The mass-produced automobile as we know it has been around for over 100 years. Whether you want to go all the way back to Carl Benz’s 1886 Patent-Motorwagen, which was the first car ever invented, or stick to more recognizable early mass-production vehicles like the 1908 Ford Model T, there’s no getting around it: cars have been around for centuries.
We’ve seen all kinds of four-wheelers come and go over the years. Some, like the iconic Lamborghini Miura, have become all-time classics that even the most casual gearhead will know and love. Others quickly faded into obscurity, sometimes unfairly: a quick look at the many forgotten two-seater sports cars of recent decades shows that even fun driver’s cars can end up by the wayside for one reason or another, their charms forgotten by all but the most dedicated of fans (or automotive historians).
Sportiness does not guarantee a car’s place in history, unfortunately, nor does the presence of a power boost like a supercharger. Despite the supercharger’s popularity as a hot rodder-approved way to add power—and its association with big-box engines like the Hellcat HEMI—there have been many supercharged vehicles over the years that, for better or worse, have been lost in the mists of time. Here are five such cars from major manufacturers like Mazda, Toyota and Ford.
Read more: 5 of the worst V6 engines ever made
1994-1997 Toyota Previa
White Toyota Previa parked in front of a red brick building – OttoEx/YouTube
There are a lot of adjectives that probably come to mind when you think of the minivan, but “supercharged” probably isn’t one of them. For a few years in the mid-90s, however, that’s exactly how buyers and the automotive press could describe the first-generation Toyota Previa.
The Previa debuted in 1991 and caused quite a stir, with reviewers of the time praising its aerodynamic, egg-shaped design, mid-engine layout and great interior. It was a well thought out and practical minivan and has quite a vibrant fan base to this day. What it wasn’t, however, was quick: the inline-4 produced 138 hp, which wasn’t quite enough for a full-size MPV. The weak engine, plus a tendency to be unreliable, means the first-gen Previa has a terrible reputation compared to its Toyota siblings.
Toyota probably knew they had to do something with the engine and came up with a simple solution: forced induction. The company’s engineers took the Toyota MR2 supercharger, modified it, and mounted it in the front of the minivan, which pushed power and torque up to 161 hp and 201 lb-ft. Toyota first offered the supercharged engine in the 1994 Previa LE S/C, before making it available on the DX in 1995. Toyota dropped the naturally aspirated inline-4 in 1996, and the Previa was only available with the supercharged engine for the last two years. Supercharged engine or not, however, the Previa was not a hit with buyers; Toyota replaced it with the Sienna beginning in the 1998 model year.
Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe 1989-1995
Red Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe parked on the ground with greenery and lake in the background – Greg Gjerdingen/Wikimedia Commons
The Ford Thunderbird is probably best remembered for being an icon of American cruiser culture in the 1950s, but the nameplate lasted many decades after its heyday in the ’50s and ’60s. It survived into the early 2000s, but this short-lived 11th-generation model isn’t what we’re concerned with. Instead, let’s look at its 10th-generation predecessor, which Ford built between 1989 and 1997.
This 10th-gen Thunderbird, while not a classic by any stretch of the imagination, had quite a few things going for it: it had a V8 (eventually, at least; the 1989 and 1990 models only came with a V6), independent rear suspension and, in Super Coupe form, a supercharger. The Thunderbird Super Coupe, available since 1989, was the most powerful 10th generation Thunderbird built by Ford. Its supercharged V6 produced a solid 210 hp and 315 lb-ft of torque, 10 hp and 40 lb-ft more than the Windsor V8 that Ford would put in the T-bird in 1991. The company managed to squeeze out a little more power starting in 1995, up to 230 lb-ft and beyond. The 10th generation Thunderbird’s top engine – especially since the V8 had moved to 4.6 liters by 1995.
This iteration of the Thunderbird was generally a sales success, with Ford selling more than 780,000 units over its eight-year run. It didn’t owe much to the Thunderbird Super Coupe, though. Despite winning praise from motoring journalists for its strong acceleration and solid handling, sales barely topped 5,000 units per year for most of its run; only the 1990 model managed to break the 20,000 unit mark.
1993-2003 Eunos 800/Mazda Millenia S
Silver Mazda Millenia in an empty lot with a building in the background – Vantage Auto Retail/YouTube
In the early 1990s, Mazda tried to break into the luxury market with a sub-brand in the style of Lexus and Infiniti for the US. This brand was to be called Amati, with the automaker planning to begin selling luxury cars under this nameplate in the US starting in 1994. The collapse of the Japanese economic bubble and a downturn in them hampered car sales. releasing one of the cars destined for Amati under its own name.
Sold as the Eunos 800 in the Japanese and Australian markets and as the Mazda Xedos 9 in Europe, the sedan debuted in 1993 and was notable for its multi-link suspension, upscale aspirations and the unique Miller-cycle 2.3-liter V6 available on select trims. This supercharged V6 was the world’s first Miller cycle engine and produced approximately 213 horsepower.
The Eunos 800 eventually came to the US as the Mazda Millenia, with the supercharged 2.3-liter engine in tow in the Millenia S. The Millennia S was received quite warmly by the automotive press, with its V6’s smooth power and good fuel economy, plus the car’s excellent overall quality, allowing it to compete well with its Mercedes-Benz and BMW C-5 contemporaries. The Millenia S continued into the 2000s with the same supercharged V6 before Mazda ended production in late 2003 and exited the luxury market the following year.
1995-1999 Buick Riviera
Silver Buick Riviera in an empty parking lot – Motor Mike Media/YouTube
The Buick Riviera was a shadow of its former self by the mid-1990s. The 1993 model year proved to be a particularly low point, with a production run of less than 5,000—a pretty steep drop from the nameplate’s glory days. GM took a break after that, skipping 1994 and using the time to revamp the Riviera.
Buick’s revived Riviera debuted for the 1995 model year with a bold new look and a new engine under the hood—sort of. The Riviera stuck with the ever-reliable GM 3800 V6 that had powered the previous model, but this time in an updated, supercharged form that made 225 hp at its debut (and 240 hp by its final year in 1999). Nothing remarkable in today’s cold light, but its 231-cubic-inch engine wasn’t far off from the most powerful American engines of ’95.
While we’re not fans of the Riviera’s final styling and think it’s one of the ugliest cars of the 1990s, there’s no denying that the supercharged V6 was a performer: Car and Driver managed a 0-60mph time of 7.2 seconds, competitive with the more expensive V8, provided it’s considered a solid rival, provided its looks are solid. GM’s gamble paid off for 1995, with nearly 41,500 units sold, but the success was short-lived. Sales fell below 20,000 the following year and continued to decline, reaching a low of just 1,956 Rivieres sold in 1999; a sad ending for a nameplate.
2004-2007 Saturn Ion Red Line
Silver Saturn Ion Red Line in a parking lot – Interesting.cars.insta/Wikimedia Commons
The Saturn Ion Red Line was part of GM’s mid-2000s attempt to add some excitement to the Saturn line, alongside other questionable examples like the Saturn Vue Red Line. The Vue Red Line was a sporty interpretation of the SUV, featuring large wheels, a lowered ride height and a 250bhp V6 under the hood – which of course was also an option for non-Red Line Vues, making it a primarily cosmetic change. The redline Ion, which debuted for the 2004 model year, took things much further, however.
While reviewers found the original Ion to offer decent value, the car was a generally dull and uninspiring offering with few upsides in the grand scheme of things. The Ion Red Line was an attempt to inject some much-needed sportiness, with many major aspects of the car receiving welcome changes. The most notable update was to the engine: GM engineers reworked the Ion’s 140-hp 2.2-liter inline engine for the Red Line, downsizing it to 2.0-liters and adding a supercharger to bring power to a much more interesting 205 hp. The Ion Red Line combined this beefier engine with steering, chassis and suspension tweaks that helped it deliver decent, if unspectacular, handling.
Somewhat predictably, these changes could not completely transform Ion’s fortunes. The Red Line couldn’t make up for the base Ion’s shortcomings, including its excessively long wheelbase, awkward interior layout, and poor build quality. The Saturn didn’t make many Ionic redlines, with fewer than 6,000 units sold during its short production run. GM replaced the Ion with a rebadged Opel Astra for 2008, before shutting down the Saturn brand entirely in 2009.
Want the latest tech and automotive trends? Subscribe to our free newsletter for the latest headlines, expert guides and tips, one email at a time. You can also add us as a favorite search source on Google.
Read the original article on SlashGear.