For every landmark, legendary automobile there is in history, there’s a poor sap of a car that has to succeed it.
10.) Ford Police Interceptor Sedan
The Crown Victoria is world-famous for being a car of all trades. Whether you need a reliable police patrol vehicle, taxi cab or maybe even a donk (let’s hope not), you can count on a Crown Vic. After being discontinued in 2011, Ford had to come up with something that could replace the Crown Vic as the Swiss Army Knife of cars. This was their ‘Police Interceptor Sedan’.
The Police Interceptor Sedan is based off the sixth generation Ford Taurus and has indeed been able to hold its ground against its police interceptor competitors. Well, except from its big brother, the Ford Explorer Police Interceptor.
Suggested By: Will, Photo Credit: André Gustavo Stumpf via Flickr
9.) Mazda RX-8
The Mazda RX-8 is the wankel-rotary powered Mazda sports car that RX-7 enthusiasts had been waiting forever for. To some, it was the perfect modern successor to the RX-7. To others, it wasn’t even close.
Suggested By: XYCromersome, Photo Credit: order_242
8.) Porsche 928
In the 1970s, Porsche feared that interest level and desire for 911s was dropping. To replace the old rear-engined car, they began developing the 928. As a successor to the 911, the 928 didn’t fair very well. It was more expensive, less reliable and less of a sports car. Porsche realized that it didn’t make sense to replace the 911 with the 928. That’s why they’ve kept building the 911 (for 52 years and counting), and the 928 got only 18 years of production.
Suggested By: BenLikesCars, Photo Credit: easylocum via Flickr
7.) Honda CR-Z
The original Honda CR-X was an all around great little Japanese hatchback. By resurrecting similar body lines, Honda was able to bring the CR-X into modern days as the CR-Z. The problem was that they matched the styling to a slow, unenthused hybrid that lacked the spirit and enjoyment factor that had made the original CR-X so desirable.
Suggested By: Vlan1, Photo Credit: Honda via Jalopnik
6.) VW GTi Mk2
Upon launch, the Mk1 GTi was extremely desirable because of its high-octane spirit, practicality and usability. With its first redesign, VW had to work to not lose those great characteristics. I think they did a pretty good job. Hell, I might even go as far as to say it looks better too.
Suggested By: Lumpy44, Not angry Canadian, Sorry. , Photo Credit: mick baker via Flickr
5.) Ford GT
The Ford GT40 is an icon in the automotive world, with classic design, balls-out performance and endurance racing heritage. Somehow Ford successfully incorporated all of these traits when they designed a modern GT for 2005, maybe even more.
Suggested By: Michael Prichinello, Photo Credit: Brian Snelson via Wikipedia
4.) BMW E60 M5
The E60 M5 is undoubtedly a fantastic performance sedan and a worthy competitor to the Mercedes-Benz E63 and Audi S6 of its time. But what about to its predecessor, the E39?
Suggested By: Brian Silvestro, Photo Credit: OSX via Wikipedia
3.) McLaren P1
The McLaren F1 was a car bestowed upon the world from the Gods themselves. Not only had the car become a benchmark in the automotive world, it set the stage for what was to come in the future. When McLaren was brought back into the realm of mass-production supercars with their popular MP4-12C, it took them very little time to realize they needed a new flagship car to truly be a worthy competitor on the global stage. This flagship car was the P1.
Suggested By: 472CID, Photo Credit: Norbert Aepli via Wikipedia
2.) BMW E36 M3
The ‘90s M3 is regarded as the least favorable M3 of the bunch. Following in the footsteps of the E30 M3’s, one of the most iconic sports cars of all time, probably didn’t help the E36’s reputation. The E36 M3 is by no means a bad car, but when compared to what it was replacing, the driving emotion and feeling isn’t there.
Suggested By: AMGFTMFW, Photo Credit: nakhon100 via Flickr
1.) Ferrari F50
Often I find it difficult to understand why people focus on what’s wrong with the F50 when there’s so much right with it. Then I remember what car came before it. How could Ferrari top the F40?
Some argue its looks weren’t as aggressive as the F40 and some argue that its power delivery wasn’t aggressive enough compared to the F40’s twin-turbo V8 setup. I’m gonna argue that the noise of its F1 sourced V12 motor is brilliant and I don’t want to hear another word about it.
Suggested By: SomethingGerman, Photo Credit: Ferrari via Jalopnik
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: Porsche