A time-honored tradition for car enthusiasts is anxiously awaiting the next generation of the [insert model name] to see in what ways it’s better or worse than the previous model. Most of the time, the new thing is an improvement overall, as car technology is ever improving, and car styling ages quickly, so newer = better is frequently true. But not always, which brings us to today’s Ask and those cars that felt like missed opportunities at the time, or maybe seemed like the right car for their moment but in retrospect leave you pining for what could have been. My call was the fourth-gen Eclipse, a real miss as a chonky cruiser that should have been a lighter, more lithe machined (and less goofy looking). I put the question to the gang:
Brian
The Alfa Romeo 4C stands in my mind as one of the biggest almost-hits of the 2010s. It had so much going for it: An absolutely stunning design, a carbon-fiber monocoque, a mid-engine powertrain with a snarly turbocharged four-cylinder at its heart.
But despite all that, it’s sort of faded into obscurity for two reasons: 1) Because it wasn’t very good to drive, and 2) Because it didn’t have a manual transmission. Had it come with a third pedal instead of that standard dual-clutch, any qualms about driving quality would’ve been quickly forgiven, and the 4C would be cemented in history.
Jason
I always thought the ID.Buzz became a missed opportunity. This was a car I was eagerly anticipating – I’ve been hoping VW would resurrect the Type 2 as a modern car for a long time, and really lean into its retro aesthetic, so when they first started showing prototypes (which started way back in 2001, remember) I was very excited.
The end result had a lot of the look I was hoping for, but the decision to make it a pure battery EV – which was an understandable choice, considering VW was crawling out of the Dieselgate morass – saddled it with a price that’s just too damn high and the low-ish range limits its ability to do what it should do best: be a fantastic road trip car.
A new Microbus should have been a slam dunk for VW. What we got just wasn’t.
Stephen
Chrysler Aspen. Especially with how far out front they were with the hybrid version way back in the pre-bankruptcy days. Full-size, 4WD Hemi lux truck is a highly lucrative and profitable segment, and one that fits the Chrysler brand perfectly. Additional investment could’ve segmented the Aspen as a continued offering in the segment and offered a viable choice vs the other domestic full-size SUVs and the Armada/QX.
Sadly, we know that the Aspen was short lived and today Chrysler continues to flounder with only one minivan offered in its stable for years now
Your turn:
What Cars Were The Biggest Missed Opportunities?
Top graphic image: Mitsubishi
As the former owner of three 1st gen Insights, one with a 240hp K20a engine swap, I can definitively state that the 2nd gen Insight broke my heart. Honda, in one generation went from a cost-no-option moonshot of a car that thumbed its nose at the accountants to a car that was a crappy 2nd gen Prius knockoff 10% less efficient than a Prius & 10% smaller than a Prius.
I remember its unveiling, I’ve never heard a louder sad trombone in my life.
PT Cruiser… It was one optional AWD system away from being turned into an entry level CUV for Chrysler.
But apparently FCA/Stellantis doesn’t like having growing sales for Dodge or Chrysler
This is kind of an opportunity in the process of being missed, but the reboot Honda Prelude is what I think of. It could have been *so good*, but the price and a couple design decisions will (likely) doom it.
The Suzuki C2 concept. They could have had a real competitor to the Miata decades before the toyobaru twins.