found in the essay are:
GS-T GSX, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon, GSX All-wheel-drive, Talon Mitsubishi, Diamond Star, Grand Prix, Eclipse GSX, Mustang GT, Plymouth Laser, third generation, engine gs, mitsubishi eclipse, overhead cam engine, sports car, eclipse owners, diamond star, overhead cam, cam engine, v6 engine, plymouth laser,
Approximate Word count = 1059
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)