A car platform can cost billions of dollars to develop, which means automakers try to get value out of the existing ones as possible without the consumers realizing their new luxury car is related to a 30-year-old Iranian taxi cab. Here are ten most prostituted car platforms.
10.) Volkswagen PQ34 (1996)
- Audi A3 Mk1 (8L)
- Audi TT Mk1 (8N)
- VW Golf Mk4/VW R32 (1J)
- VW Bora/Jetta IV (1J)
- Shanghai-VW Lavida
- VW New Beetle (1C/1Y/9C)
- SEAT León Mk1 (1M)
- SEAT Toledo Mk2 (1M)
- Škoda Octavia Mk1 (1U)
Volkswagens, Seats, Škodas, Audis, you name it! It's not a big surprise that VW used the same platform for everything from hatchbacks to sports coupes, but this was the point where the first Audi TT met the Chinese-only Volkswagen Lavida.
The MQB is a much smarter system.
Suggested By: willkinton247
9.) Toyota MC (2005)
- 2006 Toyota RAV4
- 2007 Toyota Corolla (2009- in US market)
- 2005 Toyota Avalon
- 2007 Toyota Camry
- 2007 Toyota Aurion
- 2007 Lexus ES
- 2007 Toyota Mark X Zio
- 2008 Toyota Auris/Blade
- 2008 Toyota Highlander
- 2008 Toyota Corolla Rumion/Scion xB
- 2009 Toyota Matrix
- 2009 Toyota Venza
- 2009 Toyota Avensis
- 2010 Lexus HS
- 2010 Lexus RX
- 2010 Toyota Prius
- 2011 Toyota Sienna
- 2011 Scion tC
- 2011 Lexus CT
The MC was short for the Corolla, stretched for the Avalon or heightened for the Highlander. The same on the Scion/Lexus line, but what about this beautiful Pontiac?
nrj:
I was driving my mother-in-law's RX350 last weekend and I couldn't shake the feeling that something about the experience felt weird. Now I know: the Corolla that I had driven earlier was based on the same platform. Looking at pictures, it seems that the area of the vehicle where the windshield meets the hood, right above the firewall, is almost identical on both cars. Given that this area is directly within the driver's line of sight, now it all makes sense.
Funnily enough, when behind the wheel the similarity between the RX350 and the Corolla is more noticeable to me than the similarities between the RX350 and an Avalon (wife has one) or Lexus ES (mom has one).
Suggested By: Grand Moff Talkin', Photo Credit: Hugo90
8.) Volvo P2 (1998)
- 1998 Volvo S80
- 2000 Volvo S60
- 2000 Volvo V70/XC70
- 2003 Volvo XC90
- 2005 Ford Five Hundred
- 2008 Ford Taurus
- 2010 Ford Taurus
- 2005 Ford Freestyle
- 2005 Mercury Montego
- 2008 Mercury Sable
- 2009 Lincoln MKS
- 2009 Ford Flex
- 2010 Lincoln MKT
- 2011 Ford Explorer
When Ford took over Volvo, they simply renamed the already developed P2 to D3 and called it a day. At Volvo, everything from the S60 upwards was built on this, but Ford liked it too and based Fords, Mercuries and Lincolns on the upgraded Swedish technology.
At least you ended up with a unibody Explorer in 2011...
Suggested By: BlakeDaffy
7.) Mitsubishi GS (2005)
- 2005 Mitsubishi Outlander
- 2007 Mitsubishi Lancer
- 2007 Mitsubishi Delica
- 2008Mitsubishi Racing Lancer
- 2010 Mitsubishi RVR
- 2007 Dodge Caliber
- 2007 Jeep Compass
- 2007 Jeep Patriot
- 2008 Dodge Avenger
- 2009 Dodge Journey / Fiat Freemont
- 2007 Chrysler Sebring
- 2011 Chrysler 200
- 2007 Citroën C-Crosser/Peugeot 4007
- 2012 Citroën C4 Aircross/Peugeot 4008
- 2010 Proton Inspira
In Asia, Mitsubishi and Proton. In America, Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler. In Europe, Citroën. Sharing is caring!
Suggested By: Incognigro
6.) Fiat 124 (1966)
- Fiat 124
- SEAT 124
- SEAT 1430
- VAZ-2101 (Lada 1200)
- VAZ-2103 (Lada 1500)
- VAZ-2105 / VAZ-2107 (Lada Riva)
- Murat 124/Tofaş Serçe
- Premier 118NE
- Pirin-Fiat (Bulgaria)
- Fiat-KIA 124 (Korea)
The Italians do this better than anybody, and I could go on and on about Autobianchi's front-wheel drive platform and its offsprings, but the 124 is more exciting.
Most of you know that it was European Car of the Year in 1967 and that it spawned the Lada 1200. And you think the original was better. Think again.
The Lada was developed by the Italians for the Russian market. Its engine is much more advanced, the chassis is better and it only handles worse because they had to raise the body for the Soviet roads. Yet it's true that Ladas managed to end up being worse only due to bad build quality. So there's that.
The Fiat 124 didn't stop at the Soviet borders. Oh no. It was also produced in Spain, Turkey, Egypt, Korea and Bulgaria. Italians knew how to sell.
Suggested By:Blondude, Photo Credit: aldenjewell
5.) General Motors W (1988)
- 1988 Buick Regal
- 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
- 1988 Pontiac Grand Prix
- 1990 Chevrolet Lumina
- 1995 Chevrolet Lumina
- 1995 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
- 1997 Buick Century
- 1997 Buick Regal
- 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue
- 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
- 2000 Chevrolet Impala
- 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
- 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
- 2005 Buick LaCrosse/Allure
- 2006 Chevrolet Impala/Impala Limited
- 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
The W-body was born in 1988, but will remain in production until 2016 thanks to the Police fleet Impalas. Good work GM.
Suggested By: Stig-a-saw-us-wrecks
4.) Ford Fox (1978)
- 1978 Ford Fairmont
- 1978 Mercury Zephyr
- 1981 Ford Durango
- 1980 Ford Granada
- 1981 Ford LTD
- 1980 Mercury Cougar
- 1983 Mercury Marquis
- 1982 Lincoln Continental
- 1979 Ford Mustang
- 1994 Ford Mustang
- 1979 Mercury Capri
- 1980 Ford Thunderbird
- 1980 Mercury Cougar
- 1984 Lincoln Continental
26 years, two Mustang generations. That's how good it was!
Suggested By: Green Pig, Photo Credit: aldenjewell
3.) Chrysler K (1981)
- 1981 Plymouth Reliant
- 1983 Chrysler LeBaron
- 1982 Dodge 400
- 1981 Dodge Aries
- 1982 Dodge Dart K (Mexico)
- 1983 Chrysler Executive
- 1985 Plymouth Caravelle
- plus all the damn minivans
Chrysler's K platform was born at the worst period of the automotive industry, so nobody expected much in the first place, yet Chrysler managed to surprise us all with a run that lasted until 1995. Amazing achievement considering the products.
Suggested By: N2Skylark, Photo Credit: aldenjewell
2.) General Motors J
- 1982 Cadillac Cimarron
- 1982 Oldsmobile Firenza
- 1982 Buick Skyhawk
- 1982 Chevrolet Cavalier
- 1982 Pontiac J2000
- 1983 Pontiac 2000
- 1985 Pontiac Sunbird
- 1995 Pontiac Sunfire
- 1982 Opel Ascona C (Europe and South Africa)
- 1982 Vauxhall Cavalier Mk II (United Kingdom)
- 1983 Isuzu Aska (Japan)
- 1982 Holden Camira (Australia and New Zealand)
- 1982 Chevrolet Monza (Brazil)
- 1995 Toyota Cavalier (Japan)
- 1990 Daewoo Espero
Why worse than the K-cars? Listen to what abgwin has to say:
It's far worse than the K, because Chrysler actually made variants of the K with different lengths, sheetmetal, and capabilities (G, E, Y, H, etc etc) but the J was so clearly a J, and had so little evolution for so long, it's essentially the poster child for GM's decline.
Cavalier, Sunbird/J2000, Firenza, Skyhawk and, of course, the lovely Cimarron.
Suggested By: abgwin, Photo Credit: Hugo90
1.) Volkswagen Type 1
- Everything, plus more
Ferdinand Porsche's design made almost anything possible on four (or more) wheels for 65 years. That's equally fantastic and terrifying.
Suggested By: burglar can't heart click anything, Photo Credit: aldenjewell
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!
Top Photo Credit: edwaado