Sure it's only early October, but let's be honest; the whole month is just a big lead up to Halloween. In that spirit, Lets reexamine the list of the Ten Scariest looking cars of all time.
Sharp Jalopniks and readers of the last paragraph and title might remember that this has been done before. In defense of my unoriginality, the initial list appeared to me and others to have a few inexcusable oversights of some of the scariest cars to roll out of a factory. So, I set out to right this wrong and at the same time put myself in the running for the next weekend editor.
These 10 cars promise to strike fear in your heart if you see one late at night on a lonely stretch of highway for one reason or another. Below are the OTHER 10 meanest, angriest and scary-cool looking cars ever seen.
10) Audi R8
The Audi R8 looks like a car on the hunt. Cold, mean, and strictly business, this car made it clear it was after the traditional supercar from the moment it was released. The addition of the more powerful 5.2 V8 in 2008 sealed the place of its signature LED headlights in the supercar establishment's bad dreams.
[Photo Credit: Thomas Doerfer]
9) 1961 Plymouth
1961 was the first year since 1955 that Plymouths did not have towering fins on the rear end of the car. It seems as though designer Virgil Exner decided if wasn't going to have fins on the back, he was going to make the front of the car as mean looking as possible. Mission Accomplished.
8) Ferrari Enzo
What do a Siberian Tiger and a Ferrari Enzo have in common? They're both endangered, beautiful and will happily kill you if you give them a chance. Sure any supercar in the wrong hands is a recipe for disaster, but as has been well documented on Jalopnik, Enzos are especially prone to trying to kill or injure their owner. Much like the tiger, the Enzo looks like it knows how dangerous it is, and much like the tiger, it doesn't care.
[Photo Credit: Maurizio Manna]
7) 1988 BMW M5
All BMW M5s that hit North America in 1988 were black with blacked out trim and looked like they meant business. When produced it was the fastest sports sedan in the world and was the yuppie's answer to the GNX. To this day the E28 platform is a striking design and the addition of euro spec bumpers like the example above takes the car from mean looking to downright sinister.
6) 1987 Buick GNX
It was on the original 10 scariest looking cars of all time, but to have a list of scary looking cars without it wouldn't be right. To quote fictional rock star Nigel Tufnel from the movie Spinal Tap; "Its like, how much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None more black".
5) Mercedes W100 600 Pullman Limo
Just the size, appearance and sound of one of these Pullman limos going down the road is enough to startle you. In limited production from 1963-1981, they weigh in at 6100 pounds, are over 20 feet long and come with the loudest horn ever fitted to a production car. When you take into account these were favored by dictators, war lords, and deceased celebrities who knows what kind of ghosts or demons are along for the ride.
[Photo Credit: Thomas Doerfer]
4) 1970 Dodge Super Bee
The Super bee's "bumble-bee wing" front grille design only lasted a year and contributed to a 1/3 drop in sales compared to the previous year. Too extreme for some when new, 40 years later the distinctive sneer of the Super Bee has been a big part of making it one of the more valuable and sought after examples of the muscle-car era. It's not just about the looks though, the Super Bee has the power to back up it's buzz. Equipped with a 426 Hemi the Bee ran a 13.5 second ¼ mile off the showroom floor.
3) 1958 Plymouth Fury
First off, it is called a Fury. If that doesn't get you, it was the star of the Stephen King book and later John Carpenter movie "Christine" which starred the car as a possessed and nearly indestructible murder machine. This car did everything from run down pedestrians while on fire to crush someone to death against it's own steering wheel. One of the movie taglines was "Hell hath no fury like a Plymouth's scorn" which accurately describes the ownership experience of one of these cars, even when it is not trying to murder your girlfriend, friends and family. Ask me how I know.
2) 1994-1996 Impala SS
This is the car dark figures such as Darth Vader and the Grim Reaper traded their GNX's and M5's in for when it was time to enjoy their golden years. A little more subdued and luxurious but still equally menacing the Impala SS was available in 3 colors but the majority of cars produced were black. Although it was the first 4 door to be graced with the Impala SS name, few had complaints about the car living up to the name. If they did, they weren't made to the cars face.
1) 1959 Buick
In a decade filled with scary looking cars, this surely wears the crown. Trying to count the amount of children terrified by the beast sitting in their neighbor's driveway in the late 50s and early 60s would be impossible, but one thing is sure, it hasn't gotten softer with age. From the slanted fender eyebrows to the gaping chrome grille, The car looks enraged and carnivorous covered with even the brightest of 50s pastels. Find one in black and you better be sure you lock the garage at night, from the outside.
[Photo Credit: Nimmerya]
This piece was written and submitted by a Jalopnik reader and may not express views held by Jalopnik or its staff. But maybe they will become our views. It all depends on whether or not this person wins by whit of your eyeballs in our reality show, "Who Wants to be America's Next Top Car Blogger?"