A couple of years ago some company (I think it was HP) ran a series of commercials asking the question, What if? I like the premise of the question as it demands thought to answer. Example, What if we mandated particular users stay on topic instead of spewing forth their consistent and sometimes annoying propaganda?
What if Ferrari offered BMW style subsidized leases that we all could afford?
What if Lexus and BMW merged to create a luxury and performance car powerhouse?
Yeah yeah yeah, I know those are borderline stupid questions, and sometimes the 'what if' question can get a little silly or absurd, but I want to ask a 'what if question that has been tossed around with my friends quite a bit, and in the process of sharing it with you see if you can't have a little fun with this one.
What if you could have a modern day version of a car (or truck I guess) no longer currently produced? What car would that be, and why.
For me 2 cars in particular come to mind that were great in their day, but would be phenomenal using current production techniques and engine design.
My ultimate fantasy would be a modern day Porsche 944. The 944 was a great car in its day, affordable for a Porsche, and absolutely beautiful. The timeless design has aged incredibly well and when equipped with larger wheel and tire combinations off current Porsche's, it still looks current. What if Porsche brought back to market a modern day 944. A front engined 4-cylinder sports car that combines modern engine technology with an updated design to allow a whole new generation of people the chance to drive and own this classic Porsche. With Porsche owning Volkswagen now, they could easily draw on the VW parts bin for a lot of infrastructure, and the 2.0 Turbo from the GTI is a great starting point for the engine that could be used. Of course since this is purely hypothetical I would propose a base price of $35k so that people could actually afford the car, just like the original 944. To me, that would be a winner.
The second car that comes to mind in having these discussions with friends is always a reincarnation of the 1st or 2nd generation Toyota MR2. Although the first generation MR2 does look a little dated with its hard edge design, the concept is brilliant. The second generation not only has aged well, but again with the addition of larger wheel and tire combinations looks down right current. Toyota has a wealth of options available to them in bringing this car to market, and if it can avoid pricing itself too high, I believe this would be an incredible car to have available to us at a low $20k base price. If priced correctly it would open the opportunity for people to add a second or third car to their fleet without breaking the bank given the fact that a 2-seat car isn't always the most practical. Toyota could even innovate with a modern MR2 by incorporating a hybrid drive train, and suddenly you could end up with a bargain basement competitor to the Tesla. Again, I can't see how you could lose with an option like this available in the marketplace.
So I ask you, what car(s) would you like to see brought back in modern form. This is one of those fun 'what if' questions, I am sure there is something I missed that one of you will pick up on.
So go on, have some fun - What if you could have a modern day interpretation of a car no longer built, what car would you choose?