OT: Talking Cars Tuesday - Bring that back!
The Bronco is on its way. The Blazer is back (as a crossover, but sure). The resurrected Camaro is on its 3rd face. What now defunct car do you want them to bring back? You'd buy it in a heartbeat... if only they still made it.
Let us know what and why!
95 Impala
Why the '95? What was better about that than today's Impala?
Wide body. Not a carbon copy of every other 4 door sedan on the road (unless you want to say a Roadmaster maybe?)
Drove a '95 Impala as a rental when my truck was in the shop. It honestly didn't feel any different than a Dodge/Plymouth Neon...and I'm a GM guy.
Rear-wheel drive. The switch to FF while keeping the Impala name was close to unforgivable.
I liked the body style, stock 5 Star Impala rims and the trunk space.
Others already coming back/been back:
NSX
850i
124 Spyder
Z4
Supra
Gulia
I'm a fan of small, light, and nimble vehicles, so three stand out for me:
Honda S2000
Toyota MR2
And, if I were a masochist who wants to rebuild rotaries on the regular, the twin-turbo version of the Mazda RX-7
Good choices. There have been rumors of Honda giving itself another birthday present like the S2000, but nothing concrete yet.
And really, aren't there a dearth of mid-engined cars out there?
IMO, the MR2 and late 80s/early 90s Fiero were pretty much the same car. Not an insult because they were both fun to drive. Not something's I'd want as a daily driver in Michigan, but fun none the less.
I'd edit "something's" since my phone autocorrected...but I can't edit, so it's there for eternity, I guess.
The first gen MR2 definitely handles better than any generation Fiero, and the Supercharged is also faster than any stock Fiero. The second gen MR2 is a different beast, being much bigger, heavier (read: less nimble), and much faster in Turbo form. Of course, the Fiero is the best platform of the three for engine swaps or as a kit car (poor man's ferrari kit, anyone?).
That having been said, I love my Japanese 90's sports cars, so bring back the MR2, the RX-7 (not that compromised RX-8), S2000, Integra, and the CRX.
Honda did sort of bring back the CRX in the form of the CR-Z, though it is somewhat compromised with the hybrid powertrain. It's actually what I drive right now, and though it does ultimately have very little power (112 hp from the gas engine and 14 hp from the electric motor), it's pretty peppy around town because the electric motor brings 58 ft-lbs of torque instantaneously and the car is still pretty light at 2670 lb with the 6-speed (which is actually delightful to shift compared to my old WRX).
Honda still should have dropped the K20 from the Civic Si [197 hp] in it; without the weight of the battery packs/electric motor, and with 70 extra horsepower on the top end, it'd be an absolute riot.
There are a lot of mid-engined cars, but they're mostly supercars that are so far out of my price range. The only affordable truly mid-engined cars (i.e., the S2000 is technically mid-engine since the engine sits between the front and rear wheels, but let's be honest, it's a front-engined car) are Fieros, MR2s, Caymans, and Elises. Maybe some old imported cars that were never originally sold in the US like the Honda Beat if you know where to look.
The RX-7 is also considered "front mid-engined" but agree - TRUE mid-engine means the engine is behind you :)
Overseas, the Opel Speedster was mid-rear, as was the Tommy Kaira ZZ.
YES! I was just thinking about the MR2 as well. The first two models were a lot of bang for the buck.
The Delorean. If only they brought it back...to the future!
I had a serious crush on early-2000s Honda Accords, so that would be nice.
Oh, and I don't care how little use it had, I want the Tiburon back!
Coupes are dying and that's sad.
Tibouron, late 90's Celicas, etc. They don't make those anymore. The Scion Tc may have been the last one.
Chevy is tight. Like they copied the Indians and Land Rover.
Pontiac.
Mkre specifically, I'd shell out my money for a new Trans Am, even though I don't care for the always-underperforming "leadership" at GM.
Easy answer. Buy a new Camaro and a body kit!
I've seen that, I do like the effort and fit and finish seems to be legit. I'm in love with the 98-02 Trans Am styling, if they could maybe modernize it a tiny bit rather than just put a hood, ttops and change out the headlights it'd be real cool.
Being a Chrysler fan, I wish they’d bring back the Crossfire. I always thought it was a cool looking car (but before the time I could ever afford it). I saw one at a gas station a couple weeks back and it gave me nostalgia. I think I scared the piss out of the guy when I walked over to ask him about his car. Lol
A couple here in my apartment complex have both a Crossfire and the retro Thunderbird. Both cars that were absolute letdowns. I understand not using a V8 for them, but not giving them a turbo or supercharger should have been a criminal offense.
As for a car to bring back? I'd love it if Dodge would give us a convertible Challenger. I love mine, but I want them to just admit what they are. They aren't ever going to be as track-focused as the Mustang or Camaro, but they're awesome GT cars. So it only makes sense to cut the top off since we aren't really going to miss the extra rigidity.
I do think they could do a much better job now with the Crossfire now. The 3.6 I have in my 300 provides plenty of zip for a car that weighs roughly 2 tons. I would imagine the 3.6 for the crossfire would be impressive considering it would only weigh around 3,000 pounds and would add about 80 HP according to some quick research.
Not sure if they could find a way to squeeze a hemi in to it but that would be fun.
The supercharged 3.2 Mercedes was using in the equivalent SLK had 30 more HP than your 3.6, so just imagine what they could do with something 15 years younger.
And there is no way a Hemi is fitting in the Crossfire without some major structural modifications. It is just too tall and too wide. It's not like the Prowler where they chose to put the wrong engine in despite the engineers showing them they could fit the 318 from the Ram/Dakota. The Crossfire should have been a lightweight track car, but they just didn't want to use the right engine.
I just wish the average car you see on the street would have a lot more character than cars now. They all seem to look more and more similar over time. It's sad, car design is less and less of an art now.
"Talking Cars Tuesday - Bring that back!"
MgoBlog 2.0
I'll be here all week folks. Make sure to tip the hard-working members of the kitchen team and don't forget - two drink minimum on Friday & Saturday nights after 9:00.
A little bit of personal history on the AMX. The lead designer for that car is a family friend (Tom Hale) and is now a well-know artist in the classic car world. Tom does a lot of original art which he sells at the Ann Arbor art fair and other local venues and as a graduation gift from college I got two personally autographed designs which I'm looking at right now in my office some 40 years later.
And I believe Tom once owned both the first AMX to roll off the line back in 1968 as well as the last "true" AMX in 1970.
If buick would bring back a grand national id consider it.
I'm truly surprised they haven't yet. I know they are trying to push the Regal GS as their sports car but that'll never be near the same league as a GN or GNX
Jeep Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer!!! And not just a Jeep Cherokee with some faux wood paneling on it either, I want a separate body style.
Also, another round of Honda Elements would be stellar. I always dug the funky styling on those, but maybe make it a 5 seater next time?
Rumor is they are supposed to. Although rumor also states it'll be Grand Cherokee on steroids to compete in the larger Range/Land Rovers class. Supposed to be 3 rows as well so hopefully it's not just a rebadged Durango...
Shelby Cobra and Sunbeam Tiger.
Yep, I was just going to mention the Shelby AC Cobra.
Might be too late for a true Porsche 928 successor (929?). The Panameras are all V6 now, and I think they'd need a 928 to be a V8 up front.
I liked the 928, but it was poo poo'd by the Porsche purists as the doctor's wife car. I thought they were beautiful.
I too have a soft spot for the 928.
El Camino. Excellent-ay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJsX0d_FIqk
(I miss the good old days when the site sucked but embedding worked)
'64 Pontiac GTO
'65 Buick Riviera
'57 Caddy Eldo
'65 Shelby AC Cobra
El Camino/Ranchero because reasons.
I would buy a new caprice classic station wagon.
E9 BMWs, BMW 507, mid 60s Bill Thomas Cheetah, De Tomaso Mangusta, Ferrari 250 all variants. I thought the G8 was pretty cool before they put Pontiac down for the dirt nap. GM has the Malibu, but it is completely soul-less. A throwback '66/'67 Chevelle Malibu on the other hand...
Oh wait.....I need to be able to afford to buy it in a heartbeat? Uh... Chevy Chevette (The Shove It)
I thought it was pronounced shit-vette. How about the Vega that would have rust holes in 3 years?
I could go for a De Tomaso Mangusta or a Lotus Europa I could get my fat ass into.
Solstice and Sky.
I know it is coming but a Jeep pickup
Datsun pickup
Affordable Porsche like a 914/916 or 944
Commanche!