If we're talking about cars that the US never got, we all think of Japanese legends such as the Nissan Skyline, but believe it or not there are some really good cars from Europe, that our American friends never got to drive.
Here are 4 great examples:
1. Peugeot RCZ
This stylish French coupe was meant to rival the Audi TT, but it was front wheel drive only. It was announced as the 308 RCZ Concept at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show and two years later, in 2009 they unveiled the production ready model. It was available with various petrol and diesel engines, the most powerful one being a 1.6 liter inline four-cylinder turbo in the RCZ R model with 270 PS. Also, Top Gear gave it the 2010 Coupe of the Year award. Unfortunately the RCZ has got discontinued in 2015.
Pre facelift RCZ:
Facelifted RCZ:
2. Ford S-Max
I know. I know. You might ask "Why is there an MPV on this list?” but trust me, the S-Max is not your boring everyday MPV. The S-Max is hailed as one of the best cars in it's class. Introduced at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, the S-Max was the first vehicle in Ford's lineup to feature the Kinetic Design, which is one of Ford's best designs in my opinion. It was also chosen European Car of the Year in 2007. The second generation (introduced in 2015) also has the option of all wheel drive and a 2.0 liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine with 240 PS, but the best option is the 2.0 liter TDCI turbodiesel four-cylinder with 180 PS, because of it's 400 NM of torque and great fuel economy. And as a bonus, the first gen model was available in Tango Red, which is my personal favorite Ford color (It's extremely rare though).
Pre facelift first generation S-Max in Tango Red:
Facelifted first generation S-Max:
Second generation S-Max:
3. Volkswagen Scirocco
The third generation Scirocco was a sporty three door hatchback based on the Golf. It doesn't just look good, but has serious performance. The high performance Scirocco R model makes 265 PS from it's 2.0 liter TFSI engine. It's safe too, with a five star EuroNCAP safety rating. The new Scirocco was unveiled at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. Also, Top Gear has awarded the Scirocco Car of the Year 2008. Unfortunately, VW has stopped the Scirocco's production in 2017.
Pre facelift Scirocco:
Facelifted Scirocco:
4. Fiat Coupe
So, it's the early 90s and Fiat isn't selling cars in the US because of their bad reputation. What do they do? Exactly! They build one of their best cars and never sell it in the US. It was introduced at the 1993 Brussels Motor Show. The body was designed by Chris Bangle (who later designed many BMWs, such as the E60 5 series, etc.) and the interior was designed by Pininfarina. The most powerful version was the 20v Turbo, with a 2.0 litre inline five-cylinder engine, making a respectable 220 PS and it also had a limited slip differential. It's also nicknamed as the "Poor Man's Ferrari" because it's sporty, Italian and it looks kinda like a Ferrari. And there was also a Limited Edition version in 1998, which featured a special body kit, different wheels, Brembo brake calipers, a 6 speed gearbox, push-button start, a strut brace and Recaro sport seats. Production has stopped in 2000.
Fiat Coupe:
Fiat Coupe Limited Edition:
Thank you for reading my first take. I hope you liked it. I did my best to write as much as possible. Sorry if I couldn't write that much about the Scirocco, but I don't know that much about it, and there wasn't a whole lot on Wikipedia either.
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