The Forgotten Cars Thread

  • Thread starter el fayce
  • 1,376 comments
  • 163,278 views
The BMW 330i xDrive Gran Turismo was sold in the US a few years ago. A BMW 3-series with a hatchback look, no wonder nobody bought it. :lol:
1715298681970.png
 
The BMW 330i xDrive Gran Turismo was sold in the US a few years ago. A BMW 3-series with a hatchback look, no wonder nobody bought it. :lol:
View attachment 1354189
Both the 3er and 5er GTs look hideous. In general, I like hatchbacks, I for one like the 1er BMWs, even the current ones (as long as we don't consider that they're FWD...) but these 2 are simply atrocious...
 
Last edited:
GT models still exist.. 6GT probably the most externally appealing of the lot.
Only the 5-series GT and 3-series GT were sold in the U.S. likely due to BMW realizing that sales probably never topped a few hundred per year. Probably flopped because they were sedans with a "SUV coupe" body, rather than SUVs with a "SUV coupe" body which is why in comparison the X6 has done rather well. I agree that the 6-GT looks better than the 5 and 3.
 
I liked the old 02 hatchbacks, but it’s as if BMW missed the styling of the concept above. I can also understand the design rules that dictate what a car looks like, but BMW’s history of style should be prominent.
The GT models were about trying to sell something that wasn't a touring to markets that don't buy tourings, that wasn't an SUV. BMW invented the sports utility coupe with the X6, which has - for better or worse caught on - the GT models were the flipside (the better side) of that coin.. they are great cars to be in, better than compromised 'trucks' Sports activity coupes... better than hearse like tourers with their saloon like limitations... but they looked odd - for the time - and didn't catch on...

The Frau coupe concept you've posted, though a personal favourite, is nothing to do with anything. Frau stitched any front end he could on to the same body, and hawked it around any manufacturers he could, which is why no other part of it looks like a BMW.
 
Only the 5-series GT and 3-series GT were sold in the U.S. likely due to BMW realizing that sales probably never topped a few hundred per year. Probably flopped because they were sedans with a "SUV coupe" body, rather than SUVs with a "SUV coupe" body which is why in comparison the X6 has done rather well. I agree that the 6-GT looks better than the 5 and 3.
The earlier 6-Series GT was actually sold in the U.S. We never got the later LCI (facelifted) model as it was killed off around 2019. (Used to work at a BMW dealership and these were around brand new when I started in 2019)
 
I was pretty sure they made one but I forgot what the NBS Chevy stepside looked like.

maxresdefault.jpg


I think it's mostly due to not having seen one in so long but I also may have subconsciously wiped them from my memory because they are so ugly.
 
The GT models were about trying to sell something that wasn't a touring to markets that don't buy tourings, that wasn't an SUV. BMW invented the sports utility coupe with the X6, which has - for better or worse caught on - the GT models were the flipside (the better side) of that coin.. they are great cars to be in, better than compromised 'trucks' Sports activity coupes... better than hearse like tourers with their saloon like limitations... but they looked odd - for the time - and didn't catch on...

The Frau coupe concept you've posted, though a personal favourite, is nothing to do with anything. Frau stitched any front end he could on to the same body, and hawked it around any manufacturers he could, which is why no other part of it looks like a BMW.
Suzuki would beg to differ ;)

images.jpg
 
The earlier 6-Series GT was actually sold in the U.S. We never got the later LCI (facelifted) model as it was killed off around 2019. (Used to work at a BMW dealership and these were around brand new when I started in 2019)
Nice, I didn't know that!
 
The sedan Dodge Avenger 2007-2014 was pretty much forgotten as soon as it was cancelled in '14. To me, it looked like a slightly uglier Charger with a shorter rear quarter panel. I can't really blame Chrysler for getting rid of it as it was really just an slightly less powerful Dodge Charger despite being more closely related to the Dodge Caliber (which was also quickly forgotten).
1715822905648.png


1715823526206.png
 
Maybe we’re trying to revive this concept from way back.
View attachment 1354549
View attachment 1354550

I liked the old 02 hatchbacks, but it’s as if BMW missed the styling of the concept above. I can also understand the design rules that dictate what a car looks like, but BMW’s history of style should be prominent.
Love that one, once stood next to it and was first wondering if I missed a chapter in BMWs design history till I saw it was a concept. I think it was Frua who designed it.
 
I was pretty sure they made one but I forgot what the NBS Chevy stepside looked like.

maxresdefault.jpg


I think it's mostly due to not having seen one in so long but I also may have subconsciously wiped them from my memory because they are so ugly.
It's beautiful.
 
Saturn Outlook: A full-size SUV that resembles a GMC Acadia, has the same engine as an Acadia, was made in the same factory as the Acadia, but comes with a Saturn badge.
1716849147294.png
 
Last edited:
While not necessarily counter to the spirit of the thread, it's sort of strange to think of such low volume things, especially of examples out of South Africa and even Iran Israel, as forgotten.

Edit: Sabra GT was out of Israel, not Iran. Oops. It should have been obvious with that name.
 
Last edited:
While not necessarily counter to the spirit of the thread, it's sort of strange to think of such low volume things, especially of examples out of South Africa and even Iran Israel, as forgotten.

Edit: Sabra GT was out of Israel, not Iran. Oops. It should have been obvious with that name.
Yeah ok, but there are cars in this thread that would be in the same category, and even concept cars, so volume shouldn’t be a problem in general.
And even when these cars are generally unknown today and sure haven’t been the most popular at their time, they had some more attention as most people would assume.
I’m collecting old car catalogs from Switzerland, and in some from the 60s you see some catchy advertisements for Sabra Sports cars along the ones from Alfa Romeo, VW etc..
The Siva Sirio had some noticeable attention when it was presented at an big auto show and a good number of pre orders, but it failed because of financial problems.
The Tornado Talisman was good in racing back then as far as I know, and is said to be the inspiration for Colin Chapman‘s Lotus Elan.
These cars were for some parts more present back then, at least for car enthusiasts (and we too are car enthusiasts). There’s no big difference in my eyes to cars like Lister Storm, Panoz Esperante or a Venturi Atlantique, these will be as forgotten as the cars I posted. They just not forgotten for you, but for car enthusiasts coming from that age.
 
I'm not sure how "forgotten" you guys consider the Inifniti FX50, but I rarely hear it come up in discussions. Usually, when people are looking for a V8-powered 2000s SUVs, the ones that come up are the X5 and Cayenne. With nearly 400 horsepower and a 0-60 time at around 5 seconds, it's just a tiny bit slower than the Cayenne Turbo S of it's era. Unfortunately, most of the ones for sale currently have pretty high miles- as expected for a 15 year old Infiniti.
1718997951395.png

1718997967099.png
 
Had a soft spot for the VW Arteon, but it's certainly a forgotten car here in North America. Always tried to recommend a CPO one when someone said they wanted an Audi sedan/liftback for around $40k or less. Of course I wish we had the Shooting Brake here. Also feels like you hardly saw these on the road compared to the Passat CC's it succeeded.
944114-7.jpg
 
One that's quite forgotten and that I used to see all the time on the road up until recently, the Lancia Lybra:

1732750988323.jpeg


Classically styled and developed on generally the same chassis as the Alfa Romeo 156 but with different types of suspensions, it could be optioned with a smattering of engines including some 4 cylinder options or the range topping 2.0 20v 5-cylinder petrol or even a 2.4 JTD 5-cylinder diesel.

1732751093171.jpeg


The interior was actually pretty great quality-wise, with optional genuine Alcantara or leather seats, real walnut burr trim and a honestly very nice infotainment system by Bose!
One of my relatives had one and it may be one of the most confortable cars I've ever sat in, the climate control was honestly bonkers on how good it was!
 
One that's quite forgotten and that I used to see all the time on the road up until recently, the Lancia Lybra:

View attachment 1408662

Classically styled and developed on generally the same chassis as the Alfa Romeo 156 but with different types of suspensions, it could be optioned with a smattering of engines including some 4 cylinder options or the range topping 2.0 20v 5-cylinder petrol or even a 2.4 JTD 5-cylinder diesel.

View attachment 1408663

The interior was actually pretty great quality-wise, with optional genuine Alcantara or leather seats, real walnut burr trim and a honestly very nice infotainment system by Bose!
One of my relatives had one and it may be one of the most confortable cars I've ever sat in, the climate control was honestly bonkers on how good it was!
I really like these Lancias from that era, the Lybra, Thesis or the Kappa Coupe
 
Back