When manufacturers go from innovators and release unexpected cars

Car brands usually play it safe, but the server often says that history is made based on launches that are radically different from anything that has come before.

Of course, in the case of historic companies like Ferrari, this can generate a lot of animosity… Both among fans of the brand and among its detractors.

SUV getting out Maranello may seem like a terrifying vision of the future (which is coming soon) and many of us will ask Enzo Ferrari What do you think about it. However, other brands are not far behind.

We’ll be adding more candidates over time (I’m sure you can think of a thousand, so leave them on social media!), but in the meantime, we’re reviewing some of the the most controversial and curious decisions in the history of the automotive industry.

Ferrari Purosange

The sports car brand is predominately sold in fashion. Fashion that showed it could save the company, as Porsche did.

Lamborghini, Aston Martin or Bentley have also jumped into the boat of these family cars, so it’s time to put up with it. We will indeed see the new Ferrari Purosangue soon.

Mercedes-Benz 190 “Baby Benz”

Criticized at the time for entering a segment that the luxury brand was ignoring. Now? A highly regarded classic.

Mercedes 190 generations W201 At one time he had very advanced technology and almost 2 million units before the advent of the Mercedes C-Class. And you will never forget 190EVOwith Engine 2.3 16v with almost 190 hp. and it came to 7100 rpm.

Porsche 968

Another example of the ugly duckling in the early nineties. Today you will be lucky if you see someone come out of 20,000 euros.

What could be criticized about this racing car was its powertrain, which in Porsche was boxer engine for years. Instead, he created 3.0 liter inline 4-cylinder M44/12 engine front. Yes, debatable, but retractable headlights they fall in love with anyone.

Renault Sport Spyder

This curious car was produced from 1996 to 1999. roadster two-door (scissor) and 2.0-liter 16-valve F7R inline-4 engine.

It was built by Alpine and they saw the light 1800 units with force 150 HP (fairly considering them weight 930 kg). Curiously, the passengers of this Renault had to wear a helmet.

Skoda 110 Super Sport

The fairly familiar Czech brand had a brief hiatus in the 1970s with the release of Skoda 110 Super Sport.

A racing car that closely resembles the later one Lancia 037although he had 1.1 liter engine atmospheric 73 HP, which was not bad for the situation in Europe at that time. The aesthetics of this Skoda are amazing that they even made it into the movies, but that’s another story.

Volkswagen W12

Also known as volkswagen nardo for the 2002 car record by flipping the oval during 24 hours at an average speed of 322.891 km/h. It was a prototype supercar produced at the Volkswagen factory in 1997.

carried 5.6L W12 Syncro engine with 414 hp power He was about to see the light 150 units, but the head of the Volkswagen Group did not give permission for this. a pity

This article was originally published on TopGear ES.