December 29, 1994 1995 Eagle Talon TSi j _ 1 2w0 w * 3.3 Litre, 161 hp. V6 engine * Premium 6 speaker * AM/FM cassette e Antilock Brakes â€" 4 wheel disk * Dual heated mirrors (power) * Solar control windshield THE OAKVILLE BEAVER By ROB BEINTEMA Special to the Beaver hen a car company debuts one of its latest models and the public relations machinâ€" ery goes into gear, a lot of thought goes into the how, when and where of the cars introduction to the public. So when Chrysler Canada chose to unveil one of its products at a race track, they were already making a statement. From across Canada, auto journalists were invited to see, touch and get a taste of Mosport at the wheel 1994Eagle Visions _ , features... then test drive 2o your choice. Nes these pricec... . Check these _ ... . of a ‘95 Eagle Talon. On first sight, the Talon looks quite at home on the track. Its low profile and smooth rounded features give the car a .29 drag coâ€"efficient and a slipâ€" pery look. The slight bulge in the hood hints of power. On a slow walk around, the car looks good from any angle. So let‘s get to the real raison d‘étre of this car, which is performance. Chrysler will be marketing two models of the Eagle Talon in Canada this year. The ESi, an entry level model with front wheel drive and 140 horses e w 9 under the hood, will make up the bulk of your dealer‘s inventory. More about this car later. The TSi, its faster and stronger sibling, will fill out the remaining 25per cent of stock. Both cars share features like fourâ€"wheel disc brakes and standard dual airbags but though the two models look almost identical, the difference is definitely in the driving. Simply put, the TSi utilizes more extensive and, unfortunately, more expensive automotive engineering than the ESi. For example, though each car harnesses a 2.0 litre engine, * 3.5 Litre, 214 hp, 24 valve, V6 e Remote illuminated entry * Speed proportional steering * Twin blade sunvisors * 16"x7" aluminum wheels e Dual illuminated vanity mirror * 8 Way power seat * Security alarm * Fog lights plus more. the interâ€"cooled, turboâ€"charged TSi power plant pumps out an impressive 210hp and a chunk more torque than the ESi. To handle that power, the Talons employ a fully independent multiâ€"link double wishbone suspension and variâ€" ableâ€"damping gasâ€"charged shock absorbers that smooth out the bumps without sacrificing performance. The TSi also carries a bigger footprint with P215â€"55 Vâ€"rated Bridgestone Potenzas mounted on 16 inch aluminum alloy wheels on our test cars, as opposed to the ESi‘s smaller P195/70â€"HR14s. But enough technoâ€"babble. The Chrysler folks had spent the better part of a day placing over a thousand cones along the Mosport track creating slalom courses, brake and avoid chanâ€" nels and in effect, changing the racing line of the course. These slow and high speed slalom and abrupt lane change exercises were designed to demonstrate the maneuâ€" verability and superior handling of the Eagle Talon TSi. On that point, Chrysler has earned some bragging rights. The car accelerated quickly with very little turbo lag. Cornering was excellent with minor oversteer detectable as the rear end got loose only under the severest slalom testing. The combination of allâ€"wheelâ€"drive and sophisticated suspension make you feel like you‘re rocketing around in an overgrown slotâ€"car. The engine seemed to top out at about 160kmh but that could have just been me running out of room on the Mario Andretti Straightaway. When I finally came off the track, I had a big smile on my face but my body was stiff from rattling a halfâ€" dozen TSis through the slaloms. I did however, manage to squeeze in one last run in an automatic ESi. On its own, the car is probably not too bad but after spending the day driving the TSi, the lack of horsepower, looser suspension and lesser tires made the ESi feel like the runt of the litter. Even the Chrysler people who had been our greatest cheerleaders got antsy as I started throwing the ESi see why our ‘94s h Myal und the track. So if you‘re looking are going fast for wory conmute ) ‘ | | in a pretty package, you might considâ€" . > . er the ESi. But for pure kickâ€"butt t * Automatic climate control plus much more. The place to lease or buy for over 33 years i |s power, speed and handling, the TSi is (905) § 6 gg < a much better bet. Jeep, en even eep ag e wȤ 3#|2 Either way, once you‘ve looked A 845'7575 on |€ over the competition‘s cars, you just * SALES « SERVICE « LEASING + 2388 ROYAL WINDSOR DRIVE. OAKVILLE might want to try on a ‘95 Eagle Talon for size. FINANCING NO LIMIT JPVE OVER 36 MONTHS * MINIMUM 15% DOWNPAYMENT REQUIRED SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS CADILLAC PONTIAC BUICK KER t 410 South Service Rd. W.; Oakville 845â€"1681 CADILLAC PONTIAC BUICK Ltd DORVAL DR. | m SPEERS RD.