Many people think vans are boring vehicles for driving kids to school and soccer practice, but they are wrong. If you want more practicality in a car but don’t want to get an SUV, a van might provide you with the necessary utility. Some vans can put many smiles on your face due to their fun driving characteristics.

Every once in a while, manufacturers like Ford and Renault make vans that are extremely powerful and fun to drive. We can only wish to drive some of these cool, one-off, promotional vehicles as they don’t make it to the production line. Luckily, some manufacturers still make production vans with practicality and fun driving mechanics that gearheads love to see. Here are some of the coolest vans ever made.

10 Bisimoto 1000-Horsepower Odyssey

Honda Odyssey - Rear
Via Mecum Auctions

One of the craziest vans is the Honda Odyssey, built by tuning genius Bisi Ezerioha, making a whooping 1000 horsepower. It features a front-wheel-drive system and a rebuilt 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 engine responsible for the massive power.

Honda Odyssey - Front
Via Mecum Auctions

The builder chose a sleeved block with aftermarket pistons, rods, and custom cams for this particular engine. One cool thing about this Odyssey is it's capable of doing some serious burnouts.

9 Volkswagen Grand California Camper

Volkswagen Grand California Van
Via: Volkswagen-Commercial-Vehicles

This special camper from Volkswagen is full of surprises. This top-quality motor home has a good quality feel to the lockers, furniture, and other fittings. Although it may feel like a huge van to drive, it is very comfortable.

Related: Here’s What Makes The Volkswagen California A Great Camper Van

Volkswagen Grand California Van
Via: AutoTrader

It has excellent power steering, a standard automatic transmission, and a decent-powered engine. The driving experience is full of oomph, thanks to the 175 hp engine. The cab has an 8-inch infotainment system with a reverse camera and satellite navigation.

8 Ford Range Of Supervans

Ford Supervan 2 was used to highlight the Transit's high performance
Via: Ford Motor Company

These vans combine the body and appearance of popular Ford Transit vans with the performance and chassis of Ford sports racing cars. The first super van featured a GT40 chassis with a 400 hp Ford V8 that could achieve a 150 mph top speed.

A closer look at the 2022 Ford E-Transit Supervan.
Via: Media Ford 

The second supervan came with a Cosworth DFL engine and could do 174 mph. The Ford Supervan 4 comprises an all-electric drivetrain but is also as appealing and desirable as the previous generations.

7 Toyota Van

Silver Toyota Van
via wheelsage.org

In the 1980s, Toyota developed this great van, also referred to as the Passenger Van, the MasterAce, or the Wanderwagon. The American market version did not get an official name and instead went by “the van.” The Toyota Previa would soon replace this boxy style.

80s Toyota van
Via pinterest.com

It resembles the VW Vanagon strikingly, and an untrained eye might confuse the two. Both these vans use water-cooled engines, but you can spot the Toyota as it’s a tad bit smaller.

6 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Forged 4x4’s "Artemis" Mercedes Sprinter Is A Fully-equipped Badass Camping Van
Via: Forged 4x4

This thing is too cool not to include in our list. It comes with a 3.0-liter V6 turbocharged engine and a seven-speed automatic transmission. Mercedes offers various versions of this van, from the optional four-wheel-drive system to other diverse luxury trims.

Related: Mercedes 4x4 Sprinter Van: Costs, Facts, And Figures

The rear of a Sprinter 4x4 on a snowy road
Mercedes-Benz

The driving experience is pleasant and feels like a Ford F-150 with stiffer suspension. It has great visibility forward through the huge front window. While the rear visibility isn’t as great, they made up for it using rear cameras.

5 Toyota Previa

1996 Toyota Previa
via Toyota Of Clermont

The Toyota Previa is no stranger to most and is a modern-day hipster van. This mid-engine minivan aroused a myth over the last decade due to its unique engine layout mounted aft of the front wheels and underneath the front seats.

toyota_previa_1990_Front
Toyota

This 2.4-liter 2TZFE lies almost on its side at a 75-degree angle and exhales through one of the most beautiful exhaust headers on any production car. The engine layout means you can have a stubby low nose that gives the driver tremendous front visibility.

Related: The Mid-Engined Toyota Previa Super-Van In Focus

4 Mazda MPV

2004 mazda mpv
via cargurus

The MPV is a four-door, seven-seater minivan in two trims, the LX and ES. Both trims came equipped with a standard 3.0-liter V6 200 horsepower engine capable of up to 18 mpg in city driving and 25 mpg on the highway. A five-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.

Mazda MPV
Via consumerguide.com

You can choose from various iterations of sports packages and luxury configurations for the LX. What makes these vans cool are the many options available that offer features you would only find in high-end luxury cars but for an affordable price.

3 Volkswagen Bus

VW Bus Feature Image HC REVI

Via: Instagram

If there was a car responsible for putting a smile on many people’s faces, it’s the Volkswagen Bus. These cars have no limits in customizability, and you will find them looking as their owners imagined them, with different paint jobs and customizations.

VW Bus - Front
Via Mecum Auctions

As soon as VW announced the revitalization of the microbus with the all-new all-electric microbus, fans worldwide were excited about its return. This vehicle is already a collectible and can likely see its prices skyrocketing shortly.

2 Mazda Bongo Friendee

JDM 1996 Mazda Bongo Friendee Turbodiesel 4WD Pop-Top Camper In Black Exterior
Via: BringaTrailer

One of the cheapest ways to go camping in style is through the Mazda Bongo Friendee. The engine sits below the front seats in this mid-engine configuration.

JDM 1996 Mazda Bongo Friendee Turbodiesel 4WD With Pop-Up Roof Tent
Via: BringaTrailer

Unlike other humongous vans, the Bongo has a practical size that makes it easy to use daily, as it can park anywhere that standard cars can. Although little from the outside, you can lay all the seats down once inside and have a proper, spacious camper van. The pop-top is also convenient, so you don’t have to spend extra on aftermarket pop-tops.

Related: Why The Mazda Bongo Friendee Is An Awesome Cheap JDM Van Today

1 Renault Espace F1

Renault Escape F1
Via Autocar

The Espace F1 is a unique, one-of-a-kind experimental model that shows Renault’s boundless know-how and limitless imagination in approaching daring engineering attempts. It was the Espace MPV’s 10th birthday, and to celebrate this auspicious event, Renault combined this best-selling van with the successful Renault F1.

Renault Escape F1
Via Racedepartment

The F1 Espace got a beastly V10 engine underneath the cabin. We only wish to have this car as it was just a concept. It featured carbon fiber in the bodywork for weight savings.