The Chevy Suburban! No, don’t worry, we’re not going to spend an entire article talking about a giant people-hauler. But, what makes it interesting is that it has the longest-running nameplate in automotive history, with the first Suburban rolling off the line three years before WWII began.
Most models, though, don’t live that long. And many of the greatest ideas are gone to us forever. But, bringing back dead lines is all the rage right now. NSX, Integra, Bronco, Supra, I guess. So, we thought we’d put together a list of cars we want to come back.
Dodge Viper – Snek. Fast Snek.
Starting with a car that was cut in its prime, the Dodge Viper. I totally understand why it was canceled, don’t get me wrong. No one was buying them. Still, now that Corvette way upped their game by switching to a mid-engine, flat-plane V8 platform, there’s nothing from America to make them humble again, which is what the Viper was really, really good at. I would love to see a new Viper that took the handling and aero from the final ACR and combined it with the disgusting amounts of power that Dodge is getting out of the Hellcat. Wouldn’t that be amazing?
Speaking of amazing engines: Volkswagen! Give us a new Corrado!
Volkswagen Corrado – What Happened VW?
Picture this: a Golf GTI with all the speed and handling of the iconic platform, but it actually looks fast instead of like a grocery-getter. That’s what a Corrado was (in addition to a made-up word). It was a GTI that actually looked like a sports car and it introduced the world to the awesome VR6, which is compact without sacrificing performance. That’s what she said. Or she said, “Grow up.”
I don’t know. I didn’t pay attention. I was too busy dreaming about a new Lancer Evo.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo – Stupid Crossovers
Ever since I saw the WRX reveal, I’ve been like, Man, Subaru, you really need someone competing against you. It’s like when your super athletic friend gets out of college and they don’t really play ball anymore, but they are still eating the same calories. You see them, and you’re like, “Dude I’m low-key kind of worried about you.” That’s how I feel about Subaru. They were at their peak, fighting for WRC titles with Mitsubishi, and we need that in our modern world. Give us a new Lancer Evo. I have the internet. I know you didn’t cancel the Lancer in every market. You can slap a turbo on it and bring it Stateside.
At least the Lancer had its time in the spotlight. Some of the cars on this list need redemption, like the Plymouth Prowler.
Plymouth Prowler – Do It Right This Time
It’s such a cool-looking car, in my opinion. But I think they’re a master class in how to do retro correctly, except for one problem: the drivetrain. I’m talking about an automatic, anemic, powerless drivetrain destroyed by a damn Miata V6 bore. Make it again. But, this time, use Chrysler’s gigantic catalog of amazing engines and make a modern small-block hot rod. That would be so sick.
And while we’re on the retro kick, you know what the world needs? Another Buick!
Buick GNX – Make Buick Useful
No one has ever said that. Modern Buick is sad. But it wasn’t always that way. They used to make the Grand National GNX, a turbocharged V6 muscle car that proved you don’t need a massive V8 to burn rubber. And they need to make them again so that people might start taking them seriously in this day and age. Picture it: GM is getting absolutely mind-blowing power numbers. I’m talking near 500 horses out of their turbo’d V6 in the Cadillac ATS. You take that same engine, make a bare-bones, basic box to stick it in, and let us have an alternative to the Challenger. That would be rad.
While we’re talking about turbochargers, Honda, if you’re listening, we need rear-wheel drive. And I think that requires a new S2000.
Honda S2000 – Pure Driving Perfection
I don’t even think you’d need to do anything other than revive the exact same body. Just make sure it has the Type R K20C1 engine and you’d probably have the greatest four-banger ever built. Seriously, the only thing that holds the Civic Type R back is that it’s front-wheel drive and the fact that it has four doors and four seats. That’s great if you want a fast, practical car. But I just want to eat Miatas for lunch. What do you think they taste like? Can you get the RX-7 in nacho cheese or cool ranch flavors? Anyway, yeah, a 306-horsepower S2000 on modern suspension? I feel like you’d have the GT3RS right in your sights. And it’s about time to prove you can do it again.
Speaking of doing something just to prove something, the Bronco is cool. But the Lamborghini LM002 was cooler.
Lamborghini LM002 – Why? Why Not?
It was this weird, super overpowered Humvee looking thing that was made by the same people who made the Muira. And the Lamborghini LM002 was badass. Now, they have the… what is that thing? An Urus? Isn’t that a body part you’re not supposed to talk about in public? Just take that same 641-horsepower engine, steal the four-wheel drive system from the Atlas, and build a tank around it. Easy. Give the TRX and Raptor junkies something to dream about.
And while we’re being weird, have you guys ever heard of a Mitsubishi Starion? I want a new one.
Mitsubishi Starion – Japanese Mustang?
The Starion (theoretically named after Arion, a mythical horse that was super fast) was Mitsubishi’s attempt to join the other JDM heroes. It’s a rear-drive ’80s sports car that sat right next to the 300ZX, Mark III Supra, and FC RX-7. Except, for some reason, Mitsubishi just stopped wanting to make a sports car and killed the Starion name in 1989. Now, Mitsubishi is a company no one thinks about, unless they’re complaining about a serious lack of Lancer Evolutions. I think that, if they made a Starion and it could compete with the EcoBoost Mustang, horse versus horse, it would be a great entry-level enthusiast car that JDM bros could fall in love with.
There are so many other cars that we’d love to see make a comeback. Let us know which ones you want to see in the comments!
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