by Thanos Pappas
- Designer Enoch Gonzales revives the Mitsubishi Eclipse in coupe format.
- Aggressive new concept draws inspiration from the second-generation model.
- Mitsubishi is focused on electrified SUVs, but this is an ICE-powered sports car.
Mitsubishi has rolled out what it calls a a new generation of the Eclipse Cross, but in truth it’s a Renault Scenic E-Tech with different badges and a few token tweaks. Built to satisfy Europe’s growing appetite for electrified crossovers, it feels far removed from the Eclipse name. Meanwhile, an independent design study tries to reimagine the car in a way that feels far more fitting: as a coupe with a combustion engine, just as fans remember it.
The project comes from designer Enoch Gonzales, who has made a name for himself with digital reinterpretations of Mitsubishi icons like the EVO XI and Pajero. For this Eclipse, he drew inspiration from the second-generation model launched in 1994, then layered in modern proportions and detailing to create something that feels both nostalgic and forward-looking.
Throwback lines with fresh intent
Gonzales’ Eclipse is actually a redesigned version of his previous concept from 2018, adopting a more aggressive stance. Up front, slim LED headlamps are cut through by winglets that guide air into functional curtains, framed by deep bumper intakes and a power-domed bonnet.
The profile sticks to the Eclipse playbook with its recognizable greenhouse, neatly tucked door handles, and a roofline that arcs into a proper coupe sweep. At the rear, a full-width light bar nods straight to the second-gen model, its segmented graphics echoing the phases of a lunar eclipse, a detail that’s clever without trying too hard.
More: Next-Gen Mitsubishi Pajero Envisioned With Modern Boxy Looks And An Appetite For Land Cruisers
An Eclipse script stretches across the sculpted rear bumper, a throwback to the third generation launched in 1999. Below that, a diffuser frames four exhaust tips, a not-so-subtle reminder that this Mitsubishi has no interest in charging cables.
