Image via Complex Original
When Saturn died, nobody was surprised or saddened (aside from broke college kids looking for their first vehicle). However, there have been certain cars in recent years that left us too soon, and left us with no successor. Come on automakers, when you know we love something, don't take it away without offering a shiny new version. That said, a shiny new version of any of these cars would be greatly appreciated. Here are 10 Discontinued Cars We Want Back.
Ford Crown Victoria
Discontinued: 2012
Why We Miss It: Cops and cabbies love the Crown Vic because it's one of the toughest, most reliable vehicles ever made. And a recommendation from a person who spends all day in his car every day should not be taken lightly.
Also, we don't like how much more difficult it is about to become to recognize police headlights in the rear-view mirror.
Volvo V50
Discontinued: 2011
Why We Miss It: What the hell is wrong with the world? It is currently impossible to buy a Volvo station wagon, an old stand-by for anyone who needs a car than can do anything, go anywhere, and survive anyone.
The worst part is that the car is still up on Volvo USA's website with a note saying (paraphrased) "Oh, by the way, you can't have this anymore. HAHAHAHA!"
Ford Ranger
Discontinued: 2011
Why We Miss It: The Ranger was the truck people needed. It was a fantastic way to efficiently get supplies from one place to another. Yes, the F-Series is fantastic for heavy duty jobs, but that represents a small portion of what trucks are used for. Handymen, pest control specialists, plumbers, home carpenters, and the like wanted efficiency and the ability to carry a few lengths of pipe, a tool box, and a few 4x8 sheets of 3/4 ply, not the ability to tow a boat.
What's worse is that every other country that Ford sells cars in got a new, awesome looking Ranger.
Bentley Arnage
Discontinued: 2009
Why We Miss It: The Mulsanne is nice, but the Arnage was the last of a breed. It was the last 100% hand-built car from a major manufacturer.
Saab 9-5
Discontinued: 2011
Why We Miss It: We only had the new Saab 9-5 for two short model years, and that makes it hurt even more. Saab finally had a new flagship after years of languishing under the uncaring ownership of GM. The new 9-5 was brilliant, but too late to save the company.
Pontiac G8 GXP
Discontinued: 2009
Why We Miss It: The Pontiac G9 GXP is the single greatest sedan that GM has ever made. Of course, now it's only available in Australia as a Holden. We can understand that since the rest of the Pontiac brand had degenerated into crap like the Toyota-based Vibe, but we wish GM hadn't take this car away.
Mazda RX-8
Discontinued: 2012
Why We Miss It: The raspy hornet-like buzz of the RX-8's rotary engine, its nimble chassis, and its racing potential are all missed. In crazy, fire-spitting, tri-rotor race tune the RX-8 was even one of the coolest cars at the Grand-Am Brickyard Grand Prix.
Lotus Elise
Discontinued: 2010
Why We Miss It: OK, you caught us... it's not really discontinued, but it might as well be from an American point fo view. When Lotus facelifted the Elise for the 2011 model year it lost its airbag exemption and became illegal for sale in the USA. So while Lotus didn't discontinue the Elise, it did discontinue the US-legal Elise, which sucks just as much for us.
Honda S2000
Discontinued: 2009
Why We Miss It: If you were to design your dream Mazda Miata, it would probably be very similar, but just feature a higher revving and more powerful engine, more masculine styling, and a name that didn't sound like the name of a squeaky girl's chihuahua. The Honda S2000 has one of the greatest engines ever made, looks simple, slick, and not the least bit dated, and has a name ripped directly from motorsport.
Ford GT
Discontinued: 2006
Why We Miss It: If you don't pine for a Ford GT, you're probably a member of Al Qaeda. It is quite simply one of the coolest things to have ever come from our land of open highways, meals built around fatback, and changing the spelling of aluminium to aluminum for no apparent reason. And we've come up with some pretty cool stuff, like the V-22 Osprey, the internet [thanks for the employment], and toilet paper.