2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse Concept-E

Eclipse Concept-E presented hybrid propulsion as a performance idea as well as an efficiency proposal. The orange physical concept combined a sports-coupe shape with a deliberately unconventional drivetrain. This profile records the 2004 Detroit show vehicle and the specifications Mitsubishi announced for it, without treating it as a production Eclipse grade.

A 2004 Detroit premiere

Mitsubishi’s release is dated 5 January 2004 and identifies the vehicle’s world premiere at that year’s North American International Auto Show. The workbook’s 2003 reference is corrected accordingly. Concept-E belongs to the Eclipse design story, but its identity should stay separate from customer Eclipse models, including later production cars with similar visual themes.

Mitsubishi Motors: Detroit premieres and concept specifications, 5 January 2004

Understanding the E-Boost proposal

The original announcement describes a 3.8-litre V6, electric assistance, a lithium-ion battery and four-wheel drive. Its table gives 270 PS for the engine and over 470 PS for the combined proposal, with a six-speed automated manual. These remain manufacturer concept figures. An automated manual should not be casually renamed a conventional automatic or assumed to be the later Mitsubishi SST transmission.

Mitsubishi Motors: Detroit premieres and concept specifications, 5 January 2004

Reading the silhouette

The low roof, broad stance and oversized wheels create a clear sports-car message. The bundled photograph shows the physical orange concept on display. As visual interpretation, the concentrated cabin and strong wheel emphasis communicate performance even without quoting an acceleration time. No independently established acceleration result is needed to understand what the designers intended the vehicle to express.

Dimensions with the correct scope

Mitsubishi’s concept table gives a length of 4,320 mm, width of 1,855 mm, height of 1,300 mm and wheelbase of 2,635 mm. These dimensions describe the proposal in that release. They should not be used as replacement specifications for a production Eclipse, nor treated as proof that the concept’s body or powertrain could be ordered by a customer.

Mitsubishi Motors: Detroit premieres and concept specifications, 5 January 2004

Separating a show count from a build count

The Detroit release lists one Concept-E on the stand. This confirms an exhibited vehicle, while leaving the full engineering-build census unresolved. The archive therefore records the physical concept without adding a single customer road car to production totals. Compare it with SSU and Concept-X to see different manufacturer briefs, each with its own documented date and technical scope.

Specification and identity reference

Rarity and production scope

Documented physical concept or competition-development archive identity. No customer road-production quantity or audited prototype-build census assigned.

This record belongs to the concept and competition archive. Exhibition quantities and prototype activity are excluded from customer road-production totals.

Identifying the documented subject

Match the complete model name, date and programme to the linked evidence. Keep any chassis-specific provenance separate from a general description of the model. A period image confirms what was photographed, while a production or technical claim requires the corresponding document.

Comparisons and related profiles

Continue through these connected Mitsubishi records, each with its own factory identity and production scope.

• Mitsubishi SSU Concept
• Mitsubishi HSR-V

Frequently asked questions

Was this a numbered customer production edition?

No customer series is assigned in this record. It covers the documented physical concept or competition programme; a motor-show display count does not establish the total number of engineering builds.

Does the title date match every photograph?

2004 is the documentary reference used for the profile. A later exhibition or museum photograph can show the same programme. Its caption identifies the photographic scope without creating another edition.

Sources and further reading

1. Mitsubishi Motors: Detroit premieres and concept specifications, 5 January 2004
2. Mitsubishi Motors North America: Concept-E technical and mechanical specifications

Research checked 15 October 2026. Factory literature, independent EPC-derived records and photographic evidence are identified separately. Design readings and documentation guidance are editorial interpretation.