I’ve seen an Outback Sport with an STI drivetrain swap. Pretty cool, and it’s too bad Subaru didn’t give it a whirl. We did get a “luxury” WRX in the Saab 9-2X.

True fact! I was thinking it was available, but I believe the 3.0-liter flat-six was an option.

Toyota is so conservative that I think the only update planned for 2020 is a new instrument binnacle. I was sort of hoping to see a six-speed auto surface.

You’re right! I thought maybe that appeared...turns out it got the flat-six.

Not only that, I believe you could get an Outback XT *sedan* with manual. All of these have gotten quite rare. But I have seen a couple nice ones come up for sale recently.

Toyota has already given us the V8 in the 4Runner. It’s gone now for a reason. V6 power is plenty for at least 120,000 of those 139,000 buyers, and Toyota’s V6 is built for durability, not outright power. If anything, it’s the power delivery that’s the problem. An NA V6 is peaky and not efficient at lower speeds. We’ll…

No new 4Runner is $70K. I would hope. The poster must have intended to write $50K because I have trouble finding a single one that’s more than that.

That helps explain why, apart from rarity, the Z3 Coupe is often double the value of a droptop with a similar drivetrain.

The Jensen-Healey GT seems to have the best example. Note the unchanged bodywork on the rear flanks. The British seemed to be fond of this approach. Also see Jag XK FHC or MGA coupe.

It’s definitely a limited market. But also very limited production, so you’ll get assured rarity. I think VW sells about 3-4K Golf Rs a year in the U.S. The custom colors are $2,500, which is pricey. It probably means that only a dozen or so bright green 2018 Golf Rs were ever made.

Not much. It’s a limited run with two different colors, LED lights, special wheels, and a couple of other small things. It falls between base S and SE.

Hey, you picked the correct version, too! Those will be the cheapest, least rickety of the bunch, thanks to ‘80s vs ‘70s build quality and the ugly-ish ducktail spoiler.

The part they really missed was the fact it wasn’t as fun to drive as the Miata. The weight was sort of an issue, but mostly it was the inferior manual gearbox and the Ecotec straight from the economy car line. The lack of storage was definitely the final kicker; who wanted a road trip convertible that you couldn’t…

Yep, but only the early cars with the inline-six. In Europe, the manual option lingered for a few years longer but I think it disappeared in the U.S. by 1993 or 1994. I think that’s a desirable spec for the early cars, if you can find them. But the power of the V8 is awfully nice, too. The later models got a 5-speed…

Yeah, the unicorns are more like manual 535xi, 9-3 Aero V6 or Turbo X, Volvo V50 T5, SLK350, V70, Passat W8

Eagle was always true AWD, although later on some versions could be switched to RWD. Subaru’s systems were designed to be part-time until the 1986 XT became the first “symmetrical AWD”-equipped Subaru.

Good to know. I have to imagine it has to do with towing? Or maybe it’s the fact that the Gladiator is only available in a super-long wheelbase configuration.

I think name recognition (and, frankly, reputation) is a big part of it. Again, I’m not saying Volt or Bolt or bad cars, they just missed the mark—look at the listings. Discounts of $5K or more are very common on new Bolt and Volt. You won’t find many of those on Prius Prime.

The auto transmission also often have a dedicated oil cooler that further separates the tow ratings.

I’m sure a diesel option will appear for 2020; none of the other V6s stand out that much against the Pentastar. In fact, the Jeep will likely have an edge at the lower end of the segment with its turbo-four. As it is, the other brands make do with NA fours.