Mitsubishi once built a sleeper Eclipse with a Chrysler badge, in Illinois
Imagine rocking up to the parking lot car meet in a Chrysler Sebring, smoking the tires, and then telling your buddies your innocent-looking car is actually a Mitsubishi Eclipse wearing a quirky 1990s suit. This might be the ultimate 1990s factory-built sleeper.
Diamond-Star Motors was a joint venture between Chrysler Corporation and Mitsubishi. It borrowed engineering from both parent companies, built a factory in Illinois, and gave us some absolute bangers. The automakers cooperated on the U.S.-market Mitsubishi Montero—which I would pit against the Toyota Land Cruiser of the same era—and the Detroit variant, the two-door-only Dodge Raider. We also got the first reincarnation of the Dodge Challenger, based on the RWD Mitsubishi Galant Lambda.

DSM’s main models assembled in Illinois were the legendary “triplets”: the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Plymouth Laser, and Eagle Talon. But perhaps they should be called the “quartets,” because Chrysler had its own Eclipse-based coupe: the OG Sebring. And now, one of these rare cars is for sale on Cars and Bids.
The post-2001 Sebring coupe gets all the attention. But a 1998 Chrysler Sebring LXi coupe is currently listed on Cars & Bids, and it’s the best kind of dad-core, RADwood royalty. Sure, it has an automatic transmission and a 163-horsepower V6. But that engine is the legendary 2.5-liter Mitsubishi 6G73 from the Eclipse—a prime tuner canvas. The Talon/Eclipse is a legendary platform, still used to build amateur race cars.

The Chrysler version also gets leather upholstery, a power moonroof, 17-inch alloy wheels, and cruise control. The stock suspension was reportedly a bit softer than the Eclipse/Talon, but got a major upgrade in 1997. But its main selling point is that this is essentially an Eclipse no one has ever heard of. This may just be the final iteration of the legendary “personal luxury car” segment—the heir to the Ford Thunderbird and Cadillac Eldorado, with a 1990s twist. You can see a video review embedded below: