After the Countach and next-gen Integra, what car to reintroduce next?

The are production you just need a million pounds. 
 

Yes we are talking bringing back cars but with a modern interpretation. Like the beetle. It is far from being the same as a original but there is no mistaking what it is supposed to be. Or go back to the original lambo post. The modern countach is a lambo but take the badge off and it could be the latest iteration of any of there cars of the last 20 years. 
 

I actually like the Eagle speedster as much or more than an original E type. It actually kind of reminds me a little bit of an xj13.  I think it is the lower stance and the windshield. I like the original E type but it needs some refinement. I always thaught the windshield was to vertical and to tall on the originals.  Yes I am nitpicking but it has always bothered me.  I think chip foose did a revamp on an E type. It was really nice. He also revamped the windshield as well as just about every panel on the car. not a fan of the wheels but the rest of it is very nice. 
 

MR2 for sure, but it'll never happen. We have to wait for the C8 to depreciate before we get a relatively inexpensive mid-engine "new" car. 

Cannot claim to be a fan of Foose, never saw anything he touched that I liked unless he did ZZ Top's Cadzilla.
His ruining a Lotus Europa was criminal.
I do not accept the Miata as a Lotus Elan/Alfa Spider/Triumph Spitfire continuation.
But it does point up the biggest problem with any continuation, added complexity, weight, and unneeded "Features" that betray the spirit of the original.

In reply to RichardSIA :

Yes, the car most known for being heavily loaded down with features, the Mazda Miata.

CRX, with the revival done the same way as the original - current Civic parts, 8" wheelbase reduction, two seats, Kamm tail.

I wasn't against the idea of Dodge bringing back the Dart name for an Alfa-based FWD - it kind of fit a "What if Dodge had just kept the same name for their small-ish car until the present?" idea. But I would have loved to have seen Chrysler try to come up with a more direct successor to the A-body - something roughly pony car sized, rear wheel drive, and available as a sedan or coupe. For that matter, make a couple different wheelbase versions and engine sizes, and you've got a platform for a next generation Fiat 124 Spyder and coupe.

300zxfreak said:

In reply to RX Reven' :

I won't fight you....how about two iterations, one based on the 240 and one based on the Z32, both of which would be far better cars than those based on the Blob of late. Jury is still out on the Z to be let loose tomorrow.

Ironically the blob is supposed to incorporate the styling queues of the two of those. 

pres589 (djronnebaum) said:

In reply to RichardSIA :

Yes, the car most known for being heavily loaded down with features, the Mazda Miata.

I like Dodge's answer to that problem.  Just make an 800HP motor and plug it in to everything :-)

MadScientistMatt said:

I wasn't against the idea of Dodge bringing back the Dart name for an Alfa-based FWD - it kind of fit a "What if Dodge had just kept the same name for their small-ish car until the present?" idea. But I would have loved to have seen Chrysler try to come up with a more direct successor to the A-body - something roughly pony car sized, rear wheel drive, and available as a sedan or coupe. For that matter, make a couple different wheelbase versions and engine sizes, and you've got a platform for a next generation Fiat 124 Spyder and coupe.

The Challenger and the Charger kind of fit the bill.  They are a bit heavy but you have 2 door & 4 door variants.  You could easily re-badge them.

dean1484 said:

The Challenger and the Charger kind of fit the bill.  They are a bit heavy but you have 2 door & 4 door variants.  You could easily re-badge them.

Nothing wrong with those, but I was thinking something a bit smaller and lighter. Imagine what you might get if there was an entry level Toyota-branded counterpart to the Lexus IS series. (Only with a range-topping Hellcat option to compete with the RC F, of course.)

JG Pasterjak said:

Jordan Rimpela said:

Cimarron. 

Jordan...

I know, I'm sorry. But good call on the ELR. I actually forgot about it. 

Had a Miata, PS, PB, AC, radio, lots of speakers, and Cup holders.
Yep, nothing a real sports car could do without. 

Apparently the definition of "Sports Car" has been lost. 

RichardSIA said:

Had a Miata, PS, PB, AC, radio, lots of speakers, and Cup holders.
Yep, nothing a real sports car could do without. 

Apparently the definition of "Sports Car" has been lost. 

99 percent of people want the look of a sports car but don't want a sports car.  The market dictates what the manufacturers make.  It is not that the definition has been lost it is just not what the masses want. 

RichardSIA said:

Had a Miata, PS, PB, AC, radio, lots of speakers, and Cup holders.
Yep, nothing a real sports car could do without. 

Apparently the definition of "Sports Car" has been lost. 

Of those items, my 1966 Dodge Dart - not a sports car by anyone's definition - only had the power steering, radio (with just one speaker), and cup holders... which do not fit any modern definition of cup holder. 

The Polaris Slingshot has all of the "sports car" features you think a car should Lack to be considered a sports car.  Also despite 3 wheels it probably overall performs as good as 95% of the pre-1990 sports cars that where under 1800lbs.  

It's not that it's impossible to produce a car like the cars that were popular for 25 years post war.  With modern technology it should be almost easy to produce a car that weighs ~1500-1700lbs, passes crash requirements, has seating for 2 and has absolutely minimum amount of NTHSA/DOT required features (TPMS/ABS/Backup Camera/Defrost/Seatbelts/Advanced Airbags).  With a small 1.0-1.4L Direct injected gas engine with <120hp wheels/brakes/uprights/differential could be sourced from the SXS power sport industry to keep weight super low.  Look at cars like the Mitsubishi Mirage, Chevrolet spark, Smart Car, and Miata to see how tight to the mechanical components and occupant envelope it is possible to still produce a vehicle.  None of those cars have overly high hoods, or gigantic windows and super high belt lines that people think are "required" by regulations.  

It's just that 30 years ago people Stopped  buying cars like that.  If people bought more Mitsubishi Mirage's and less Honda HRV's we would get small light lower powered, lower content sports cars.  But PEOPLE DON'T BUY THEM.  Couple that with the fact that margins are low on low content cars and the same people who stopped buying sports cars 30 years ago also started forcing business to focus only on quarterly earnings reports and you have a perfect storm for vehicles as an appliance and at BEST enthusiast cars have been replaced as a lifestyle accessory.   Add to that the way enthusiast react to new cars that legit deliver a VERY good sporting experience but just weigh more then they think it should(Civic Si, Miata, 86, Veloster N, 370Z, new Supra etc.) and it's no wonder manufactures just follow the marketing.  

You can't expect the market to follow 2nd owners of vehicles.  Because enough people didn't buy Manual Transmission Outbacks Subaru no longer makes them.  It's just how it works. 

My hope is that because Electric Drivetrains so greatly reduce the cost/complexity of developing vehicle drivetrains (Due to no Emissions stuff) and reduce the requirements on limited production number manufacturing to basic NTHSA/DOT requirements that we will see many companies selling more "classic" sports cars that fill that weekend runabout role.  We are already seeing numerous EV startups it's only a matter of time before someone makes the business case that a Electric mildly Restyled BMH MGB/Midget/Mini bodyshell would make sense.  

W124 coupe or w126 coupe for me. They'd manage to screw up two of the best cars ever made though.

ShawnG said:

Packard anything.

America needs a proper luxury brand again. Lincoln and Cadillac have been slumming it for far too long.

Y'know....  In one of my favorite books, set in the future, the main character needs to cross the country, so he buys a Packard "with the four wheel (drive) option".  Book was written in the early 80s, before AWD was available on everything.

With the coming electric revolution, and Packard's place at GM of being the electrics division (they made the wiring harnesses for the other six), I can totally see the name being revived for an all electric vehicle division.

I was sorry to see these go and I am probably the only one that would like to see them come back but..............................oh ya and an updated RX7.

Regarding the Element: Was it too ahead of its time? Seems like it's more popular now.

David S. Wallens said:

Regarding the Element: Was it too ahead of its time? Seems like it's more popular now.

Could be. Ya, Element prices have jumped way up.

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

With the coming electric revolution, and Packard's place at GM of being the electrics division (they made the wiring harnesses for the other six), I can totally see the name being revived for an all electric vehicle division.

Most people would be like, "wow, Hewlett-Packard is making cars now?"

There's rumors that Honda's working on an element to be re-introduced in 2022, but there have been rumors before. The big question is whether they'd allow it to have a similar utilitarian character as before, or whether it would be pimped up to where it was just another SUV.

j_tso said:

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

With the coming electric revolution, and Packard's place at GM of being the electrics division (they made the wiring harnesses for the other six), I can totally see the name being revived for an all electric vehicle division.

Most people would be like, "wow, Hewlett-Packard is making cars now?"

Dangit, got another work order for a code P0-PC LOAD LETTER 

Packard Electric was a separate company from Packard Motor Cars even though they were started by the same folks.

Packard Electric was bought by GM eventually.

Packard Motors was absorbed by Studebaker and later AMC.

I've never heard of or seen a 4wd Packard. Marmon-Herrington converted Fords and Mercurys back in the day. I imagine you could pay them to convert your Packard but why? Just have "your man" get the car unstuck. After all, he probably got it stuck anyway trying to flush out some pheasants for you.

People don't understand how far removed the proper luxury brands were from every day cars before the depression. A fully equipped 1934 Ford would set you back $575. A 1934 Packard Twelve could cost as much as $6,000 and they were assembly line, production cars. The most expensive Duesenberg was $20,000 in 1930s dollars.

Cadillac and Lincoln are pedestrian now. Probably the only reason they're still with us.

RichardSIA said:

Had a Miata, PS, PB, AC, radio, lots of speakers, and Cup holders.
Yep, nothing a real sports car could do without. 

Apparently the definition of "Sports Car" has been lost. 

The Miata sold in the billions as soon as it was announced because it was like having an MGB that could be relied upon to start. work, and keep you dry or warm or cool as weather conditions warranted.

It was a fun car that didn't hurt, in other words.

The interesting thing about your cupholders comment.   And a long backstory.  In the late 90s, young Pete wanted an MGB, or preferably an MGB-GT.  Even then, this was an expensive proposition, and young Pete was making barely more than minimum wage working for a large chain tire shop that is mainly known in the area as a place where good people used to work,  but have moved on when they got tired of being the bitch.  ANYway.  MG aspirations, sad reality.  Young Pete found an '80 RX-7 in the local Auto Trader for a reasonable price and immediately fell in love and bought it.

The '79-80 RX-7 did not have cupholders, but it did have an enormous flat ashtray that came out as an assembly.

Years later, now-older Pete, now on his second RX-7 and nostalgic for that first one, drove a '90 MX-5 on a moderately long road trip and marveled at how much the car just felt like that old '80.  The shifter feel.  The steering feel.  The chassis feel. The engine's willingness.  The very placement of "The Tombstone" and the round vents and holy crap, Mazda made a convertible SA22C with a lil 1.6 piston engine.  It's an RX-7 that doesn't hurt to drive.

Also, the first generation Miata had cupholders.

The cupholders were in a big, wide, flat removable assembly, that would snap in perfectly to the ashtray location on a '79-80 RX-7.