What if you lived in a magical place where you could buy old cars straight from the factory? Jalopnik readers thought of these ten classic cars that they would buy new if given a chance.
Welcome back to Answers of the Day — our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
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Photo Credit: Travis Isaacs
10.) Toyota Pickup
Suggested By: dal20402
Why it's still competitive: You can still buy a new Tacoma today, but it's going to be over 600 pounds heavier, eight inches wider, and fifteen inches longer than a ‘Yota Truck from the 1980s.
There are many small business owners who could use something small, simple, rugged, and reliable like these old trucks, and we'd like some of that action, too.
Photo Credit: mallix
9.) Mazda RX-7
Suggested By: Jackie
Why it's still competitive: If you actually get into the deeper chambers of Mazda HQ, you'll hear rumblings that a new rotary RX-7 is in the works. They would do well to follow the formula of the last one they built: difficult to own in the extreme, but equipped with sharp handling, communicative steering, and aching beauty. Oh, and that weird, wonderful engine rounds out the package. It's a younger generation's E-Type Jag.
Photo Credit: Ricky Flores
8.) Infiniti M45
Suggested By: Irving Washington
Why it's still competitive: Nissan never really had its heart in the M45, a straight Japanese import serving as a stopgap full-sizer in the Infiniti lineup. It was the best car they built, with surprisingly retro styling, a boss V8 engine, and tons of class. It never sold well in the early 2000s, but it should have.
Photo Credit: Anthony Stone
7.) Buick GNX
Suggested By: ChiefPontiaxe
Why it's still competitive: What if Buick came out with a turbocharged rear-drive bruiser today?Compared to today's hyper-efficient turbocharged front-drivers, the turbo-V6 GNX wouldn't be the fastest car around anymore, but it would still be fantastically cool.
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove
6.) Audi Quattro
Suggested By: ferli
Why it's still competitive: The Bavarians in Ingolstadt have lost their way a bit with the new RS-models. They try and try to be BMWs, down to the newest RS4's über-fiddly dynamic controls.
What Audi should do is just take a small coupe, heave an engine all the way in front of the front axle and give the whole thing four-wheel-drive. It won't be the most beautifully-driving machine out there, but it'll be fast and full of character, just like the original Audi Quattro.
Photo Credit: Audi
5.) BMW 2002
Suggested By: F40LM
Why it's still competitive: It's a stylish, small, rear-drive sport sedan. What more needs to be said?
Photo Credit: Jim Culp
4.) W126 Mercedes-Benz
Suggested By: Nibby4WD
Why it's still competitive: These 1980s S-Classes are about as close to the ultimate Mercedes as the company ever got. They didn't feel assembled so much as carved. They still have presence like little else on the road. Just stick an old S-class sedan or SEC coupe in a Benz showroom today, and it will look like the proudest car there.
Photo Credit: Michael Gil
3.) Porsche 550 Spyder
Suggested By: rawtoast
Why it's still competitive: What if Porsche debuted a roadster, much smaller than the Boxster, but with a competitive international racing history? So long as the engine was spritely and the handling sharp, it'd be the best car they'd sell.
Photo Credit: vvvracer
2.) Ford Mustang Boss 302
Suggested By: rawtoast
Why it's still competitive: We like the new Mustangs well enough, but we'd really like one that's a good bit smaller, lighter, and simpler. The whole package should be track ready, and the V8 under the hood should be rev-happy. Basically, we want to buy a 1970 Boss 302.
Photo Credit: Jim Culp
1.) BMW E30 M3
Suggested By: E30 M3 Guy (Surprise!)
Why it's still competitive: If the first M3 was never built, but introduced as new today, it would not be the fastest car in BMW's lineup. It'd have to work to keep up with a base 1-series, but it would be the lightest, most entertaining car they'd build.
In fact, an E30 M3 would likely be the most entertaining car on sale from any manufacturer, and it would still be spacious enough to serve a one-car household. We'd pick one up in a heartbeat.
Photo Credit: Otis Blank