Halo Cars (What are yours?)

  • Thread starter Thread starter IMADreamer
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I would have to say a few cars that are halo cars for me are the

Mazda RX-8
Porsche Cayman S
Nissan 350Z
Chevy Cobalt SS (hey it got me into a Chevy dealer for the first time in 10 years)
 
Nissan's 350Z, BMW's 3-series, Audi's A8, Chevrolet's Corvette, and Ford's F-150.
 
If we are to talk about the 10-biggest Halo cars since 1990, it should go like this:

- Chevrolet Corvette (the car the represents ALL of GM)

- Dodge Viper (the reason why people still care about Dodge)

- Ford GT (kick-started Ford's new era in automobiles)

- Cadillac Escalade (re-introduced Cadillac to a whole-new generation)

- Honda/Acura NSX (still has an influence today, despite the 15 y.o. design)

- Ferrari F40 (okay, that was before 1990, but had an influence on supercars)

- Lamborghini Countach (again, before 1990, every kid loved that car!)

- Bugatti Veyron (kick-started VAG once again, re-launched a new company)

- BMW M5 (still a performance benchmark, still an icon on every shore)

- TVR Tuscan/Speed Six (introduced TVR to the world, a Euro-fan favorite)
 
1959 Chevrolet Impala.

Honestly. It was the symbol of 1950's excess, and It moved chevrolet away from the Ho-Hum it was started as, and toward the big, stylish luxo cruisers envisioned by old louis himself. With a 348 cubic inch motor putting out 335 horses in tri-power form, it wasn't a slowpoke either. It also had something new: air conditioning. Plus, it was a great design, that was far too radical for its time. so radical, it was completely toned down for the 1960 model year. The fins were flattened, the grille lost its "eyebrows", and the trademark teardrop taillights were replaced with simpler round bullets. The 1959 Impala was the car to have for a new generation of young people yearning to roam their great nation.

A Halo car indeed.

In fact, I think Sarge, Grif, and Donut Themselves would do quite well with a '59 El Camino with a chain gun mounted on the roof.
 
YSSMAN
Bugatti Veyron (kick-started VAG once again, re-launched a new company)
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I'm going to disagree here. So few people know of this car to begin with, and within that group, not many know it is a VAG car. I don't think it re-launched them at all, because I fail to see a large enough connection between the 16/4 project and the rest of the VAG line.

The Lotus Elise is the epitome of Lotus/Chapman design, philosophy, engeneering and construction. It is their most-produced car ever, and it easily put the Lotus name back on the map in the United States.
 
Rogue Ssv
I know one. The Warthog! :lol:
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Pfft. The Scorpion pwns the Warthog!

BMW M3. I don't know if there has ever been a more perfect car than that (unless you need 4 doors). That's pretty much my "Halo" list right there.
 
I dont really play halo.... its fun multiplayer when Im not getting 0wn3d, but I dont have any games.
Anyway. Back on topic, how about the Bentley GT?
 
I haven't read it yet because I'm typing this while during a school presentation but I guess Enzo can be a good Halo car.

I played Halo a lot :) It's fun, man!
 
...Again, the definition of a "Halo" car is generally one that is either at the top of the given companies heap, or one that creates interest in the brand.

...The Pontiac Solstice would be a good example, same with the Jaguar XK, TVR Sagaris, Holden Monaro CV8, Nissan 350Z, etc.
 
Lotus Esprit-(not exactly a complete follower of the Colin Chapman school of thinking, but it was able to be produced for 25 years without change, so they must have done something right. And it was quite fast, too.)
Honda NSX-(Smite Ferrari and Porsche. Sounds like a silly proposition, but Honda did it successfully enough at the time. 15 years later, the car may not be as good as it was, but it's still better than the Ferrari 348.)
Plymouth Prowler-(Fill a car with your companies most significant technology, wrap it in sweet looking hot-rod flair and give it far more traction than it could ever possibly need? Sweet. I've always likened it to a FR NSX with the Honda slushbox in it. Too bad it couldn't save the brand.)
Porsche 959-(Make a car with so much stuff in it that you would need to sell it at 4 times the price to make any money on it, but then implement that stuff into the more mainstream cars? Brilliant!)
Aston Martin Lagonda-(Take a Lamborghini Countach, add two more doors to it, and jam it full of electronic gizmos that won't be seen again for 25 years.)
Nissan 300ZX (Z32) Twin Turbo-(Take most of the pieces out of your flagship super-coupe that is busy embarrasing Porsches, and put it in a low slung, wide 2+2 two-door that is so fast it is speed limited to 155? And that roof...)
Alpine-Renault A310/610 or Renault GTA-(Bring RR sports cars to the masses! Make it handle better than any Porsche to date. Make it look svelte, yet sporty. And best of all, sell it with a turbo charged PRV V6, making it like what the DeLorean should have been. Too bad no one bought them.)
 
Dodge Viper - best looking car I think they ever made.

Aston Martin Vanquish - made me care about Aston Martin again.

Honda NSX - flagship and beautiful car

Chevrolet Corvette - Think Chevy, think Corvette. Simple as.
 
Ferrari F40
Lotus Elise/Exige
Honda S2000

All of which are perfect examples of driver's cars; cars that were made to be driven. Hard.
 
I think a lot of you guys are getting the wrong idea here. The point of a halo car is to make money by selling the company's other cars, not to be a moneymaker itself. There are some exceptions, however, a Halo car still has the primary goal of driving interest in the brand.

Ford GT, Dodge Viper, NSX, Carerra GT, 'Vette Z06, Ferrari Enzo, Jag XJ220, Porsche 959, and so on. The Evo and STi also count, to some degree, as while they're mass produced, they serve a major role creating brand-image.
 
Takumi Fujiwara
I think a lot of you guys are getting the wrong idea here. The point of a halo car is to make money by selling the company's other cars, not to be a moneymaker itself. There are some exceptions, however, a Halo car still has the primary goal of driving interest in the brand.

Ford GT, Dodge Viper, NSX, Carerra GT, 'Vette Z06, Ferrari Enzo, Jag XJ220, Porsche 959, and so on. The Evo and STi also count, to some degree, as while they're mass produced, they serve a major role creating brand-image.
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I definately agree with this. While a lot of people love the STi only a few who are interested in it can afford it so they may go with the regular WRX. I think the STi is a prime example of a Halo car.
 
GT4_Rule
How about a Civic Si/Type-R or a Integra Type-R?
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They don't really create that much brand image, I would say. Yeah, they were great, but they really weren't the pinnacle of technology or achievement that they should have to be a helo (correct spelling) car.
 
I hear the the 350Z is Nissans best car? Hmmm.... If I recall correctly, a stock 300ZX TT will shove speed down the 350Z's neck! Got I love 300ZX's :D

How about the Renault 5? That car pwnz0rz
 
Master_Yoda
I hear the the 350Z is Nissans best car? Hmmm.... If I recall correctly, a stock 300ZX TT will shove speed down the 350Z's neck! Got I love 300ZX's :D

How about the Renault 5? That car pwnz0rz
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You don't understand the question I think. It's not which car is best, but which car draws you into a particular dealership. The 350Z was far more succesful at doing that the the 300zx.

The Civic SI is not a Halo car IMO. The S2000 is. The Civic Si is a sideshow to the base civic that everyone wants so they can get 40mpg.
 
IMADreamer
You don't understand the question I think. It's not which car is best, but which car draws you into a particular dealership. The 350Z was far more succesful at doing that the the 300zx.
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I don't quite agree with you. No, the 300ZX was not the amazing seller the 350 has proved to be (although it was for about 3 years, until the Japanese recession), the simple large amount of technology in it made it a technological showcase of a helo car for the Nissan brand, and the only such car that was sold worldwide.
 
The Skyline is an iconic car but it doesn't draw people into dealerships expecting to see that car.

I think a Corvette or a Escalade is a good Halo car, now that I sort of understand the question. Escalde made Cadillac worthy in minds of luxury buyers again, and Corvette served and continues to serve as the image-maker for Chevrolet.
 

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