What is your favorite unicorn version of a “normal” car?

In reply to David S. Wallens :

I used to work with a kid that had a bright yellow MP3 back when they were current. He was really proud of it. Probably the rarest of the bunch.  

Also, that CD player is awesome. 

Mitsubishi Galant VR4.  Basically a 4-door Eclipse GSX - AWD, Turbo 4g63, 5spd.  This was from a time before you could buy an EVO in the US. I still look for them from time to time and should have bought one like 15y ago when I had the chance at a clean one.

Would a TR8 coupe count?  Made less than 400 of them out of the 2750 or so TR8s made in total.  Does the fact that 7 of the 400 are in my driveway right now make the rest of them even more unicorn?

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

In reply to wheelsmithy (Joe-with-an-L) :

I wouldn't call the Focus RS a unicorn version... it's mostly the same as a regular Focus hatch, and it seems like RSs outnumber STs on the roads two to one.

Now, a unicorn Focus...

I have seen exactly one of these.  It was so unusual I took a pic to show off the "Euro spec Focus" that I saw on the road.

 

(trying to steer thread back to the concept of "unicorn normal cars" and not special editions)

I call shenanigans! I have seen maybe two Focus RSs in person. Where are you that they are more common than STs? 

How about the Shelby GT-H both generations.   I know those cars got sold off to the public after their time in the trenches at Hertz.

7th Gen Accord v6 6mt sedan.  Only available for 2006 and 2007 and approx 5000 were made total.  

Christopher Harayda said:

Mitsubishi Galant VR4.  Basically a 4-door Eclipse GSX - AWD, Turbo 4g63, 5spd.  This was from a time before you could buy an EVO in the US. I still look for them from time to time and should have bought one like 15y ago when I had the chance at a clean one.

I had a 91 GVR4 in Belize Green. I loved that car lol There's a decent amount still around it if the 3000 that existed in the US. Or import one like in the picture. 

David S. Wallens said:

And one a bit more old school. Growing up, everyone had a 1977-'85 Impala/Caprice--including my grandparents. (We had the Malibu.)

The cool Impala from that time period? Those coupes.

Those lines. These are impala coupes? 

In reply to eastsideTim :

There's a turbo trans am on marketplace near me for $1500. The want is strong. 

One of the most cookie-cutter cars that ever rolled out of Detroit, and they were EVERYWHERE.... A G-body.  And then they went and did this with one of them:

Christopher Harayda said:

Mitsubishi Galant VR4.  Basically a 4-door Eclipse GSX - AWD, Turbo 4g63, 5spd.  This was from a time before you could buy an EVO in the US. I still look for them from time to time and should have bought one like 15y ago when I had the chance at a clean one.

Dsms are more like a 2 door Galant (since galants came first) and without the 4ws. Even rarer is the NA Galant GSX.

Man, I want almost everything that has been posted here.  I love the oddball versions of cars.

Tired of your well worn police car but want to walk into next to Grand Pa and buy a new Mercury?  Get a Marauder, bonus points if it is maroon or dark blue rather than black.

Silverados are super common right?  Especially 15-20 year old ones.  What about one with the Pro-Tec composite bed?

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/08/when-gm-couldnt-think-outside-the-box-remembering-pro-tec/

Love BMW and Lincoln but can't decide?  How about a turbo-diesel BMW powered MK VII!  From the 80s when short runs of under powered diesel cars were available at nearly every dealer lot but all cease to exist today.

In reply to iammclovin804 :

It is your duty to post it in the Cars For Sale section. 
 

TTA and Shelby Durango were already taken 

MINIzguy said:

Cobalt SS/TC. I loved mine and would love another if I had room for it. (This one isn't mine but I had a white sedan too)

I hated the coupes, but love the sedan.  One came driving up and passed me.  Total sleeper.  Really had no idea what I was looking at 'til I saw the big honkin' brake calipers.   Just nice and clean.

I don't know how many were produced but I was lucky to have one for a few years. Certainly a "unicorn" that most people don't even know existed. The 1984 Ford Escort GT Turbo.  Mine was originally owned my the head of Ford's SVO division and had a bit of a "special" engine in it. The car dyno'd at 170 to the front wheels and when it came on boost, it would torque-steer the wheel right out of your hands! Fun, fun car. 
 

Nitroracer (Forum Supporter) said:

Man, I want almost everything that has been posted here.  I love the oddball versions of cars.

 

Tired of your well worn police car but want to walk into next to Grand Pa and buy a new Mercury?  Get a Marauder, bonus points if it is maroon or dark blue rather than black.

I get it, but kinda don't get it.  It took Ford nearly a decade to come up with an Impala SS copy that had less hp, more weight, and everyone drooled over it.

Of the four cops I know, only one seems to like the P71 over the 9C1.  Not a representative example, but I was able to get out of a massive ticket once mostly because I let the cop drive my Impala SS because he missed his 9C1 so much.

And when I say massive ticket, I mean I went airborne through an intersection with a questionably red light.  (I called it orange, he disagreed, the conversation turned to how cool Impalas were, yadda yadda)

Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Despite the stunning reputation the Honda badged versions had, my recolection of the Acclaim in period was an utter total turd, so par for the course in BL's death spiral years.

I was about to say that had to be the most reliable Triumph ever made but I guess they even managed to mess up an Accord. What did they do, sub in Lucas electrical parts?

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

Nitroracer (Forum Supporter) said:

Man, I want almost everything that has been posted here.  I love the oddball versions of cars.

 

Tired of your well worn police car but want to walk into next to Grand Pa and buy a new Mercury?  Get a Marauder, bonus points if it is maroon or dark blue rather than black.

I get it, but kinda don't get it.  It took Ford nearly a decade to come up with an Impala SS copy that had less hp, more weight, and everyone drooled over it.

Of the four cops I know, only one seems to like the P71 over the 9C1.  Not a representative example, but I was able to get out of a massive ticket once mostly because I let the cop drive my Impala SS because he missed his 9C1 so much.

And when I say massive ticket, I mean I went airborne through an intersection with a questionably red light.  (I called it orange, he disagreed, the conversation turned to how cool Impalas were, yadda yadda)

I like them, but they really needed more low-end torque to deal with all that weight.

In reply to GCrites80s :

I've never been able to put my finger on it but it was missing something compared to the Impala SS. 

P3PPY said:

In reply to GCrites80s :

I've never been able to put my finger on it but it was missing something compared to the Impala SS. 

Displacement. 

David S. Wallens said:

P3PPY said:

In reply to GCrites80s :

I've never been able to put my finger on it but it was missing something compared to the Impala SS. 

Displacement. 

And brakes. The 9C1 had them. The panthers did not. I knew more than a few thpd officers that couldn't stop at the end Of a cross town run at 3am with the p71. The fee with the older 9c1's murdered them. 

David S. Wallens said:

Another popular car back in the day: Mazda 323. The unicorn is the 323 GTX, right? Na, too common. 

How about the turbo, front-drive 323 GT sedan?

Another "unicorn" would be the first-gen Mercury Tracer, a blatantly rebadged 323. Nothing special about it, except that there weren't many sold and probably very few are left now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Tracer#First_generation_(1987%E2%80%931989)

yupididit said:

David S. Wallens said:

And one a bit more old school. Growing up, everyone had a 1977-'85 Impala/Caprice--including my grandparents. (We had the Malibu.)

The cool Impala from that time period? Those coupes.

Those lines. These are impala coupes? 

They made coupes till 86. The bubble back window was only available early. Might have been 77 only. 

I've always liked the Mustang SVO, especially the 1984 with the less aerodynamic headlights.