Forgotten heroes: brilliant cars that nobody remembers

Some cars make a big splash when they arrive, then seem destined to spend their lifetime in the limelight. The Toyota GR Yaris is one recent example.

Others, well they’re left to spiral into obscurity, forgotten by all but a loyal bunch of enthusiasts. We’ve racked our brains and come up with a list of some exceptional but unmemorable vehicles.

Here are the brilliant cars you’ve forgotten about.

Proton Satria GTI

Let’s start with the Proton Satria GTI. In its day, this stylish, Lotus-tuned hot hatch was a bit good. Today, nobody seems to care.

Peugeot 309 GTI

The Peugeot 205 GTI is rightly held up as one of the greatest hot hatches of all time. Its slightly frumpier sibling, on the other hand, is largely forgotten. Which is a shame, as the 309 GTI is essentially a 205 GTI with a larger bottom. Buy one before it’s too late.

Vauxhall Astra GTE

From a hot hatch perspective, the 1980s will be remembered as a battle between the Volkswagen Golf GTI and the Peugeot 205 GTI, with some noises coming from the direction of the Ford Escort XR3i. But the Vauxhall Astra GTE – in either Mk1 or Mk2 guises – was rather impressive, too. Not as polished as the Golf or 205, but an absolute hoot to drive.

Audi V8

Before the Audi A8 and S8, there was this: the Audi V8. Launched in 1988, the flagship V8 looked similar to the Audi 200, but most of its panels were unique. Power came from a 3.6-litre V8 engine, formed by fusing two Golf GTI 16v units together. With 250hp on tap, this super saloon could accelerate to 62mph in 7.6 seconds and reach 155mph. So why has it been forgotten? Madness.

Citroen AX GT

The Citroen AX GT weighed less than a bag of sugar and was perfectly suited to a British B-road. With just enough power to entertain and virtually nothing in the way of safety equipment, the AX GT was featherlight and brilliant. Finally, people are waking up and smelling the petrol.

Daihatsu Charade GTti

In its day, the Daihatsu Charade GTti – note the extra ’t’ – was the fastest 1.0-litre car in the world. It would sprint to 60mph in just 8.0 seconds; not bad for a car with just 96lb ft of torque. But then it weighed a mere 790kg. Sadly a combination of bland styling and torture at the hands of the modifying brigade means that most have long since disappeared.

Honda Accord Type R

The Honda Accord Type R was the choice for the family man looking to experience the full-fat VTEC experience. The styling was subtle in the extreme, especially if you chose the delete option for the massive rear wing. But few front-wheel-drive, four-door saloons are more exciting than this. The thinking man’s Type R.

BMW M535i

The BMW M535i was the first performance version of the BMW 5 Series and set the tone for the future M5. The earlier E12 M535i, with its straight-six engine lifted from the 635CSi, is the choice of the purist, but don’t rule out the later E28 version.

Renault Espace

It’s largely thanks to the original Renault Espace that families up and down the land can enjoy the practicality of a seven-seat MPV. Even if most of them now prefer an SUV. But while the Espace can claim to have commercialised the idea of a people carrier, it can’t claim to be the genesis…

Nissan Prairie

The Nissan Prairie, on the other hand, can. Launched in Japan back in 1981, the boxy Prairie beat the Renault Espace to the chase, giving Nissan the accolade of being the first company to successfully launch a modern interpretation of the MPV. Today, thanks to its popularity as a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, a surprising number of Prairies still survive.

Volkswagen Passat W8

Anyone looking to justify the purchase of a Volkswagen Passat W8 will generally roll out the “half a Bugatti Veyron engine” line. And yes, the W8 engine is essentially half the W16 found in a Veyron. Rapid depreciation meant you’d have to be mad to pay circa £35,000 for a new W8, while running costs mean you’d be equally mad to buy one used. But you still would, wouldn’t you?

Isuzu Piazza

The Giorgetto Giugiaro-designed Isuzu Piazza was always an attractive, if slightly quirky looking coupe. But it wasn’t until Lotus got its hands on the Japanese oddball and sprinkled some magic on the suspension and brakes that it really came alive. Does anyone remember them?

Lancia Thema 8.32

To most people, the Lancia Thema 8.32 might look like a plain, if attractively-proportioned Italian saloon. But lurking under that bonnet is a Ferrari V8 engine, giving this Lancia proper BMW M5-taming pace. If that’s not enough for you (hello, do you have a pulse?), the Poltrona Frau interior is a masterpiece of Italian style and sophistication.

Matra-Simca Rancho

The Matra-Simca Rancho – subsequently the Talbot Matra Rancho – was a true pioneer of the automotive world. Back in 1977, when the Rancho was launched, there was no such thing as a soft-roader, so nobody really understood the French oddball. Today, it deserves more recognition than it actually gets.

Saab 9000 Turbo

Yes, the Saab 900 Turbo gets all the attention. And perhaps rightly so. But its big brother, the Saab 9000 Turbo is equally good, albeit in a different way. Few cars offer greater cross-country comfort than a Saab 9000, and the addition of a turbo makes it an unlikely performance hero.

Volvo 480 Turbo

If you thought the old C30 was quirky, just look what Volvo did in the 1980s. The 480 was Volvo letting its hair down, with the resulting wedge-shape about as far as the Swedish firm was prepared to push sex appeal. Loved by enthusiasts, but just about forgotten by everyone else.

Citroen Xsara VTS

Claudia Schiffer liked the Citroen Xsara VTS so much, she stripped off and went for a drive. Naked. Quentin Wilson disagreed, calling it “ditchwater dull”. He’s wrong, because the Xsara VTS is a cut-price Peugeot 306 GTI-6 in a Citroen frock. Very few remain.

Daihatsu Cuore Avanzato

The Daihatsu Cuore Avanzato TR-XX R4 is a very long name for a very small car. The 660kg Kei car boasts a tiny turbocharged engine and four-wheel drive, making it a bit of a tearaway. It’s the closest anyone has come to capturing the spirit of the original Mini Cooper.

Mazda MX-6

Whatever happened to the Mazda MX-6? The American-built second generation MX-6 was essentially a Ford Probe wearing a different outfit. It always looked elegant, but when was the last time you saw one?

Audi urS6

The original Audi S6 – or urS6 – featured a 2.2-litre, five-cylinder turbocharged engine and four-wheel drive, which means it was, to all intents and purposes, an Audi Quattro underneath. A superb and rarely remembered car.

Citroen GS

Why the Citroen GS doesn’t get the recognition it deserves is anyone’s guess. Launched back in 1971, the GS was a technical masterpiece, bringing the kind of tech previously reserved for more exclusive Citroen models to the family man.

Fiat Strada

Hand-built by robots, or so the famous advertising campaign told us. Like so many Italian cars of the 1970s and 1980s, the Fiat Strada is facing extinction, but it’s worth saving, especially in hot Abarth guise.

Alfa Romeo 164

The Alfa Romeo 164 is arguably one of the most beautiful four-door saloon cars ever to grace the planet. It’s a crying shame that so few are left, as seeing one on the road would brighten up even the dreariest of days.

Audi 100

The Audi 100 of the 1980s was a groundbreaking car. For a start, it was the most aerodynamic vehicle in the world, with a Cd of just 0.30. It was also the first production car to feature flush-glazed windows. The capacious estate version was also notable for being able to swallow the entire population of the West Midlands.