Why He Bought Eclipse, Not Laser

I gather from your March 4 article entitled “Mitsubishi Calls Iacocca Promos Just Sour Grapes” (that) Lee Iacocca can’t seem to understand why car buyers prefer the Mitsubishi Eclipse to its sister car, the Plymouth Laser. He states that except for the nameplates, the cars are identical, so buying the Japanese version is “not right.”

Perhaps I can enlighten him a shade.

Last May, I thoroughly compared both the Eclipse and its twin, the Laser. In the turbocharged versions, the two cars are not identical. The Eclipse came standard with a deeper front air dam and a functional rear spoiler that stabilizes high-speed performance and gives the car a more aggressive, sportier overall look. The Laser lacked these additions.

Needless to say, I later bought the Eclipse but would have been happy to buy the Laser had it come with these additions.

I fear the same situation will befall Iacocca when the new Dodge Stealth and Mitsubishi 3000 GT come out this fall. Although mechanically identical, the Mitsubishi version benefits from a slightly sleeker, more integrated-looking body. Unfortunately, I believe these small differences will sway many potential Dodge buyers to the Mitsubishi version.

Iacocca has to learn--the small details do count.

JOHN M. COGGI

Huntington Beach