Too far ahead of its time?

[12,000 RPM]

As everyone knows in the car game timing is everyting... generally I think it's best to be the first in a segment so you get to define it (GTI, 3 series, Accord etc.), but sometimes manufacturers know what customers want before the customers even do

My first submission:



Still not quite handsome per se but come on. BMW & MB totally swagger jacked. I think had this not come out right when the recession hit, and it didn't have that stupid grill, it could have been a low key hit for Acura

[MrH]

"Swagger jacked".  I'm going to nominate Sporty for being ahead of his time

[SVT666]

McLaren F1

It was such a giant leap forward and cost so much more than any car before it that they couldn't even sell enough of them to fulfill the entire production plan. Originally, they were supposed to build 300 cars, but only could find buyers for 100 of them. But today, cars like that sell out before the public even knows they're coming to market.

[ifcar]

With the ZDX, I wonder if part of the issue is that BMW and Mercedes already have large customer bases that are accustomed to paying high prices. The ZDX, meanwhile, was Acura's most expensive product. You don't have anyone coming into the Acura store saying "hmmm, I have $60,000 and I always buy Acuras, so let's see which Acuras are available."

[MX793]

AMC Eagle.

[MexicoCityM3]

I think my car was a bit ahead of its time - especially in all the electronics and adjustability. It was criticised a lot for it back in 2006. Today basically every car in the segment has the adjustability. Every time I drive it I feel amazed at how modern it feels almost 10 years after it was launched.

[shp4man]

Way ahead of it's time.

[Payman]

[SVT666]

I think my car was a bit ahead of its time - especially in all the electronics and adjustability. It was criticised a lot for it back in 2006. Today basically every car in the segment has the adjustability. Every time I drive it I feel amazed at how modern it feels almost 10 years after it was launched.

It wasn't ahead of it's time because every car in the segment that followed had it's own version of what your car has.  It started the adjustability craze. 

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Lamborghini Countach! The original Super Car....

[FoMoJo]

[Rich]

The points.  They are being missed by some

I'll throw this one out there. The new Volvo engine architecture. I think using one block and then having battery, super, and/or turbo to help it out based on model/trim will be the future.  But I think that Volvo will take a lot of sales flack for a while until it catches on

[Soup DeVille]

The first generation Tempest



Why? Rear mounted transmission, independant rear suspension, a curved "rope" driveshaft that solved many of the space problems which would later make FWD more desirable in smaller cars.

By '65 GM gave up on all these ideas. Their next divorce mounted transmission would be on a Corvette forty years later.

[280Z Turbo]

Yes, look at how common turbine cars are now.

[Soup DeVille]

The Cosworth Twin Cam Vega.



Okay, so not just ahead of its time, but badly executed and disastrously marketed.

Still, the idea of a compact, four cylinder High Performance car would be vindicated later once the Japanese started selling significant numbers of them.

[280Z Turbo]

GM EV-1: any EV before the Tesla Model S, really

Oldsmobile Jetfire: Aluminum engine, turbocharged

[280Z Turbo]

The first generation Tempest



Why? Rear mounted transmission, independant rear suspension, a curved "rope" driveshaft that solved many of the space problems which would later make FWD more desirable in smaller cars.

By '65 GM gave up on all these ideas. Their next divorce mounted transmission would be on a Corvette forty years later.

GM mostly stopped engineering interesting cars in 1965.

[Soup DeVille]

Lamborghini Countach! The original Super Car....

You misspelled Muira.

The Countach was a styling hit; as radical as it looked in 1971 is hard to explain even today; but the early examples were lackluster performers.

It wasn't until owners started fitting them with wheel flares and proper sized tired that Lamborghini finally got the right idea, and in 5000S trim it finally became a supercar.

[280Z Turbo]

Nobody mentioned the Citroen DS yet!

[MX793]

As everyone knows in the car game timing is everyting... generally I think it's best to be the first in a segment so you get to define it (GTI, 3 series, Accord etc.), but sometimes manufacturers know what customers want before the customers even do

My first submission:



Still not quite handsome per se but come on. BMW & MB totally swagger jacked. I think had this not come out right when the recession hit, and it didn't have that stupid grill, it could have been a low key hit for Acura

You're aware that the X6 came out a year before the ZDX, right?  And the X6 concept debuted 2 years ahead of the ZDX concept.  So BMW hardly swagger jacked Acura.

[Cookie Monster]

The first generation Tempest



Why? Rear mounted transmission, independant rear suspension, a curved "rope" driveshaft that solved many of the space problems which would later make FWD more desirable in smaller cars.

By '65 GM gave up on all these ideas. Their next divorce mounted transmission would be on a Corvette forty years later.

Wait, all Corvettes up till the C6 had a normal transmission and not a transaxle?

[FoMoJo]

Yes, look at how common turbine cars are now.

Could be it's time has not yet come .

[280Z Turbo]

Could be it's time has not yet come .

Sure as hell doesn't look like it.

[93JC]

Wait, all Corvettes up till the C6 had a normal transmission and not a transaxle?

C5s had transaxles, but C4 and before were conventional.

[12,000 RPM]

AMC Eagle.

I wanted to post this but I got pulled into a meeting.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

You misspelled Muira.

The Countach was a styling hit; as radical as it looked in 1971 is hard to explain even today; but the early examples were lackluster performers.

It wasn't until owners started fitting them with wheel flares and proper sized tired that Lamborghini finally got the right idea, and in 5000S trim it finally became a supercar.

Was the Muira considered a Super Car in it's day?

[Raza]

Was the Muira considered a Super Car in it's day?

I think so.  Furthermore, it became the archetype for all supercars. 

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I thought it was more of a GT than Super Car! I could be wrong.....

[Cookie Monster]

C5s had transaxles, but C4 and before were conventional.

Oh, interesting. I didn't know that, thanks!

[cawimmer430]

NSU Ro-80