Your favorite factory special edition of a "meh" vehicle.

In reply to Javelin :

I knew someone with a Gucci Hornet in the '70s. That green looks too bright.

I was going to mention the designer Lincolns. How do you make a tacky car even tackier?  Pay Bill Blass to wrap it in Ted Knight's yacht commodore uniform from Caddyshack.

Nothing gets more meh than the Omni. When you put 175 turbocharged horsepower into one, in an era where V8s made 175 horsepower, definitely qualifies as special.

A couple built by Suzuki: Chevy Sprint Turbo (a.k.a. Pontiac Firefly, eh) and later the Swift GTI/GT

Olds LSS, for when you want a Bonneville SSEi but you're an adult.

And you can't forget...

How about the Corolla S.  It's a Corolla, but with an S.  Some say...

...it's grounded to the ground.

I guess this is kind of market dependant - I love some of your US examples but here in Europe, almost all US cars are "special" for starters. For years, being able to own a Mustang has been proof you really got somewhere in life.

Anyway, as a Ford fan of course the Sierra Cosworth is a top choice but it is also well known. But a late 4x4...

One of my soft spots is the Orion Ghia Injection. The Orion was a 4-door saloon Escort. The boot was gigantic and it was a rather nice car. Ghia was the top spec but add "Injection" and all of a sudden it was a fly-under-the-radar Escort XR3i. 105 bhp in a front wheel drive saloon is no rocket but the K-jetronic CVH was peppy.

My mother had one for a short while. It was not in very nice condition but I liked driving it. And NOBODY knew what it was...

Gustaf

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :

Did the GSE have the twin cam engine like the Opel Kadett GSi had?

I have no idea. I've probably only seen a half-dozen of that generation LeMans total.

Back in the late-80's a friend of a friend in Flint, MI had a new one his parents had bought for him. It was a bright color(maybe light blue?) and really stood out. We also thought it was ugly(though I actually like the appearance now). That's the main reason I remember they exist. 

The original Taurus SHO was cool. And it doesn't get much more "meh" than a Taurus.

Mr_Asa said:

wvumtnbkr said:

Wasn't there a 4 door fix body that was like a Mustang gt except with 4 doors?

 

Like a Ford Ltd lx or something?  Those seemed really cool when I learned about them.

Ford Fairmont, Mercury Zephyr, both Fox platforms and both available as a two or four door as far as I can remember. 

I do remember a Reader's Rides section where some guy took a four door, stuck a Mustang nose on it and then did all the typical Fox body tricks to it.  Said he got a lot of looks of confusion. 

Naw, not just a foxbody.  Like actually had the go fast bits too!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.hemmings.com/stories/2022/04/25/1984-85-ford-ltd-lx-fox-body-mustang-profile-0422/amp

Someone already beat me to it, I was going to say Celebrity Eurosport VR.  I'll vote for its' twin....oh, that exhaust note was intoxicating when I was a teen....

Or how about 

Ranger GT (duh, lol)

Wish I could have bought the one I was offered back in '02-3.....

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :

Did the GSE have the twin cam engine like the Opel Kadett GSi had?

The GSE model debuted in 1989, available with a 2.0-liter OHC four-cylinder, offering 95 hp, a five-speed, and 14-inch alloy wheels, as well as beefier anti-roll bars. With that, you could achieve 60 mph in just under 10 seconds. You could order the GSE in red, white, or silver, with the aforementioned 14-inch alloy wheels, fog lamps, and rear spoiler. Inside, the Opel Kadett-sourced Recaro seats enveloped you.

I don't remember them at all.  Probably wasn't horrible to drive.

Oapfu said:

A couple built by Suzuki: Chevy Sprint Turbo (a.k.a. Pontiac Firefly, eh) and later the Swift GTI/GT

I still have one of those

Oh, almost forgot. When I was 10 years old, this was THE coolest thing.

Having never driven or owned one, I imaged that the Malibu Maxx SS took the most boring car in history, added all of the go-fast bits from the fastest FWD car around the 'Ring at the time (Cobalt SS) and stuffed them into a practical wagonette body. What's not to like about a turbo (or super?) charged compact wagon with amazing handling?  

I am guessing the reality was far from my fantasy. 

In the same vein, I drove one of these at the Chevy Rev It Up event and was impressed at the idea of a practical but sporty SUV. (OK, it was probably the Chevy version) 

Sorry if I missed it, but the X-11 is the perfect candidate for this discussion:

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2013/07/08/lost-cars-of-the-1980s-chevrolet-citation-x-11

Those of you calling the latest generation Camry a "meh" car may be living in the past.  My wife recently purchased a V-6 Camry, not sure of trim level, but it has big wheels and hyper-expensive rubberband tires, makes a tick over 300 horsepower and handles like no sedan 20 years ago could dream of.  Her's isn't a TRD, but I suspect that it is even more impressive.

A bog standard E class from a few years ago is pretty goldern meh, all 220 hp of it. But an E55 is, still even now, pretty goldern not meh...

BlueInGreen - Jon said:

The original Taurus SHO was cool. And it doesn't get much more "meh" than a Taurus.

I love the original SHO but prefer its little brother, the Contour SVT.

pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) said:

 

Having never driven or owned one, I imaged that the Malibu Maxx SS took the most boring car in history, added all of the go-fast bits from the fastest FWD car around the 'Ring at the time (Cobalt SS) and stuffed them into a practical wagonette body. What's not to like about a turbo (or super?) charged compact wagon with amazing handling?  

I am guessing the reality was far from my fantasy. 

 

Reality was far from that.  The Maxx SS had a 4spd automatic trans and 60deg v6 with 240hp.  It was also far from compact.

My favorite special edition that I've personally owned is probably the Accord V6 manual trans sedan. Built for just two years, you could tell it apart from the V6 decklid emblem and the special 5-spoke wheels. It was a great freeway cruiser and surprisingly quick.

In the same vein, I wanted a Tracer LTS back in high school, as it took a plain-jane Tracer sedan and bolted on the suspension and DOHC engine from the Escort GT, made it quite the sleeper. Handily they gave it that red stripe so it's easy to find in a junkyard.

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

JThw8 said:

Mercury Marauder, a much better Grand Marquis/Crown Vic

These always bugged me.  I mean, I love the Marauder and it's a great car, but it was such an also-ran.  Chevy had the Impala SS 94-96, and it took Ford almost 10 years to come up with a "me too" copy that was heavier and slower.

Which solidifies my answer.  Impala SS.  Take a 9C1 Caprice, drop it 1.25", killer wheels, leather, and some other options.  Nothing special, but yet... special.

And then a couple years later they did it again, but in Tahoe flavor.

A lot of the cars listed here are more unicorns than factory special editions.  Still awesome though.

Not a favorite, but a car I have searched for before:  07/08 Acura TL Type S.  6pd manual, limited slip, 286 hp.

JThw8 said:

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

JThw8 said:

Mercury Marauder, a much better Grand Marquis/Crown Vic

These always bugged me.  I mean, I love the Marauder and it's a great car, but it was such an also-ran.  Chevy had the Impala SS 94-96, and it took Ford almost 10 years to come up with a "me too" copy that was heavier and slower.

 

 I suggest finding one and driving it.  I've driven both and the Marauder is a whole lot less of a wallowing pig than an SS.  It was also much more than an appearance package car unlike the SS.

I've had extensive experience with both.  I had an SS for 15 years and my uncle had a Marauder so I had plenty of seat time.  The Marauder is great, but for me, the SS is a far funner car.  Personal taste I guess.