Remember the Eagle Talon? Essentially a reskinned Mitsubishi Eclipse from the early 1990s, it’s become a cult classic in the world of America tuner culture. Even if you’ve never heard of the Talon, you’ll be plenty familiar with it after reading this post — especially this one, capable of beating a McLaren 765LT in a drag race.
Don’t be fooled by this McLaren’s flashy sticker kit — it’s bone stock. That means 755 horsepower from a twin-turbocharged V8 engine. With a good driver and a grippy surface, it can reach 60 mph in less than three seconds and turn a 10-second quarter-mile, putting it among the quickest production cars on sale today.
Then there’s the Eagle. This particular car is a 1990 model, dating back to the Diamond Star era when Chrysler and Mitsubishi were friends and Eagle was still alive. In top trim, the Talon used the same turbocharged Mitsubishi 4G63 engine and all-wheel-drive system as the Eclipse. This particular Talon is decidedly not stock, with the owner claiming approximately 800 horsepower at the wheels courtesy of a thoroughly built engine. There’s a roll cage in the otherwise stripped interior, and yes, there’s a parachute on the back.
The McLaren driver discovers why that parachute is necessary in the very first race. It was supposed to be a heads-up race, but the 765LT jumped the gun. That doesn’t matter, as the Eagle digs itself into the tarmac and takes off. The car gets a touch sideways while furiously passing the McLaren, charging ahead to a victory by two car lengths.
Here’s where it gets interesting. To balance things out, the McLaren gets a car length advantage and the hit off the start for the next race. But it still doesn’t matter. The Talon driver’s reaction time is just about perfect, and he rips down the track to another two-car-length win. And just to flex, he pulls his parachute to slow down.
Tthis isn’t an apples-to-apples race, obviously. But it’s nice to see an old Eagle Talon getting some attention. Often overshadowed by the Eclipse, these cars were stout performers back in the day. Clearly, this one still has lots of mojo despite its age.
