2003 Isuzu Rodeo S Sport Utility 4-door 2.2l on 2040-cars

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Future Classic | 1990-1993 Geo Storm and Isuzu Impulse

You don't see a lot of Geo-branded cars on the road these days, despite the fact that the General Motors' captive-import brand was actually pretty successful for around a decade. Perhaps the most recognizable vehicle to roll into Geo showrooms was the Prizm, which basically amounted to a rebadged Toyota Corolla built in California (which means General Motors was competing against its own Chevy Cavalier in the compact sedan market). And then there were the Geo Metro sub-compact, known for years as the most fuel-efficient vehicle you could buy in the United States, and the spunky Geo Tracker SUV that carried on for several years wearing Chevrolet badges after Geo's demise. Those are all interesting vehicles, but for this article we're going to focus in on the sporty Storm model. Like the other Geo vehicles, the Storm was sort of a joint venture, in this case with Isuzu, the Japanese automaker best known for making SUVs and big commercial trucks. Back in the day, though, Isuzu had some legitimately intriguing little cars in its showrooms. The Storm was based heavily on the second-generation Isuzu Impulse (known as the Piazza in other markets). And, well, you see even fewer Isuzus on the road these days than Geos. MotorWeek | Retro Review: '90 Geo Storm GSi Why are the Geo Storm and Isuzu Impulse future classics? They may never actually be "classics" in the same way a Ford Mustang or Chevy Camaro may be, but they are still interesting cars. And for potential buyers of a certain age, memories of gawking at sleek-looking Geo Storms everywhere you looked mean the nostalgia factor is high. If nothing else, we're pretty sure a nicely kept Storm or Impulse would draw a certain crowd at a local car show. While the Storm was way more popular with American buyers in the 1990s, the rarity of the Impulse means it's probably the more desirable option if future collectibility is a factor. What is the ideal example of the Geo Storm or Isuzu Impulse? The most valuable version of the duo is surely the rare Isuzu Impulse RS (the silver car above) with all-wheel drive and a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that spun out 160 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. According to reports, only about 600 of these machines were sold in the States — complete with "Handling by Lotus" badging (General Motors held sizable stakes in both brands at the time) — which means they aren't very easy to find for sale.

Junkyard Gem: 1992 Isuzu Amigo

After some success providing General Motors with small Faster pickups badged as Chevrolet LUVs in North America (plus some Chevette-related Geminis labeled "Buick/Opel by Isuzu," which confused everybody), Isuzu began selling vehicles under its own name here in the early 1980s. At first, we just got I-Mark subcompacts and P'up pickups. Then the Trooper SUV appeared in 1984, and Isuzu joined the suburban-commuter truck game in a big way. For the 1989 model year, the little Amigo three-door convertible SUV landed on our shores. Here's one of those early trucks, found in still-rad condition in a San Francisco Bay Area self-service yard recently. Once Isuzu made a version with five doors and a solid roof, giving it Rodeo badges in the process, the Amigo became more of an afterthought in the North American Isuzu world. Amigo sales halted here after 1995, then resumed for 1998-2000 (after which the three-door became the Rodeo Sport before disappearing in 2003). Starting in 1996, Isuzu replaced its Amigo-platform-related pickup with a rebadged Chevy S-10 known as the Hombre. That meant that Spanish-speaking Isuzu shoppers could be disturbed by the prospect of buying a friend or a man. The Isuzu company itself was named after a river in Mie Prefecture. The Suzuki Samurai kicked off the "cute-ute" craze for the 1986 model year, with the Suzuki Sidekick/Geo Tracker appearing in 1989. Around the same time, irritating pastel colors and squiggly graphics became trendy. This — and other unfortunate 1980s fashions — continued well into the 1990s (One man's "irritating" and "unfortunate" is another's "delightful" - Ed). This odometer can't be right! I suspect a broken speedometer cable. The engine is a 2.6-liter inline-four rated at 119 horsepower.  Unlike Honda's VTEC, the variable-cam-timing system that made its debut in the 1989 Honda Integra, Isuzu's I-TEC name just stood for an electronic fuel injection system.  The only transmission in the Amigo for the first couple of years was a five-speed manual, which is in this truck. That three-pedal setup kept the Amigo's appeal limited to the small group of American drivers willing to work a clutch. The optional automatic became available for 1992. You could get the Amigo with four-wheel drive, but this one is the cheaper rear-wheel-drive version. This interior looks so nice that perhaps this Amigo really did get junked with 57,000+ on the odometer.

2017 Tokyo Motor Show | Mega Gallery

The 2017 Tokyo Motor Show has been a big and busy one. It's also had machinery ranging from beautiful to bizarre. But there's been something for everyone. Companies such as Honda and Subaru brought performance oriented vehicles, Toyota showcased a wide array of funky and practical concepts, and Yamaha even broke away from motorcycles to do another car concept. You can check all of these vehicles out, and more in the galleries below. 2018 Honda Gold Wing: View 5 Photos Honda Neo Sports Cafe Concept: View 5 Photos Honda Riding Assist-e Concept: View 7 Photos Honda Sports EV Concept: View 5 Photos Honda Super Cub: View 3 Photos Isuzu FD-SI and Elf EV: View 9 Photos Lexus LS+ Concept: View 18 Photos Mazda Kai Concept: View 18 Photos Mazda Vision Coupe Concept: View 15 Photos Mitsubishi e-Evolution Concept: View 8 Photos Nissan IMx Concept: View 29 Photos Nissan Leaf Nismo Concept: View 8 Photos Subaru Viziv Performance Concept: View 12 Photos Toyota Century and Crown: View 7 Photos Toyota Concept-i Series: View 16 Photos Toyota GR HV SPORTS Concept: View 6 Photos Toyota Tj Cruiser: View 12 Photos Yamaha Concepts (Cross Hub, MOTOROiD, MWC-4, Motobot): View 5 Photos Related Video: Tokyo Motor Show Honda Isuzu Lexus Mazda Mitsubishi Nissan Subaru Toyota