Perhaps it was climate change. Maybe a meteor hit and killed them off. Or maybe, just maybe they were wiped out by a superior species. The cars that I’ve liked over the years died out. Let’s look at some more of them.
Gone to the Guillotine: CADILLAC XLR-V
Badge-engineering at it’s finest. One the plus side, this was a car that you wanted to be seen in. The 4.6 liter 320hp V-8 didn’t hurt either. When you put full-blown motors in, it makes Grandpa really happy.
Gone to the Guillotine: TESLA ROADSTER
Proving that the wealthy can have an environmentally sensitive side, too, Tesla managed to sell every $100k-plus Roadster it built. Impractical as anything other than a sunny-day toy, the demise of the Lotus Elise in the U.S. signaled the end of Tesla Roadster production.
Gone to the Guillotine: LEXUS HS250
Re-bodying a Prius, upping the luxury content and adding $13k to the sticker was sheer genius. (Please, stop laughing!) When the more affordable Lexus CT 200h hybrid was released and trumped the HS250’s best efforts, that was genius as well. (No really, stop laughing) Lexus produced a car to steal sales from its other car. Lexus pulled the plug on a car that although Corolla-like, was more in tune with Lexus’ style.
Gone to the Guillotine: MAYBACH AND SAAB
There has been tons of press about these two companies dying. I will not waste pixels languishing in sorrow. I will ask a simple question: How can we lose two marques in the same season? Maybe this is what happens when you challenge juggernauts like GM and Rolls Royce.
Gone to the Guillotine: PONTIAC G8 GXP
America’s best Australian hit since Crocodile Dundee. Ground-pounding performance at rock bottom prices. I could go grocery shopping in Indiana and be home to Illinois before the ice cream melts.
Gone to the Guillotine: BMW M1
It’s history reads like ancient Greek folklore and its presence is a milestone event. What other car do you know that is so revered, that its name is not used unless paying respect within the annals of Autodom. M1…..’nuff said.
Please take a moment of commemoration with this video remembering the Tesla Roadster while I get myself together for the final installment of our memorial. https://tflstudios.wpengine.com/2012/04/modern-collectibles-revealed-2009-2012-tesla-roadster/
