Show me: Cars that could be reintroduced in MY2014

"William Byrd" (thedriver) 08/26/2013 at 11:07 • Filed to: SHOW ME

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Another !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! got me thinking. What car(s) could be reintroducd for the 2014 model year relatively unchanged and still be successful? If you ran a company that once "got it right" and has since maybe not recaptured that magic, how would you lean on your lessons learned to reintroduce a previous model as a new one?

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Changes could be limited to:

Interior - most cars even up through the 90s have dated looking interiors. Like it or not, the materials, the switches, the ergonomics have all improved and the average small economy car today has a better setup than most cars that would make this list.

MK4 Supra interior

Lighting - Simple updates to lighting, both headlight and taillight would be accepted. Advances with LEDs front and rear and other superior lighting tech, as long as it fit into the same space occupied by the previous gear, would be OK.

Any other required updates - Admittadely this is a catch all, if there were new requirements with regard to safety, or something regulatory that an MY2014 car would have to have vs. the older model, that would have to be allowed.

Beyond that, it would be the same. Same exterior, same drivetrain, same suspension.

So, as you can see by the image above, the MK4 Supra is one of my top choices. Imagine if hter was a 2014 320HP twin turbo Toyota Supra that looked just like the MK4, (but ideally

cost a bit less). I would slot it in against the Mustang and Camaro and have it start in the low $30K range. Maybe turn up the boost slightly to compete with the higher HP competition. Feel free to annotate the MK4 at the top with elements that need updating.

I'm going to go ahead and toss this one in as well since it's an obvious choice.

The FD RX-7 is still one of the most attractive cars produced in the last 20 years. Produced for a full decade (overseas) you could even draw from the later model Bathurst models which weight a scant 2200lbs. And you even had the special edition Spirit models as well.

2002 SPIRIT R TYPE A

What else? Show us your choices and talk through the details. Would you keep the old kit in there, or would you throw out the rules and put some sort of new drivetrain or suspension in its place?

Mikeado > William Byrd 08/26/2013 at 11:09

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Both of those cars still look good now, but they wouldn't look new now. Especially the spoiler on the Supra.

dropthatclutch > William Byrd 08/26/2013 at 11:12

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Can everyone just stop talking about how awesome the MK4 Supra was so the prices come back down to earth.

William Byrd > Mikeado 08/26/2013 at 11:14

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Agreed, thankfully both cars look awesome wingless or with a smaller version.

William Byrd > dropthatclutch 08/26/2013 at 11:15

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Shhh, I'm trying to convince Toyota to just reintroduce it so we have more of them to choose from. :)

Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! > William Byrd 08/26/2013 at 11:20

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Two more easy candidates, and one long shot:

SonorousSpeedJoe > William Byrd 08/26/2013 at 11:20

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You could probably throw in Bluetooth controls on the steering wheel, but the S2000 would still work today, IMO. The interior speaks for itself - easy on the eyes, yet with eye-catching details like the digital tach/speedo and the radio/HVAC controls flanking the steering wheel.

Sparf > William Byrd 08/26/2013 at 11:21

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Definitely with you on those two, and I don't think I can come up with any better suggestions actually.

HammerheadFistpunch > William Byrd 08/26/2013 at 11:25

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Unchanged is hard. The interior refinements and toys that are expected at a low market entry weren't even available one high end cars 15 years ago. I mean, my land cruiser was the penultimate doctor cruise machine in 1997, now its laughably dated in terms of electronics, and creature comforts. I agree the concept and shapes are great with some many of these, but even the supra interior is hilariously bad compared to a fiesta. EDIT: yeah I see what I did wrong here. Carry on.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > William Byrd 08/26/2013 at 11:25

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Ford Bronco please. Not really wild about the concept but please make it with a solid front axle so it can go toe to toe with the wrangler. Make it durable and simple as hell, hey maybe even put a diesel in it. Ford could put it on their global ranger platform or a shortened F-150 chassis. Anything but the wussified expedition and explorer please.

mr. idk > William Byrd 08/26/2013 at 11:27

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Mazda should skip the RX-9, take that new Rotary theyre building and drop it into an "autozam successor". How awesome would that be. A rotary-powered gullwing rear-engined halo car for under $40k!

William Byrd > SonorousSpeedJoe 08/26/2013 at 11:27

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Good one, the S2000 is still a great looking car and would add the enthuisiast focused car that Honda has been missing since it was discontinued.

Good call on the bluetooth and steering wheel controls, very easy additions.

William Byrd > Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! 08/26/2013 at 11:27

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I hadn't thougth about the NSX, that's a great call. I'm sure Honda is spending millions to engineer a new car that may or may not be as cool as the red one above.

HammerheadFistpunch > William Byrd 08/26/2013 at 11:28

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Wheels, not the design (even though they are a little es300 looking) but something with a little more meat that closed those gaps a little better.

William Byrd > HammerheadFistpunch 08/26/2013 at 11:28

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haha no worries. I was going to make it purely unchanged, but that isn't feasible.

William Byrd > William Byrd 08/26/2013 at 11:29

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I just realized, kudos to Ford for actually pulling it off.

$kaybait

William Byrd > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 08/26/2013 at 11:30

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I like it. I loved my Wrangler, but am a Ford guy at heart. Would love to see a serious off-road capable Bronco come back.

William Byrd > HammerheadFistpunch 08/26/2013 at 11:32

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100%, the wheels on the MK4 are pretty dated. I have been tempted to post some aftermarket MK4 pics (there are plenty and it was really difficult to find a "stock" version to post).

Sparf > Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! 08/26/2013 at 11:35

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Oh wow, I can't believe I didn't think of those. Even the Fiat is a good suggestion.

Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! > William Byrd 08/26/2013 at 11:38

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I concur profusely. If it wasn't broke, don't fix it. Then again, the field has grown drastically since the NSX left the market. Corvette's that play in Ferrari territory, Toyobaru's that play in Lotus' territory, street Nissan's which play in DTM territory, and so forth (excuse the hyperbole). So to make the NSX a standout and not just carried by the legacy of it's name (I'm looking at you, Camaro), the money probably needed to be spent.

William Byrd > Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! 08/26/2013 at 11:42

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Probably right. I'm curious as to whether they could have just done an evolutionary step from a design perspective. I mean the last gen NSX was a looker (they all were).

Put in a new fancy drivetrain, an upscale interior and price it under $100K. Compete with 911s, R8s, GT-Rs, etc.

Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! > Sparf 08/26/2013 at 11:47

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I've had a spot in my heart for the Coupé since I first played the license trials in Gran Turismo 2, back when I was a college freshman (holy hell, did I just date myself or what?). Remember License B-2 trial? The soul-crushing exercises in perfect braking points. But the gold license was always worth if for the prize car. In this case, it was the Spoon S2000 (see above). In fact, here's a video that makes me all nostalgic, like I should be watching it through a gauzy filter.

Also of note, the Fiat Coupé B-License section in GT3, with the turn and braking was maddening as well. But again, I fell in love with the giallo Coupé!

Edit: The Coupé comes on at 1:35.

Sn210 > William Byrd 08/26/2013 at 11:49

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What about the Supra's little brother? Some updated wheels and lights would be needed, and no hybrid business please. Just affordable, mid-engine, 2 seated goodness.

William Byrd > Sn210 08/26/2013 at 11:52

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Didn't think of the MR2, very good choice. I imagine Toyota would say they tried to update it already, but it was not what it could have been. They went Miata hunting and lost.

I love the older MR-2. I mean mid-engine RWD, what's not to like. Great looking car too, you are right it would just need some freshening and it would still fit in today.

Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! > William Byrd 08/26/2013 at 11:53

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Exactly. The $100k marker seems to be a harbinger for (almost) attainable sports (super?) cars. 911, R8, GT-R, ZR-1 (with little or no options, and maybe employee pricing), etc. That seems to be a focal point for the halo cars.

Sn210 > William Byrd 08/26/2013 at 11:58

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Yeah I felt I needed to skip a generation. The market then was hot for topless two seaters so i guess toyota had to go in that direction. But still, there could have been a car or two in between the second gen mr2 and the frs/gt86. What would the toyobaru be like with a mid engine layout I wonder?

Sparf > Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! 08/26/2013 at 12:01

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I'm afraid I've never owned a Playstation, or Gran Turismo for that matter. The only entry in the series that I've played is GT5 and that was only briefly.

Paul, Man of Mustangs > William Byrd 08/26/2013 at 12:10

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Yes. I could go with a few different engine options, as well. Have one with the Boss 302 Coyote, one supercharged Coyote, and the 5.8 from the GT500.

505Turbeaux > William Byrd 08/26/2013 at 13:28

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240 wagon if you aren't counting on the car passing US safety or emissions standards. Slap a $35K price tag on it and it would sell in droves. I still dont think Volvo has gotten it right since they got rid of the rear drivers

BarryDanger > 505Turbeaux 08/26/2013 at 17:43

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I still miss my 244 turbo. Sounded like a tractor, pulled like a freight train.

Margatroid > William Byrd 08/27/2013 at 19:22

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Timeless.