C&G - Top 10 recently canceled vehicles that should be brought back

[Drew Dowdell]

Top 10 recently canceled vehicles that should be brought back.

We're going to get a poll going on this, but first we need some candidate submissions. Here are the rules:

1. Each person can submit ONE vehicle (or vehicle model line if there are multiple body styles)
2. It has to be from a brand that is still in business today (it can't be brought back if there aren't dealers to sell it at)
3. It must be from within the past 10 model years.

Include your submission and an explanation of why you think it should be brought back and why it should not have been canceled in the first place.

I got this idea after seeing three in a row of a vehicle that will likely be my submission.... and you guys will probably be surprised as to what it is.

On Thursday night, I'll gather up all the submissions and we'll take a poll for the top 10.

[ZL-1]

Zeta Cadillac

The justification is a simple one: IMHO the Epsilon2 XTS is not the best of ideas.

[CSpec]

Does something like the Cobalt count as canceled?

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

I will let the video speak for me:

1. No more six passenger cars left

2. No more true full-sized cars left

3. No more rear drive cars that are affordable left

4. No more cars that are this loaded with options at this price or lower left.

5. No more cars out there that look "American" and not generic.

[Drew Dowdell]

Cspec - yes....I know you're itching to suggest the 9-2x

[CSpec]

Or 9-7X! Kidding, still thinking about my real nomination.

[smk4565]

Cadillac XLR. I think it was the best looking Cadillac of the past 10 years. The price for what you got was the problem. Either the interior and engine needed upgraded, or the price needed to come down. The XLR may do better at the $50k price point against the SLK and Z4 type vehicles with V6 and perhaps turbo V6 power. Cadillac needs a sports car, 2-door, and convertible, the XLR fits the bill and gives Cadillac some sportiness to it's image. And it is somewhat unique, not just another sedan that can get lost in the shuffle.

[CanadianBacon94]

Cadillac XLR. I think it was the best looking Cadillac of the past 10 years. The price for what you got was the problem. Either the interior and engine needed upgraded, or the price needed to come down. The XLR may do better at the $50k price point against the SLK and Z4 type vehicles with V6 and perhaps turbo V6 power. Cadillac needs a sports car, 2-door, and convertible, the XLR fits the bill and gives Cadillac some sportiness to it's image. And it is somewhat unique, not just another sedan that can get lost in the shuffle.

i agree, one that had a competitive interior would be nice,

[Drew Dowdell]

Just to clarify. This doesn't mean that the car has to come back in the exact form that it departed in. A current form of an old canceled car... like in 98's case, a modern, refreshed, RWD Towncar. Or SMK's hypothetical about the XLR.

I'm going to keep holding off on what my submission is going to be. I've already chosen it, but I want to see if anyone else picks it. It's also a bit off the wall and out of character for me, so you guys can have fun trying to guess what it is too.

Here are some hints: It's a one generation only model. It's generation both started and ended within the 10 year time frame restriction. It did not receive a direct replacement, but it's effective replacement was introduced 3 years after my chosen model was, mocked the moment we heard the name, and subsequently died an even faster death in the same model year as my chosen model.

I picked this one not because I would ever buy one, but because I feel it's cancellation left a hole in that brand's lineup, and that it was a generally well respected vehicle when it was killed. It's reintroduction would greatly help the brand.

[regfootball]

AZTEK! lol. kidding and not. the packaging and function yes, the box it came in, no.

I agree on the XLR. I am going through my head thinking about all the possibilities here.....

Chrysler Crossfire is in my head.......so is the LS lincoln...

Edited December 8, 2010 by regfootball

[Intrepidation]

The Viper. It wasn't canceled per say. but there will never be another Viper like this current generation, a Viper without mandatory electrical nannies, a Viper the rewards the driver's skill and punishes their stupidity, a car that demands respect.

[Cory Wolfe]

I'll refrain from using the CRX since Honda tried... and fails at life. Though, technically, you would have had to open the question to include 20 year old vehicles. The last 10 years sort of limits my ability to answer since, in my opinion, the vehicles most deserving to be revived went out in the 90's.

I'll keep with the Honda train, though, and go with the S2000. Besides the expensive NSX, it was Honda's truest sports car and leaves their line-up with a bunch of also-rans and failures.

[Sixty8panther]

Since the GM B-body was killed 14 year ago I will go with the closest alternative.

The ONLY alternative, really.

Ford's Panther Chassis:

Ford Crown Victoria

Ford Police Interceptor

Mercury Grand Marquis / Marauder

Lincoln Town Car

If I have to beat a dead horse by listing the 460,302 reasons why, then I will but I

think most of you know where I am coming from on this one.

P.S. The Viper is not something I lust after per se, but I'm with D.F. 100%.

If I was a millionaire I'd be tempted to buy one.... so long as Eddie Griffin

was never allowed to drive it.

Edited December 8, 2010 by Sixty8panther

[Drew Dowdell]

Since the GM B-body was killed 14 year ago I will go with the closest alternative.

The ONLY alternative, really.

Ford's Panther Chassis:

Ford Crown Victoria

Ford Police Interceptor

Mercury Grand Marquis / Marauder

Lincoln Town Car

If I have to beat a dead horse by listing the 460,302 reasons why, then I will but I

think most of you know where I am coming from on this one.

Well, I'm looking for the explanations behind each one so I can compile them into an article.

[z28luvr01]

I'm gonna go with the Fiero, because I know someone else will come up with my other choices. GM just about got it right in 1988, then killed it. Imagine the same car with updated styling and a turbo Ecotec behind the seats for around 25-30K.

[Drew Dowdell]

I'm gonna go with the Fiero, because I know someone else will come up with my other choices. GM just about got it right in 1988, then killed it. Imagine the same car with updated styling and a turbo Ecotec behind the seats for around 25-30K.

It's in a dead brand and outside of the 10 year time frame....

What we're going for is something that a manufacturer could bring back fairly quickly and probably shouldn't have dumped in the first place.

[z28luvr01]

OK then - Uplander/Venture.

GM never should have left the minivan market, and never should have tried to create four different versions of the same mediocre product. This time around, build one just for Chevy on Lambda or Epsilon II, power it with the HFV6, give it some distinctive style, and watch the Chevy dealer lots fill up with discarded Odysseys, Caravans, and Siennas.

[PurdueGuy]

Modern version of the Saturn S-Series, featuring:

polymer panels

- ~2400-2500lbs (or less)

- 40mpg+ highway without any high tech expensive hardware

- Low price point

- very reliable

- easy maintenance

- available with manual trans

- excellent handling and braking

- available as coupe, sedan, wagon

- reasonable acceleration in base model, fairly zipping in upper models (comparable to original SOHC vs DOHC engine options)

Improve over original:

- more refined engines (ecotecs should be fine)

- better interior

- smaller panel gaps, or more clever design of where panels meet to reduce appearance of panel gaps (the gaps were required due to more expansion/contraction of the polymer panels vs metal panels, perhaps advances in polymer plastics would reduce the expansion/contraction?)

- offer performance version

Edited December 8, 2010 by PurdueGuy

[CSpec]

I'm gonna go with the Dodge Magnum. I'm a big fan of wagons, and the fact that it was RWD and performance-y is a big plus. The exterior styling was mean, and it took guts to introduce the wagon with no sedan for a few years. It had some serious flaws (engines, craptastic interior), but I approve of the general concept.

[EMan]

Solstice/Sky

[Drew Dowdell]

Modern version of the Saturn S-Series, featuring:

polymer panels

- ~2400-2500lbs (or less)

- 40mpg+ highway without any high tech expensive hardware

- Low price point

- very reliable

- easy maintenance

- available with manual trans

- excellent handling and braking

- available as coupe, sedan, wagon

- reasonable acceleration in base model, fairly zipping in upper models (comparable to original SOHC vs DOHC engine options)

Improve over original:

- more refined engines (ecotecs should be fine)

- better interior

- smaller panel gaps, or more clever design of where panels meet to reduce appearance of panel gaps (the gaps were required due to more expansion/contraction of the polymer panels vs metal panels, perhaps advances in polymer plastics would reduce the expansion/contraction?)

- offer performance version

Dead brand.

[67impss]

I'm not a truck guy but owning a fullsizer now I'm thinking S10. GM needs something small It could ever be unit body construction now that they can make them tow a real load.

[Drew Dowdell]

My entry:

The Chrysler Pacifica -

It was well respected by the press when it was in production, though it never sold very well. You'd be hard pressed to find bad things written about it. It's sort-of replacement, the Aspen, was mocked mercilessly the moment we found out the name and what it was based on. A large semi-lux crossover is missing from the Chrysler lineup. It should never have been canceled. It should have been refreshed and kept on the Caravan platform. After seeing the refreshes that Chrysler has given to the Caravan and the goodness of the new Pentastar V6, a new Pacifica is a no-brainer for Chrysler to bring back.

[vonVeezelsnider]

We rented a Pacifica once, it was superb.

[Croc]

Original SRX, i.e. a RWD crossover built to out-seat and handle on-par with the X5.

[Camino LS6]

Do you really have to ask...

[Drew Dowdell]

Do you really have to ask...

Can you pick one that fits the rules though? It doesn't have to be something that you want personally. It can be something that helps the company win sales, or if you want, something that helps to destroy a company.... like bringing back Camrys, Corollas, Pruises, and Avalons with sticking gas pedals.

[Camino LS6]

I reject the "dead brand" rule, the cars could come back under another brand/nameplate.

[Intrepidation]

Well if I had to take a wild stab, your nomination would be the Camino, which doesn't fall under the "ten years or newer" rule.

[Camino LS6]

...but the G8ST does.

[PurdueGuy]

I reject the "dead brand" rule, the cars could come back under another brand/nameplate.

+1

I don't care if it's a Chevy.

[A Horse With No Name]

You guys are going to kill me but...

Chevrolet Astro cargo van...they are the cat's ass as a work vehicle, decent fuel economy, can tow, can haul, impossible to destroy without explosives and a cliff to push them off of...

They hold their resale well...

Mazda RX-8, just for it's uniqueness...

S2000

The older Ford focus, with the SVT variant...a very decent small car...

Mercury Maruader....didn't sell well, but unique RWD vehicle....

[bobo]

My entry was going to be the Chevrolet Astro. GM ceded the compact commercial van market to Ford, and the Transit Connect has limited payload and towarding capabilities. The Astro was the "just right" sized van.

My personal favorite vehicle that is gone is the Prelude. However, my suggestion will be the Toyota Supra, though rumors persist that it will return. Toyota let it die because they didn't want to spend the money to keep it going, though they were sitting on billions of dollars. However, Toyota let its brand become synonymous with bland, or worse, unsafe, with there being no flagship vehicle, and all the interesting vehicles like the MR2 and Celica killed off. Toyota could use a little polish on the brand, and competition in the sports car segment is all good.

[regfootball]

Fiero, Magnum, good answers.

Pacifica created a segment. Got left for dead and its styling became bloated. It did not evolve with the rest of the crossover segment. But as a vehicle it is very good. A used Pacifica is a smokin value buy in the market today, especially if you find one with a 4.0. Very nice drive.

[Drew Dowdell]

Any more entries?

[Camino LS6]

Well, if there is no exception to the dead brand rule, then the HHR would get my vote.

Not as interesting, but a valid case can be made for it.

[Drew Dowdell]

Well, if there is no exception to the dead brand rule, then the HHR would get my vote.

Not as interesting, but a valid case can be made for it.

Again, it doesn't have to be a vehicle that is interesting specifically to you. Just needs to be a vehicle that would help the brand it's associated with and take very little work to get back in refreshed form.

[Camino LS6]

Understood.

However, the biggest holes in GM's lineup are associated with dead brands so that's kind of limiting.

[Drew Dowdell]

That's the point, but it's not just GM. There are other manufacturers out there too. You could see something missing at Ford or Chrysler.

Returning models to the brands that have survived is picking the low hanging fruit. We all know you want Oldsmobile Pontiac to come back... but that's not likely happening any time soon. So I want us to focus on fixing what can be fixed.

[Camino LS6]

OK.

But existing platforms currently in production would also qualify as low hanging fruit in my book.

[Drew Dowdell]

OK.

But existing platforms currently in production would also qualify as low hanging fruit in my book.

So make your suggestion a new Impala then.

[Camino LS6]

Hasn't that already been done?

And, since it's still in production, does it even qualify as something coming back?

[Drew Dowdell]

it's all going to get aggregated into a poll and you can suggest more than one.

[Camino LS6]

What do you say to a companion list to this one, that might cover some other bases?

[Drew Dowdell]

We can do that next week. I'm always taking suggestions for "Top 10 lists"

[Camino LS6]

Cool.

I see the two as companions, a pair of lists that amount to missed opportunities.

I would give the parameters of the second list as products from dead brands, concepts that haven't been productionized, and technologies that haven't been utilized. Stuff that is in the toolbox but not yet used.

[Drew Dowdell]

Cool.

I see the two as companions, a pair of lists that amount to missed opportunities.

I would give the parameters of the second list as products from dead brands, concepts that haven't been productionized, and technologies that haven't been utilized. Stuff that is in the toolbox but not yet used.

Geez, that's like 4 lists right there!

[Camino LS6]

I could be.

But I'd tighten the rules so that it is only things that have been shown to have viability. Not a bunch of dream stuff. Things that can be done with relative ease and speed - like this list.

[Camino LS6]

Things like the G8 line, the Hummer HX, the Cadillac Converj, Kappa...

[Drew Dowdell]

Things like the G8 line, the Hummer HX, the Cadillac Converj, Kappa...

Well, I think we can easily find 10 in each category... especially since we won't be limiting it to GM stuff.