I have to start by saying that I am well aware that the car featured in this week’s Mopar Muscle Thursday video is not technically a Mopar – it is a DSM. The silver car in the far lane is the 2g Mitsubishi Eclipse owned and raced by Brent Rau and while I understand that it isnt technically a Mopar – it is a direct cousin of our beloved Mopar performance models and it is powered by the same engine that motivated the Plymouth Laser and Eagle Talon – both of which ARE Mopars.
In any case, the Mitsubishi Eclipse shown in the video below is powered by the same 4G63T engine that powered my 1992 Plymouth Laser. Measuring 2.0L, my car made around 200 horsepower. Brent Rau’s 4G63T makes closer to 2,000 horsepower…and at one point that made his Eclipse the quickest 4-cylinder car in the world with quarter mile times in the high 6 second range and trap speeds over 200 miles per hour. In this particular run, Brent “only” runs 7.28 at 192 miles per hour but it very clearly shows what the 4G63T engine used in so many joint venture vehicles between Chrysler and Mitsubishi is capable of when fully built.
While it doesn’t sound like the majority of the Mopar muscle cars that we feature here on DF, this car has an incredible sound as it leaves the line with 2,000 angry ponies sending it towards the far end of the track so crank up your speakers and enjoy!
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
