Plasma running lights and taillights, neon crackle-tube indicators and brake lights, and a glass roof that offers ambient luminescence of its own make Mitsubishi's 2+2 Concept-E quite a study in lighting. An all-wheel-drive configuration in which parallel engines provide constant power to both the front and rear axles, even when shifting, also makes the fourth-gen Eclipse a study in high-tech hybrid engine mechanics. Front wheels are powered by a 3.8-liter/270-hp MIVEC V-6 engine and rear wheels get an extra 200-horse push from an E-Boost electric motor sending a total of 470 horsepower to the six-speed automated manual transmission. Up front, the grille vent and integrated front spoiler evoke the image of a jet fighter; elsewhere its hybrid electric drivetrain influenced the design of such elements as the functional elliptical side exhaust ports, which allow the electric motor's batteries to be placed down the center of the vehicle.
