I'm not going to get into specifics such as how much horsepower because the fact is, you set the horsepower. Just get a boost controller. These cars can handle 16 psi stock as long as the motor and transmission are in good shape.
I'm just kidding. In stock form, the turbo 2.0l motor in the first gen makes 195 horsepower in the manual version. As an exception, the 1990 year alone got 190hp in the GS and 195hp in the GSX to offset the weight of the AWD mechanism but every year thereafter there was no such nonsense - both trim levels had the 195hp. Because the automatic has smaller fuel injectors and turbo, it makes 180hp (Booooo!). The turbo versions all had the 4G63T motors and a variety of drivetrain options.
The best part is that both generations are currently selling for dirt cheap. You can easily get a 1994 GSX for $1,500 and it's hard to find the older ones because everyone buys them up at a measly $500. For a turbo car.
The first generation, actually an Eagle Talon (rebadged Eclipse), was one of the fastest cars owned by my family until I crashed it at a rally, forever making my dad hate me for crashing his red sports car. It was $500 and I didn't know how to drive stick, dad, stop beating me. Both the first and second generation of these cars also came out as Plymouth Lasers and Eagle Talons so look for those aswell. A lot of times, people will miss those on Craigslist and you can find a great deal. Same car, different badging, and I believe the first gens look a little different from the front.
Jokes aside about the crash, I was sad and he must have been extra sad when I crashed the car. Unfortunately, I was going around a turn at an event and hit gravel which resulted in all loss of traction and a collision with a wall. We found another one (GS) for the same price but it didn't quite run right so we never got another one again. Instead, it was time for a 1989 BMW 325iX but you probably already read that article.
At the time, I didn't work on cars but according to good ol' pops, sometimes it's hard to get it right but when you get it right, it hauls ass! He was talking about working on the first gen.
This is truly one of the best deals out there if you just want a fast car. It's old but that's the only reason it might not be very reliable if you buy one. Look for one that has been taken care of. The one we had didn't actually have any issues and like I said... $500.
You can easily get 225 HP out of the engine and strip the inside for a weight reduction of 500lbs or so. That makes for a quick car.
The second generation got a bit of a power boost in the turbo versions going up to 210. The car was completely redesigned and came with air bags and a variety of things the first generation didn't have. The 1990-94 year is very Spartan - close to the Elise except it did have a radio.
If I was in the market for a car purely for speed, this is what I would go with. To be honest with you, 1990-99 are all great cars. The newer ones are pretty comfortable, have decent visibility, and are fun to drive. You can rally them and you can race them on asphalt. Most cars are best at one but the 90s Eclipses are able to do well on both tarmac and dirt.
Maybe I'm a little biased but why shouldn't I be? For the short amount of time I drove the car, I had a s*** eating grin and was enjoying the heck out of the power and traction to go with it. The clutch was super easy. I could tell even having never driven a manual car. Before this event, I had tried to practice and managed to get down the street before I got too angry. Although I can easily drive stick now, it was alien to me at the time. I'm getting way off topic... Let me grab my ADD medication.
Let me sum the car up for you. You can buy a running one for under two grand, it comes with a good amount of power, and is actually somewhat reliable. You get a transverse mounted 4 cylinder engine that revs to the moon and a sleek sports car. If you can work on cars, they are easy to work on. If you can't work on cars, they are easy to work on. Did I mention that you can get 225hp with a do-it-yourself boost controller that you can make with parts from Home Depot? Don't do it, get a real one unless you're sure you know what you're doing, but I'm just saying.
The reason I keep saying 225hp is because before you upgrade your internals, I wouldn't go higher than 12-14psi compared to the stock 8psi. My pops was running 16psi without a problem. The only mod on that car was an upgraded transmission. It was also completely stripped so it was very fun. I doubt he spent more than a grand on it altogether and he still had the transmission to re-sell after the crash happened.
Good luck in your search and if I made any mistakes, contact me below or start your own website. Burn. Have a great day or night dear readers! If you want a fast turbo car, I'm telling you, this is one of the better choices although the car world is varied enough that there is alternatives.
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