Isuzu Impulse

[HarleyEarl]

This was a very sleek hatchback made by the wrong car company. Probably would have enjoyed more success coming from a different automaker.

Designed by famed Italian designer, Georgetto Guigario.

[bobo]

It was a beautiful car, cursed with Chevette mechanicals. Mid-cycle updates brought a Lotus-tuned suspension and a turbocharged engine. The second generation car did not look nearly as good as the original.

[HarleyEarl]

I agree....I sometimes see these on the street and they still look beautiful after 20 years. Timeless design.

[balthazar]

I hate nearly everything guigario has ever penned. Lots of trash in his catalog, but the impulse wasn't bad. It doesn't hold up for me, tho.

[Flybrian]

Godawful wheels as they are simply too 80s. However, otherwise, a slick car.

[LosAngeles]

A car I wanted to show appreciation for here, but never got around to. And those are great wheels that are simply too small. But yeah, Isuzu should never have stopped making cars. Honda should buy them from GM, leave the trucks to that badge, while Honda sticks to the cars.

[balthazar]

There... still... are... izusu cars??

[HarleyEarl]

Isuzu does not make cars anymore, although I think they still make passenger car diesel engines?......they market suvs/small pickups and commercial vehicles...they are big internationally in commercial trucks.

[balthazar]

I get it: honda buys izusu for the trucks and keeps slapping together honda cars. I misinterpreted LA. I am wondering if & why isuzu is not working feverishly on a V-6 diesel for cars... a slice off the Duramax...

[chris]

giugiaro is great, see also the VW Scirocco and the Delorean for more examples of his handywork.

[HarleyEarl]

Giugiaro also designed the prototype for the Subaru SVX....I always liked that car....it still looks good on the street.

[chris]

did not realize that! yeah, the SVX has some great proportions, but the little Delorean windows (that was my hint) gotta go... they're kinda dorky in my opinion.

[Flybrian]

did not realize that!  yeah, the SVX has some great proportions, but the little Delorean windows (that was my hint) gotta go... they're kinda dorky in my opinion.

[post="48008"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Yeah. That's about the worst aspect of the SVX, which says alot because its a sharp car. With gullwing doors, the necessity of cutout windows is obvious, but here its done for styling.

[bobo]

Giugiaro is one of my favorite designers, but some may say the designs of ItalDesign are too bland. The SVX is one my favorite cars from the '90's.

[RBB]

The second generation car did not look nearly as good as the original.

[post="47847"][/post]

Agreed - it was a rebadge of the Geo Storm:



-RBB

[bobo]

It's funny that the second generation Impusle got the flip-up eyelids that the original Impulse had, but with round sealed beams. It had an ungainly look. The Geo Storm had flip-up eyelids also but with rectangular headlights. The Gen2 Impulse was very claustrophobic, unlike its airy platform-mate, the Stylus. There was also a more practical Wagonback model:

[HarleyEarl]

I forgot about the Wagonback......actually holds up quite well in the looks department. Has a sportwagon vibe goin on.

[LosAngeles]

Agreed - it was a rebadge of the Geo Storm:



-RBB

[post="48249"][/post]

Do people always look at the Chevy version of any car as the base for another? Can it ever be the other way around (as it was in this case)?

[daves87rs]

It's funny that the second generation Impusle got the flip-up eyelids that the original Impulse had, but with round sealed beams.  It had an ungainly look.  The Geo Storm had flip-up eyelids also but with rectangular headlights.  The Gen2 Impulse was very claustrophobic, unlike its airy platform-mate, the Stylus.  There was also a more practical Wagonback model:

[post="48299"][/post]

Never seen that version...

Unless it was a Storm...

[balthazar]

This is the turkey that stuck in my mind, done by guigario. A google search turned up more winners than losers, but multiple losers. Perhaps it was a rough spot in his career. None of them are what I'd call 'beautiful' however.



Nice roll bar... perhaps for drying towels on. It's not going to do anything else.

Edited November 26, 2005 by balthazar

[Sixty8panther]

As far as cheap econoboxes go this thing was cool. I think we all know where I stand when it comes to RWD Japanese cars with manual tranies. And I love cheesy Ubber-80s rims... typical child of the 80s.

I'd love to pick up a Beater RWD Impulse for Ice Racing & Drifting. :)

[HarleyEarl]

Sixty8.....I completely forgot this was a RWD!.....now I like it even more.

[Sixty8panther]

In my twisted mind that's the most important thing I look for in a Car purchase. RWD. :) Inline Sixes are great, a V8 is even better... I strongly prefer Manual tranies but most important of all is RWD. Edited November 26, 2005 by Sixty8panther

[ocnblu]

Wait a sec, either I need new glasses or Sixty8 just said he prefers trannies named Manuel. Am I seeing things? :blink: :huh:

[HarleyEarl]

Blu...love your wit....too funny!!!

[Sixty8panther]

Flanders: <pointing at jiggsaw puzzle> "Well Hello there Neighbor-eenos, looks liek you're missing a piece" Homer: "Har-har-HAR Flanders, looks like you're missing a WIFE!" Flanders: <Laughs uncomfortably> "Well, I walked right into that one..."

[Petra]

Wow, that's really cool... I don't think I've ever seen one that old before. I've seen the newer ones that were based on the GEO Storm, but not these old ones. I suspect that the salt and snow has probably long since claimed however many of them there were here in Canada. Are there any more pics, because I'd sure like to see more!

This also reminds me of the old Subaru XT... Anybody else seen these wacky machines?

[GM Freak]

The Impulse happen to be my very first car! I loved it...

[Sixty8panther]

The last time I saw that Cheese Wedge (Subaru XT) was when I was flipping through the channels and noticed "BIG" (wiht Tom Hanks) was on TV about a year ago. They're nonexistant now in N.E.

[Sixty8panther]

[HarleyEarl]

Thats one tall picture.

[Sixty8panther]

notice it's an XT-Turbo! :P

[HarleyEarl]

'Extra Tall Turbo'...funny.

[Hudson]

Wow, that's really cool... I don't think I've ever seen one that old before. I've seen the newer ones that were based on the GEO Storm, but not these old ones.

Being Canadian, how many Asuna Sunfires have you seen?

By the way, the Geo Storm was based on the Isuzu Impulse, not the other way around (see earlier posting).

[Hudson]

Sixty8.....I completely forgot this was a RWD!.....now I like it even more.

The nicer thing about the 2nd generation Impulse was its availability of AWD.