Mitsubishi Eclipse

	Shipped from the US as left-hand-drive models, a specialist firm will move each car's steering wheel to the right

Top brass at Mitsubishi are vowing to put their competitors in the shade after deciding to bring the Eclipse to the UK, Auto Express can exclusively reveal.

Set to go on sale next year in both coupé and Spyder-badged convertible forms, the sporty two-door aims to mirror the success of Nissan's 350Z with a mix of top value, Japanese reliability and thrilling performance.

Already available in America, the Eclipse will be brought to Britain by Mitsubishi's UK importer, although there are no plans to sell it on the Continent. Shipped from the US as left-hand-drive models, a specialist firm will move each car's steering wheel to the right.

Entry-level variants feature a 160bhp 2.4-litre engine, while range-toppers get a 253bhp 3.8 V6. All models feed power to the front wheels, which could mean the Eclipse is at a disadvantage against its rear-driven 350Z rival.

Eagle-eyed residents near Mitsu­bishi's UK HQ in Cirencester, Glouc­ester­shire, may already have seen the new models being tested. The company initi­ally plans to bring in only 500 cars, with prices expected to start at £22,000.