You ever notice that while most of your family is pretty much tolerable there’s that one member that’s always either causing problems or is a total douchebag? Yeah, we all have one, and in fact they’re so common that there’s a name for them – Black Sheep. No offense intended black sheeple.
When it comes to cars and trucks often the opposite exists. Sometimes a dull as dishwater – or perhaps reprobate – model line will have one member that stands out and isn’t really all that awful. It may be in fact that it’s pretty-darn good. That’s what we want to hear about today – the… I don’t know, white sheep? of the automotive world. What do you think are the stand-out models of what are otherwise crap car lines?
Image: PowerflexUSA (Oh Yeah!)
Le-low-hanging fruit:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Nationale_oldtimerdag_Zandvoort_2010,_1981_RENAULT_5_TURBO,_JH-VZ-86_pic2.JPG
The basic LeCar may have been LeCrap but I still wanted one for the canvas roof.
Was the R5 Turbo offered in the US? Because in yurop we also got the Gordini versions and in the phase 2 R5 (looks like a mild facelift but engine was now transverse like most FWD cars) there was the GT Turbo which was the best variant to still have back seats.
The R5 Turbo could be had here, I don’t know about the other variants. I’ll bet someone here does, though.
Or, a SHOgun Festiva, whether or not bottle-fed.
http://www.californiacaradventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/leno-shogun.jpg
The entire company has produced (for US consumption anyway) nothing but crap for about 20 years now apart from the Evo.
http://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2011/04/22/15/57/2011_mitsubishi_lancer_evolution_mr-pic-5916937647846868202.jpeg
http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s–AUA2VoDg–/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/k6z8qpepjrfc0zst32ti.jpg
Your standard North American-grade Chevette was a sort of horrid little car, although I found them endearing. Go overseas though, and they made some proper hot hatches out of them.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/1975_Cosworth_Vega_2.jpg
http://images.thecarconnection.com/med/1978-ford-pinto-cruising-wagon_100374470_m.jpg
The Cosworth Vega was unquestionably the best Vega you could buy, but thanks to lofty expectations and a price to match, it was also the biggest disappointment. Making a Vega into an okay car was no small feat, but it was supposed to be so much more than okay. I still want one.
I’m hurt. 🙁
Don’t worry about what some loser on the Internet thinks.
https://horsepowermemories.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/1986-dodge-omni-glhs-carroll-shelby.jpg
For that matter, a Shelby Mustang is little more than a fancy Falcon.
http://www.topgear.com/sites/default/files/images/gallery-migration/2011-04/D0994963-A5CE-4A4B-9A2E-F4A0C62A35DE.jpg
If the Supervan counts, so too should the Espace F1.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Paris_-_Retromobile_2014_-_Renault_Espace_F1_-_1994_-_003.jpg
Chevy HHR Panel Van
Even more good…
http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-2007/2007-Chevrolet-HHR-Panel-SS-Turbo-Side-Angle-1024×768.jpg
I appreciate that the HHR Panel exists, but take something that was pretty bunker-like as it was, and removing 4 windows isn’t a great recipe for visibility.
It is the car for people who like to drive big trucks.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/15/e6/06/15e606bbdb11e279fa57d775a8329b9f.jpg
Corolla a crap car? Sure, they’re usually boring, but crap? No.
The AE82 Corolla GT of the same vintage wasn’t bad either, sure I’d prefer an AE86, but it was a credible enough Golf GTi alternative.
http://www.moodoke.pl/blog/wp-content/uploads/bs_2.jpg
oh and Tiff Needell (of ye olde Top Gear and Fifth Gear) used to race one in BTCC too.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6070/6154275258_6cc84e861f_b.jpg
The ultimate Corolla was probably the (very limited) production E110(8th gen) WRC.
AWD Turbo, 1999 WRC championship winner
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Toyota_Corolla_WRC_01.jpg
http://www.vwwallpapers.com/resize/4/386/289/new_beetle_rsi.jpg
Oh, the GranTurismo memories! Only .000215 RSi Beetles were made for every other type of New Beetle. Nifty.
Dodge Colt Turbo for the win !
( one of these little bastages blew me and my firebird off the road in 1983 )
like neight428 posted above, Mitsubishi has sent nothing but crapcans here (USofA)… even the screaming Colt’s rusted to death in months. I made a little montage of some cool stuff made by Mitsubishi below, can we get any ? NOPE… the new command/scout car ( second row, right)
is super awesome, cant get one – already tried last year.
I’ve heard tell that these were good:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.carthrottle.com/workspace/uploads/memes/60293bf3c94a466fb021d6c9c69bf2-5477e0cb6a970.jpg
Though the regular flavor Citation is the reason I threw in that disclaimer, because I’m not sure I believe it.
[citation needed]
I just followed a tan over brown four door Citation hatch home. No rust, no dents, looked original. A time capsule. Driven by an old man doing 15 under in a 45. I don’t remember the last time I saw one.
Seat Leon.
http://cdn1.automobilesreview.com/img/2012-seat-leon-cupra-r/slides500/seat-leon-cupra-r-01.jpg
Fiat Ritmo….Abarth.
http://www.ritmoabarth.com/img/ritmo-abarth-125-tc.jpg
Sure, they rusted quickly in bits and pieces, but the two years until then must have been a blast!
The didn’t all rust, that’s a terrible generalisation….. some of them were torque steered into hedgerows.
Plus, you could brag that your car was handbuilt by robots.
Sure, purists despise it for wearing the 442 name, but this was the one Cutlass Calais (if not the one first-gen N-body) that was anywhere near covet-worthy.
http://hooniverse.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/8ea39a53fc_640-Custom.jpg
I love the no-nonsense proportions of this car.
Then this:
http://www.autosavant.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/achieva-scx.jpg
Studebaker wasn’t necessarily a crap car line, but they sure hadn’t done anything like the Avanti before (or last long enough to have an after)
http://www.cars-on-line.com/photo/57100/63stude57184-1.jpg
Although the early Studebakers were known for using VERY little gasoline!
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-igWBhbDYoaQ/UAtLaz2zuJI/AAAAAAAAAEw/VVAihePPgZM/s1600/3CarriageStationW.jpg
http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab305/bwalaszek/Solara_side.jpg
How about the Solara. You know, you could get one with a manual and a supercharger.
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/toyota-thunder-trd-camry-solara-road-test
Even better, in the 1996-2002 Toyota Camry you could get the 3.0L V6 with a stick. Even in the XLE.
The Solara is essentially all Camry under the skin, so these TRD parts fit no problem into the Camry as well. We had a customer that had the rare-bird Camry XLE V6 stick that put all but the TRD rims on the car (wanted to still have a little Q-ship to it) and it was absolutely quick.
The extra parts were nowhere near the $9000 quoted in the C&D article. It was also slightly faster than what they had based on my memory. I want to say he was running low-14s in the quarter.
I prefer the RWD V8 carbureted Camry…
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/005/0/1/toyota_camry_5_hour_energy_nascar_by_granturismomh-d70zph9.jpg
Dodge Spirit R/T
http://www.dempseybowling.com/sheldodg/91rtad.jpg
Ford Taurus SHO
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c3/a9/4f/c3a94f5ae131d70a34a55e39a83c7b97.jpg
Have one, want the other. The performance sedan niche has to be my favourite niche.
Olds LSS. Take grandpa’s 88 sedan, add a rather tasteful body kit and a well sorted sport suspension and you have a nice full sized sedan from a surprising source.
https://autopolis.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/1996lss.jpg
Almost looks like a Bonneville . . .
I’ve always liked the looks of those, and you could get it with the supercharged 3.8 V6. Not sure I’d rather have one of these or a contemporary Park Avenue Ultra.
http://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images/gallery/BUICKParkAvenueUltra-1084_1.jpg
Suzuki Swift GTi. 1768 lbs of car sporting a twin cam, 16 valve, 1300cc four putting out an even 100 horse.
Not your average Geo Metro
Also, the Chevy Sprint Turbo.
http://www.tflcar.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/chevrolet-sprint-turbo_100383061_m.jpg
The RS and Mexico Escorts. They were/are great.
The standard rebodied Anglia, Escorts with 1.1 and 1.3 very, very much less so.
Despite the rose-tinted gaze they receive from America, they were like much smaller, lower powered, more rust prone, poorer made Pintos.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Ford_Escort_RS2000_MkI.jpg/1024px-Ford_Escort_RS2000_MkI.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Ford_Escort_MkI_1100_1972.JPG/1024px-Ford_Escort_MkI_1100_1972.JPG
Not that the Dakota was ever all that bad, but just that a convertible pick up truck is somehow so cool to me!
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/1989-dodge-dakota-convertible.jpg