The Eclipse stands for the alchemical process through which a horse is made into a car.
All jokes aside, it was named after an English racehorse which won a record 26 races during the 18th century. Naturally, the car was styled as a coupe and fitted with a variety of powerful engines to better express its revvy nature. Having shared its platform with the Eagle Talon and Plymouth Laser, the Eclipse came with a choice of three petrol engines ranging in power output from 92 hp to 195 hp. Engines were couple with a choice of front-wheel drive systems fro the base and mid-level trims while high-end equipment levels were available in 4-wheel drive.