Normally, a Toyota Camry really isn’t thought of as a rare car, unless it’s the predecessor to the Solara, the Camry Coupe.
The coupe version of the third-gen Camry was only sold in North America from 1994-1996, making at least somewhat of an unusual sight on the road.
What are some rare versions of totally normal cars that you know …
The odd cases where somebody signed off on a performance minivan options package: The Dodge Caravan with the 2.5 Turbo / 5 speed manual option, and the AMG R63 are the only two I can think of.
Mazda6 hatchback (looks nearly identical to the sedan but has a rear wiper).
Any modern pickup in regular cab form, but especially with a short bed and 2wd.
For me it was always the Shelby CSX:
The Shelby version of the Dodge Shadow....I used to own a regular Shadow for awhile and loved the car...almost bought a CSX for $900 about 12 years ago, but backed out simply because it needed so many Shelby specific pieces to be restored.
How about the Chevrolet Classic, the fleet/rental car version of the Malibu.
And one a bit more old school. Growing up, everyone had a 1977-'85 Impala/Caprice--including my grandparents. (We had the Malibu.)
The cool Impala from that time period? Those coupes.
I've always had a thing for the Mk IV R32.
With bit over 10K built and almost half sent to the US, it's not quite a "unicorn" although it was a one-year only car. The "last-hurrah" for the Mk IV chassis Golf. Love it or hate it, the Mk IV did set a standard for base level cars that rippled through the industry to this day - mainly in the interior.
I'll have one in blue, please. (clipped from a BaT auction listing that sold for $62K - 
):
Everyone knows about the lowly Ford Escort. Most people know about the "sporty" GT hatchback.
Almost nobody knows about the LX-E, the less popular sedan equivalent of the GT.
Even fewer people have heard of the Mercury version, the Tracer LTS.
I'm going to add the VW Toureg V10 TDI.
Nobody needs a diesel V10, but if I had nothing but money to burn, I'd pick one up in a heartbeat.
Yes, I know I have a problem:
1995 Saturn SW2. Only year with the 1st gen body, and 2nd gen interior.
Not sure if this is considered normal, but:
Z32 Slicktop. The lightest version of the Z32, and super rare. I miss mine.
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15119288/2013-kia-rio5-sx-manual-instrumented-test-review/
I know I know I know..... but it's really awesome.
Ian F (Forum Supporter) said:I've always had a thing for the Mk IV R32.
With bit over 10K built and almost half sent to the US, it's not quite a "unicorn" although it was a one-year only car. The "last-hurrah" for the Mk IV chassis Golf. Love it or hate it, the Mk IV did set a standard for base level cars that rippled through the industry to this day - mainly in the interior.
I'll have one in blue, please. (clipped from a BaT auction listing that sold for $62K -
I had a 1999.5 Golf GL in Jazz Blue - the same color as the R32 (and the Audi RS2). It was only available for that short model year and VW Vortex doesn't think it exists because they're so rare. I had to have mine brought in from Quebec. Wind up windows, the only option was AC. Then I put 225s on it and it ceased to have any handling, it just had grip and not enough power to do anything about it.
So there's a unicorn for you :)
And here's another. Regular cab short wheelbase Tundra. It's a cartoon!
Keith Tanner said:And here's another. Regular cab short wheelbase Tundra. It's a cartoon!
I recall reading that these are quite sleeperish... the shortbed, single cab, 2wd runs ~14 flat or something?
In reply to ProDarwin :
Sort of related, I want to say that we once had a cool T100 in the press fleet: DOHC V6, five-speed manual, rear-drive and standard cab. It wasn't a TRD.
Forester XT
Does the new Ram TRX count? I know I'm still a little kid, but those things are cool. Way too fancy, but very cool.
IS300 with a stick. They exist, but just barely.
In reply to Patrick (Forum Supporter) :
When I was in highschool there was a kid running around with one of these. Looked super cool to me but I was always confused about that faux-grille. I just assumed it was custom.
Does the GMC Syclone count?
That'd be my favorite, or the 3rd gen Turbo Trans Am.
eastsideTim said:Does the GMC Syclone count?
That'd be my favorite, or the 3rd gen Turbo Trans Am.
To go even more rare, how about a Syclone Marlboro?
SHO
SVT Countour
Lightning
Bullet Mustang (the 01 or the 08 and 19)
Ford has a lot of these types of cars
In reply to David S. Wallens :
A Unicorn of a Unicorn! Unicornception.
In reply to eastsideTim :
How long is your mullet?
I'm not disparaging. Those are two of my all time favorites.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
Whoever thought about putting t-tops in a minitruck was an absolute genius.
geo Storm GSi. Engine designed by Lotus and built by Isuzu. Car built by Geo, a division of GM...
I raced one fir a bit. Pretty sporty, but not against the Integras.
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