Mass-produced cars as we know them have been around for over 100 years. Whether you want to go all the way back to the first car invented by Carl Benz in 1886, or stick with better-known early production cars like the 1908 Ford Model T, there’s no way around it: Cars have been around for a long time.
We’ve seen a variety of four-wheeled vehicles come and go over the years. Some, like the iconic Lamborghini Miura, ended up becoming all-time classics that even the most casual gearheads will know and love. Other cars disappear without a trace quickly, and sometimes that’s unfair: a quick look at the many forgotten two-seat sports cars of the past few decades will reveal that even fun-driver’s cars may have fallen by the wayside for one reason or another, their charm forgotten by all but the most dedicated fans (or automotive historians).
Unfortunately, sportiness does not guarantee a car’s place in history, nor does the presence of power-enhancing devices such as superchargers. Despite the supercharger’s popularity as a hot rodder-approved way to increase power and its association with larger engines like the Hellcat HEMI, there have been many supercharged vehicles over the years that, for better or worse, have been lost in the mists of time. Here are five such cars from major manufacturers including Mazda, Toyota and Ford.
Read more: The 5 worst V6 engines of all time
1994-1997 Toyota Previa
White Toyota Previa parked in front of red brick building – OttoEx/YouTube
When people think of minivans, many adjectives may come to mind, but “supercharged” may not be one of them. Yet for a few years in the mid-1990s, that’s exactly how buyers and the automotive press described the first-generation Toyota Previa.
The Previa caused quite a stir when it debuted in 1991, with critics at the time praising its aerodynamics, egg-shaped design, mid-engine layout and excellent interior. It’s a well-thought-out and practical minivan that still has a pretty active fan base. However, it’s not fast enough: The inline-4 engine makes only 138 horsepower, not enough for a full-size minivan. Poor engine performance, combined with a tendency to be unreliable, meant the first-generation Previa had a poor reputation compared with its Toyota equivalents.
Toyota probably knew it needed to do something with the engine and came up with a simple solution: forced induction. Company engineers modified the Toyota MR2’s supercharger and mounted it to the front of the minivan, boosting power and torque to 161 horsepower and 201 pound-feet. Toyota first equipped the Previa LE S/C with a supercharged engine in 1994, followed by the DX in 1995. Toyota dropped the naturally aspirated inline-four engine in 1996, and the Previa was only available with a supercharged engine in its final two years. However, with or without a supercharged engine, the Previa was not a hit with buyers. Toyota replaced it with the Sienna starting with the 1998 model year.
1989-1995 Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe
Red Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe parked on dirt with greenery and lake in the background – Greg Gjerdingen/Wikimedia Commons
The Ford Thunderbird may be best remembered as an icon of American cruising culture in the 1950s, but the nameplate endured for decades during its heyday in the ’50s and ’60s. It lasted into the early 2000s, but this short-lived 11th-generation model isn’t what we care about. Instead, let’s look at Ford’s 10th-generation predecessor, produced from 1989 to 1997.
This tenth-generation Thunderbird wasn’t a classic, but it had a lot going for it: It had a V8 engine (at least eventually; 1989 and 1990 models were only offered with V6 engines), independent rear suspension, and a supercharger in the form of a Super Coupe. Introduced in 1989, the Thunderbird Super Coupe was the most powerful 10th generation Thunderbird ever produced by Ford. Its supercharged V6 produces 210 horsepower and 315 pound-feet of torque, 10 hp and 40 lb-ft more than Ford’s 1991 Windsor V8 for the T-bird. The company managed to increase power to 230 horsepower and 330 pound-feet starting in 1995, further solidifying its status as the tenth-generation Thunderbird. Top engines – especially the V8 – had their displacement reduced to 4.6 liters in 1995.
This iteration of the Thunderbird was an overall sales success, with Ford selling more than 780,000 units during its eight-year run. That’s not the Thunderbird super coupe’s fault, though. Although it won praise from automotive journalists for its excellent acceleration and solid handling, sales barely topped 5,000 units per year for most of its run; only the 1990 model cracked the 20,000 mark.
1993-2003 Yunos 800/Mazda Millenia S
Silver Mazda Millennium in a vacant lot with a building in the background – Vantage Auto Retail/YouTube
In the early 1990s, Mazda tried to enter the luxury car market with Lexus and Infiniti-style American sub-brands. The brand was called Amati, and the automaker planned to sell luxury cars under the name in the United States starting in 1994. The bursting of Japan’s economic bubble and the ensuing slump in car sales scuppered those plans, but that didn’t stop Mazda from releasing a car specifically built for the Amati. own name.
The sedan debuted in 1993 and was sold in Japan and Australia as the Eunos 800 and in Europe as the Mazda Xedos 9, and was known for its multi-link suspension, luxury appeal and the unique Miller-cycle 2.3-liter V6 engine available on certain trims. This supercharged V6 engine is the world’s first Miller cycle engine and produces approximately 213 horsepower.
The Eunos 800 eventually came to the United States as the Mazda Millenia, and was equipped with a 2.3-liter supercharged engine in the Millenia S. The Millenia S was warmly received by the automotive press for its V6 engine’s smooth power delivery and good fuel economy, as well as the car’s overall excellent ride quality, which allowed it to compete with contemporaries such as the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 530i. The Millenia S used the same supercharged V6 engine until Mazda discontinued production at the end of 2003 and exited the luxury car market the following year.
1995-1999 Buick Riviera
Silver Buick Riviera in an empty parking lot – Motor Mike Media/YouTube
By the mid-1990s, the Buick Riviera was in decline. Production for the 1993 model year proved to be particularly low, with less than 5,000 units produced, a sharp decline from the nameplate’s glory days. GM wisely took a break after this, skipping 1994 and using the time to revamp the Riviera.
Buick’s revival of the Riviera debuted for the 1995 model year, sporting a bold new look and a new powerplant under the hood. The Riviera carried over the always-reliable GM 3800 V6 engine that powered the previous model, but this time in updated and supercharged form, making 225 hp at its debut (240 hp by the final year of 1999). It doesn’t stand out in today’s cold light, but its 231 cubic inch engine isn’t far off from the most powerful American engines of ’95.
While we didn’t like the final Riviera’s styling and considered it one of the ugliest cars of the 1990s, there’s no denying the supercharged V6’s performance: Car and Driver’s 0-60 mph time of 7.2 seconds compares favorably with pricier V8-powered rivals, and think it’s a solid buy if you’re keen on its looks. GM’s gamble paid off in 1995 with sales of nearly 41,500 vehicles, but the success was short-lived. Sales fell below 20,000 the following year and continued to decline, reaching a nadir in 1999 with just 1,956 Rivieras sold; a tragic end for a legendary nameplate.
2004-2007 Saturn Ion Red Line
Silver Saturn Ion Red Line in the Parking Lot – Interesting.cars.insta/Wikimedia Commons
The Saturn Ion Red Line was part of GM’s mid-2000s attempt to add some excitement to the Saturn lineup, along with other questionable examples like the Saturn Vue Red Line. The Vue Red Line is a sporty SUV with big wheels, a lowered ride height and a 250-horsepower V6 engine under the hood—admittedly, this is also an option on the non-Red Line Vue, making it mostly a cosmetic makeover. However, the Ion Red Line, which debuted in 2004, goes a step further.
While reviewers found the original Ion to offer good value, the car was overall a boring and bland product that served little purpose in the grand scheme of things. The Ion Red Line attempts to inject some much-needed sportiness, with many major aspects of the car receiving welcome changes. The most notable upgrade is the engine: GM engineers modified the Ion’s 140-horsepower 2.2-liter inline-4 for the Red Line, reducing its displacement to 2.0 liters and adding a supercharger to boost power to a more exciting 205 horsepower. The Ion Red Line combines this more powerful engine with steering, chassis and suspension tweaks that help it deliver decent, if unspectacular, handling.
Predictably, these changes do not completely change the fate of the ions. The redline doesn’t make up for the base Ion’s shortcomings, which include a long wheelbase, awkward interior layout, and poor build quality. Saturn didn’t make many Ion Red Lines, reportedly selling less than 6,000 during its short production run. In 2008, GM replaced the Ion with the rebadged Opel Astra, then shut down the Saturn brand entirely in 2009.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.
