The automobile industry has always been shaped by customers' needs and wants. The fact that consumers had such a varied choice of vehicles made the competition between car manufacturers even more cutthroat. Though several vehicles have aged perfectly, others seem to have never been destined to be classics.
Though minivans have a horrendous reputation, they can become quite interesting when modified. These minivans can either turn into cool cruisers or absolute performance beasts. In fact, they can turn out to be the kind of awesome minivans gearheads would love to drive.
10 French Baguette
The French are quite a funny bunch of people when it comes to producing quality cars. About 98% of French-made cars are as exciting as a base 1996 Honda Civic. However, there are times when French automakers come up with outstanding prototypes; the sort of prototypes that would scare a high-end German or Italian sports car. The Renault F1 is one of them.
This is the sort of modified van that produces ridiculous power. The 1994 Renault Espace F1 is based on one of the most boring and poorly-powered minivans. However, Renault's engineers cooked up a 3.5L V10 that produces 820 hp. That is far more powerful than any Lamborghini Diablo produced between 1994 and 1998. The project, like most projects in France, ended up getting dropped.
9 Restomodded VW
Volkswagen released a couple of remarkable vehicles over the decades. From the very first Beetle to the Kombi, the German automaker made sure to have sturdy and affordable vehicles rolling out of its assembly lines. As time went by, some of these classics became increasingly popular.
This beautifully restomodded '67 Volkswagen Kombi was completely revisited. Though it does not look outrageously modded, this $120,000 Kombi is fitted with a fuel-injected 2.2L that churns out 155 hp and 153 lb-ft of torque. This is the type of restomodded European vehicles petrol heads would love to see more often.
8 Throwback
The early 2000s were punctuated by horrible fashion, Fast And Furious, and microscopic cellphones. In the modified car scene, names such as APC would trigger a head nod. It is as if the APC sticker was a label of quality. Fast forward decades or so, and popular tuners are about reaching supercar-level power outputs.
A 2003 Dodge Caravan. Not exactly the type of cars gearheads would choose to modify. This grocery-getter was modified following the trend of the early 2000s: Enkei-style rims, Lexus lights, and cushy yet sporty interior. Do not let the looks of this Caravan fool you. The powerplant is a Vortec supercharged 3.8L V6.
7 German Excellence
Mercedes-Benz is often put under the spotlight for all the right reasons. In the last decade, the German carmaker retrieved its somewhat lost creativity; the same creativity that allowed the company to come up with insane prototypes such as the Mercedes C111. Some of the latest Mercedes vehicles are simply perfect.
The 2020 Klassen VIP van is nothing like you would expect. The 205,000 Euro (roughly $241,000) van is even more luxurious than the Brabus-made V300. Klassen's bread and butter is to turn exclusive cars into diamonds on wheels. This V300 is not the most powerful van on the planet, but who needs to go fast all the time in a vehicle of that standing.
6 Street Cruiser
Mazda is renowned for its mind-blowing RX-Series. Though the attention has mainly been focused on the F3DS, other RX cars are equally impressive. The RX-8 is definitely the exception that proves the rule, but there are much worse vehicles in Mazda's portfolio. The Mazda 5 is sadly among them.
The second-generation Mazda 5 was first released in 2004. At best, the car comes with a 2.3L inline-four engine that produces absolutely nothing. Despite its lousy engine, the Mazda 5 is a great car when it's given the appropriate aesthetic parts. A lightly modded 2004 Mazda 5 may cost around $4,000.
5 VIP
Nissan is renowned worldwide for its astonishing Skyline and Z-Series. Over the decades, the Japanese carmaker truly improved these iconic cars while simultaneously releasing increasingly sporty family-oriented vehicles on the market. The Nissan Quest may not be the fastest Nissan car out there, but it sure can become a really stylish minivan.
Unlike Bow Wow's minivan in Fast And Furious: Tokyo Drift, this Nissan Quest was modified following the basic rules of the VIP style. The Minivan is bagged and sitting on 20" Vossen VFS-1 rims. The car inherited several custom parts, including a Lexus exhaust.
4 Muscle Van
When most car aficionados think of Oldsmobile, they tend to remember the hey-days of the brand. With cars such as the Rocket 88 or the Olds/Hurst, Oldsmobile released some emblematic vehicles. These same vehicles are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. This Oldsmobile minivan also happens to be a collectible.
The Oldsmobile Silhouette OSV is a mystery to you? That is pretty normal. First released alongside the Intrigue and Alero OSV (Oldsmobile Special Vehicles), the Silhouette always remained a one-off vehicle. The 3.4L V6 saw its power increased to 210 hp. Though the car is very special, it is not worth very much.
3 Survival Mode
The brand Toyota needs no introduction. In less than a century, the Japanese carmaker became the most successful car company in the world. While most gearheads would focus their attention on a classic Corolla or the new Camry TRD, off-road fans with a large family may settle for something far less discreet.
This Toyota Sienna is among some of the best 4X4 vans ever. It was put together by Toyota itself. It is impossible not to notice this matte black, lifted, and pretty much murdered-out soccer mom car. It is unclear whether the engine received some more power. However, the minivan is ready to take on some of the most intricate trails.
2 New Gen VW
Volkswagen had stopped the production of its Kombi for quite a while. However, people all over the world begged the carmaker to come up with a facelifted version of the iconic van. Though Volkswagen did not produce the ultra-van, what came off the company's assembly lines was enough to motivate tuners to come up with performance packages.
The ABT VW T6 Multivan 120 Years Special Edition is absolutely gorgeous. The van looks fine to begin with, but the addition of the body kit along with larger rims and custom paint gives this family-oriented vehicle a very sporty look. In top-spec, the VW T6's 2.0L TDI four-cylinder engine develops 235 hp.
1 Stanced
In Japan, stanced vehicles have been around for decades. Slammed Nissan Silvias and Toyota Supras are a dime a dozen. Though this may bring tears to a gearhead's eyes, some of these cars do look very attractive. Moreover, minivans are perceived in a drastically different way in Asia. They can actually be cool.
This Toyota Sienna must look goofy to the vast majority of muscle car fans. However, JDM aficionados will appreciate the treatment applied to this Sienna. The car was slammed and bagged. It is unclear which company supplied the rims. However, the combination of all the additional elements makes this Sienna quite attractive.