Brian O'Conner's Eclipse: The Original F&F Hero Car

Brian O'Conner's Mitsubishi Eclipse (2G GS-T) from the original Fast and the Furious (2001) is one of the foundational JDM movie cars. Painted neon green with custom decals and modified by Eddie Paul's Customcar shop in El Segundo, the Eclipse appeared in the iconic opening sequence and the famous "race wars" scenes. While the Toyota Supra was the more performance-focused star, Brian's Eclipse was the everyman's car — a 4G63T-powered front-wheel-drive coupe that real young enthusiasts could actually afford.

The Build

The neon green Eclipse used in the film was a 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T. The build, supervised by Eddie Paul, included:

• Engine: 4G63T 2.0L turbocharged inline-4 (the same engine family as the Lancer Evolution)
• Body: Custom aero kit with neon stickers
• Wheels: Aftermarket street wheels with low offset
• Interior: Modified for filming (cameras, racing seats)
• NOS bottle: Visible in scenes for visual effect

The car wasn't built for actual high-performance use — it was a movie prop optimized for cinematic appearances. But its visual identity became iconic.

The Cultural Moment

When The Fast and the Furious released in June 2001, Brian's Eclipse was many viewers' first exposure to the JDM scene. The neon green paint, the aero kit, the NOS bottle — these became reference points for what "import scene" cars looked like to mainstream audiences.

Within months of the film's release, hundreds of Eclipse owners were modifying their cars to look like Brian's Eclipse. The aftermarket parts industry experienced a significant boost as new buyers entered the JDM modification scene.

The Eclipse 2G Platform

The Mitsubishi Eclipse 2G (1995-1999) was a front-wheel-drive (and AWD on GST) sport coupe. Variants included:

• GS: Naturally aspirated 2.0L
• GS-T: Turbocharged 2.0L 4G63T (Brian's variant)
• GSX: AWD turbocharged variant

The 4G63T engine produced 210 hp in stock form and was tuneable to 350+ hp without major modifications. The car became a popular tuning platform alongside the more exotic Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

Today

The original neon green Eclipse from F&F was retained by Universal Pictures as part of their movie car collection. It occasionally appears at Fast & Furious franchise events and movie car conventions.

Legacy

Brian's Eclipse is the JDM movie car that showed mainstream audiences what "import tuning" looked like. While it was visually exaggerated for cinematic purposes, the cultural impact was real. An entire generation of young Americans learned about JDM tuning, the 4G63T engine family, and the import scene through this single neon green car.

For F&F historians, Brian's Eclipse is the start. It's the car that opened the door to the rest of the franchise's JDM celebration.