Chris' Object of Automotive Desire - 1/20

The first two generations of the Mitsubishi Eclipse/Eagle Talon were the leading lights in the sport coupe segment in the late 1980s and early-to-mid 1990s - inexpensive, attractive, and thrilling performers that could blow the doors off of 90-pound weaklings like the Ford Probe, Mazda MX-6, and Honda Prelude while keeping pace with the big-engined Camaros and Firebirds of the world.

Their blend of low prices and hyper turbo power made both generations of the Eclipse/Talon the progenitors and early mainstays of the Fast & Furious generation, but today you can find them relatively inexpensively, considering the performance available. The trick is finding one that hasn't been thrashed or cut apart by an overzealous teenager. All went south with the third-generation model, which was more refined and grown-up with a V-6, but without the hard-edged performance or clean lines that made the car special.