Top Ten LeMons Contenders... in 2029
The drive from Autoblog's South Bay outpost to Reno-Fernley raceway gave Justice Lieberman and I some time to wax poetic on the 24 Hours of LeMons. Peppered between discussions about the race, the field of competitors and the finer points of officiating the world's fastest growing motorsport (we're pretty sure), I asked the question: what cars are going to dominate LeMons 20 years from now? Some were obvious, so were absurd and others were dismissed out of hand.
So when we got back, I listed off the most credible contenders that came up during our discussion. In order to be qualified for the list, the vehicle had to meet certain criteria. First, it has to be on sale today and available in sufficient numbers. That means niche vehicles are generally out. Secondly, it can't be one of the front-runners currently dominating LeMons, so the BMW 3 Series, Mazda MX-5 and Civic aren't included on the list, although they'll undoubtedly have a presence during the 2029 LeMons season. Third, they had to have some amount of aftermarket support, so replacements and performance parts could be had in the junkyards of tomorrow. What'd we come up with? Click below to start the list.
Runners-up:
- Chevrolet HHR SS
- Ford Fiesta
- Honda Accord
- Honda Odyssey
- Hyundai Tiburon
- Infiniti G35
- Nissan 350Z
- Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky (from Paukert)
- Volvo S40
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
John 1:15PM (5/29/2009)
There will be plently of hybrids on the scrap heap to choose from as well. I would love to see a "mad max" Prius with a mini gun on the roof. Or better yet a Prius with a 502ci Chevy BB.
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jjpg2000 1:22PM (5/29/2009)
Really anything with the GM 2.0L Turbo engine should do nicely :D
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mapoftazifosho 1:30PM (5/29/2009)
Very true. Cobalt SS/TC should be on this list.
Nellydesign 3:56PM (5/29/2009)
Absolutely. How can you leave out the fastest FWD car around the ring with one of the best turboed engines available? That 260 hp turbo 2 liter DI 4 is an amazing piece.
Aubs 2:09PM (5/29/2009)
The number "42" on the door of the headlining vehicle seems appropriate.
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JDM Life 11:21AM (5/30/2009)
??
Chris Ice 3:27PM (5/29/2009)
Chevy Aveo, FTW!
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CarlosMC 7:16PM (5/29/2009)
One thing you can be sure: there won't be any current chinese cars - they won't survive that long :)
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frame 7:24PM (5/29/2009)
the guy who drives the car shown in the post works for our company. he also drives a yellow lotus exige. weird guy!
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Mike 8:14PM (5/29/2009)
They could also use Chrysler 300,Dodge Charger,Magnum with a Hemi. or V-6. Or their could also be some worn out '09 and up Challengers and '09 and up Camaros.
Mobius_1 7:31AM (5/30/2009)
Miata, BMW 3 series, "old" German road barges, Hondas blowing head gaskets, and if the enthusiastic few still exist, Volvos, Saabs, Alfas, Fiats, Jags, Lotus, RXs, and Porsches. Also, the odd few vans, trucks, and Busa-engined k-cars.
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Jared 11:32PM (5/30/2009)
busa based k-car ftw.