Rare versions of common cars

[TurboHatchback]

I was thinking about my latest aquisition, a Skoda Superb 3.6 4x4 DSG estate, and consequently the subject of rare versions of otherwise common cars.

Looking at howmanyleft seems to indicate a total of around 160 V6 4x4 Skodas, at any given time there's usually about 2 for sale nationally. Other candidates include the Volvo S80 4.4 V8 (~100) and the Passat R36 (~140).

The common theme seems to be cars with big petrol engines but no aspirational badge on the front (unfortunately the exact type of car I like). What others can people come up with?

[TurboHatchback]

The Count said:

Safrane Biturbo anyone?

I've never heard of that, it looks great though. Details?

[TurboHatchback]

SpudLink said:

The man has a point.




What about…
Lotus Carlton
Lotus Sunbeam
Lotus Cortina

All versions of a mass market product.

I would consider them sufficently different to not be the same car as the original and hence not a rare version of a common car. Stuff like the Mondeos, Espaces etc is more what the thread is about.

[TurboHatchback]

InitialDave said:

culpz said:

I'm honestly not sure as to exactly what the rules are on this thread, to be honest

Well, that in itself is an interesting debate I suppose.

To me, I think it has to mean a low proportion.of that variant built, rather than it being a passenger pigeon of a car that has just vanished from the roads despite once being common.

Plus it has to be something actively different about the car, not just a colour or "special edition" type of deal. Like being one of a few hundred manuals when there's twenty thousand automatics, or having a combination of elements that you can't normally get (so where you can have a turbo version, all wheel drive, a manual gearbox etc easily enough, almost none of them came with all three).

Yes that's more or less what I intended, the sort of car that most people wouldn't look twice at due to its ubiquity but actually it's extremely rare. I guess that sort of includes an element of anonymity, I'm thinking cars which look more or less identical to their more common brethren rather than bewinged and stickered up performance special editions etc.

Combinations of colours and options aren't really different enough to qualify, it has to be mechanical differences (engine, transmission, suspension etc).

[TurboHatchback]

I had a Hemi Commander, it was awesome! I sold it because 18mpg, 20k a year and petrol at £1.35+/l at the time just didn't add up. The Grand Cherokee Hemi looks similarly pleasing.

Some great suggestions, I didn't know the Meriva VXR existed though I still don't want one and I was unaware there was a petrol V6 Discovery.