When Mitsubishi launched its 2006 Eclipse the company wanted to make the car something special. It did, after all, have a reputation to win back, especially after the rather mundane third generation version. While the internals of the Eclipse have made it a highly sought after vehicle, Mitsubishi wanted it to create sound that matched its styling and performance. Enter Rockford Fosgate.

The 2006 Eclipse offers as a dealer option a high end Rockford Fosgate OEM Head Unit with a 10-inch subwoofer. This has created one of the best dealer audio systems on the market today and put Rockford and Mitsubishi at the front of the industry news headlines when it made its debut. But that didn’t stop Rockford Fosgate from grabbing its own version of the Eclipse and taking the audio system up a notch.

The stock head unit is the only part of the system the boys at Rockford left in place as the rest of the system was overhauled to create the bass-thumping beast you see on these pages. First up was Rockford’s new 3Sixty.1 processor. The 3Sixty.1 is the most advanced OEM integration processor on the market according to Rockford Fosgate. Its advanced artificial intelligence allows the use of aftermarket car audio equipment to be utilized with virtually any OEM source unit. Additionally, its equalization process overcomes and corrects for any OEM equalization inadequacies.

With the 3Sixty.1 in place, Rockford then went to town filling out the rest of the system with some of its most highly advanced aftermarket parts. The sub amp comes in the form of Rockford’s Punch Series P600.1BD while the midrange is taken care of courtesy of the Punch Series P550.2 amp. The amps then power four Rockford Punch Series P2 10-inch subwoofers that are housed in a vented enclosure. The P2 lives up to Rockford’s reputation for pumped up bass and these subwoofers are designed to perform best in a small enclosure.

When it came to address the mid-bass and mid-range, Rockford once again turned to its Punch Series to handle those duties. A Punch P152C 5.25-inch Coax is responsible for the mid bass while a Punch P152S 5.25-inch component takes care of the midrange. The fuse holder is also from Rockford, in the form of its ANL system. Rockford 2-gauge wire works as the main power wire for the entire system.

With all that lurking inside the Eclipse, Rockford knew it needed a little extra juice to keep everything running smoothly. So, under the hood sits an Optima battery while an Optima Yellow Top was added to give that extra juice the system requires.

All the sound system work was performed by Sound Xpressions in Phoenix, AZ, which also took care of the required interior modifications. Those interior mods included custom speaker door pods, colour matched in blue to follow the theme of the exterior. Varad LEDs were littered throughout the interior in White and Blue. Finally, the factory seats received an overhaul via Enduratex-perforated vinyl.

While the audio system was obviously the focus of the build for Rockford Fosgate, they also knew some modifications to the rest of the car were necessary if this car was to be taken seriously. Therefore, Rockford entrusted the performance and suspension modifications to their friend Tony Szirka from UMS Tuning in Tempe, AZ.

The engine was left in stock form, with the only additional piece of hardware being an Injen Air Filter. UMS Tuning then developed a custom exhaust system to keep this Eclipse breathing properly while out on the streets. The rear brake calipers were kept in stock form while the front calipers were upgraded with Stop Tech’s 4-piston versions. The Eclipse rolls out into public on Urban Racing Type 10 20- x 8.5-inch wheels, front and rear. They are then wrapped in Toyo Proxes rubber sized 225/35-20 all around.

With the interior and exterior modifications complete, the Eclipse was then shipped off toDrew Brothers Customs in Chandler, AZ for the finishing touches. Drew Brothers quickly went to work applying BASF paint in the factory Eclipse blue along with Mercedes-Benz silver and black.

After two months of solid work, the Rockford Fosgate Mitsubishi Eclipse was finished and ready to hit the show scene detailing all that Rockford has to offer. Kevin Kuenzie from Rockford Fosgate was quick to thank the many sponsors who made this project possible, including Tein, Stop Tech, Urban Racing Wheels, Toyo Tires and Injen.

With the great sound emanating from inside this Mitsubishi, it’s one of those rare eclipses that you are encouraged to stare at. As if you had any choice.