Craziest Cars You Probably Don’t Know About!

The automobile industry has had a number of memorable cars, some got famous while some were forgotten. Today, we are going to discuss some of those craziest cars, you probably don’t know about, means a blast from the past.

Isdera Commendatore 112i 

(Image Source: Supercars.net)

 

We will begin the list with an example most car buffs are familiar with. Presenting the Isdera Commendatore 122i! Many know of this car from Need for Speed 2. However, the car itself is an automotive marvel from the niche company. It was considered one of the most advanced and beautiful supercars of the 1990s. Sadly, the car very quickly faded into obscurity. 

 

The car was powered by a 6.0 litre V12 from a W140 Mercedes Benz 600SEL, making 414 bhp. The car’s engine sat right in the middle like many supercars. Moreover, power was delivered to the rear wheels by a specially built 6-speed manual transmission by Getrag. The car weighed 1575 kg. 

 

Moving on, the car possessed systems far ahead of its time. One of the many features were an air-brake system and automatically adjustable ride height. The entire car was held in place with a lightweight, complex tubular chassis.

 

Likewise, the car’s body was constructed entirely out of carbon fiber and reinforced glass fiber. Another small but interesting feature of this car was the periscope mirror. It was a small rear-view mirror mounted directly on the car’s roof for looking back at traffic.

 

Another fun fact is that the car is insured as a work of art. We’re not kidding; after all, Isdera makes this claim on their official Instagram page!

Lexus 2054 

(Image Source: Motorsdb)

 

You might remember this car from Steven Spielberg’s ‘Minority Report.’ This was the vehicle used by Tom Cruise in the futuristic crime thriller. Therefore, Hollywood kingpin Steven Spielberg had turned to Lexus to envision the car of the future. Obviously, Lexus was pleased to have attracted Spielberg’s interest. It should also be noted that he was driving a Lexus RX300 at the time. Furthermore, he was most likely satisfied with the experience. This could have been what convinced the famous director to head over to Toyota’s luxury division. 

 

The car looks like a life-size version of a Hotwheels car, no argument there. The vehicle was packed with a variety of features that would be perfect in a sci-fi setting. The car was tailor-made to fit Tom Cruise’s character.

The car was powered by an ‘electrical engine’ that puts out 670 hp (500 kW). This engine was smart rechargeable through solar panels. The car’s infotainment system doubled as a personal assistant that could reserve places at hotels, restaurants, and other events. Talk about convenience! 

 

For security, the car was equipped with a DNA recognition system. Thus, only the rightful owner of the vehicle could use it. That’s not all; the car even had color injected carbon-composite body panels! Thus, the car’s color could change at the wish of its owner! Of course, the car now seems to be somewhat fictional. Thus, it should not come as a surprise if most of the car’s features are make-believe. However, the car DOES exist in real life, rest assured. 

Mazda Suitcase Car

(Image Source: Vintage Microcar Club)

 

The list of corny vehicles gets even cornier! In the 1990s, Mazda had a lot of money to burn. The blockbuster success of the Mazda Miata roadster and Mazda’s win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans had given Mazda (ahem) deep pockets. However, would Mazda give us a road-going version of the famous 797B race car? Absolutely not. Instead, they made a ‘car’ which was literally a drivable suitcase.

 

The Mazda suitcase car could be assembled in roughly a minute. It was powered by a 1.7 hp two-stroke motor of the only 33.6cc. It could reach a top speed of only 30 km/h (18 mph). The ‘car’ was a three-wheeler that could be controlled with handlebars. Surprisingly, they had even managed to install brake and turn signals on it. It looks like Mazda made the most of what little space it had on this fancy ‘car’.

 

Sadly, the suitcase car was destroyed by mistake after the Fantast yard event where it was showcased. Fortunately, however, a second example had survived. Mazda claims it “works as well as it did 24 years ago.” Oprah Winfrey even showcased the vehicle on her show in its full glory. 

Tara King

(Image Source: Road & Track)

 

Here is another extremely obscure gem from the past. What is truly crazy about the car, you ask? Perhaps it is the design, the fact it was powered by a rotary engine or maybe the mystery surrounding it. The Tara King is very likely one of the most obscure vehicles known to man.

 

The car was named after a character from the Avengers TV series. The design of the vehicle was peak 1970s funky. It had a wedge-shaped design which many exotic cars had at the time. The doors mounted on the vehicle were truly bizarre. The rear doors were gullwing, whereas the front doors were Lamborghini-style scissor doors. It was a four-seater that had leather seats. Furthermore, the car was powered by a rotary engine. Another commonplace but much-missed feature of the car was its pop-up headlights.

 

In fact, the car was so extreme that no automaker dared to make it a reality. Not even as a one-off. Road & Track and The Petrol Stop are the only sources that point to the car’s existence. The car is rumoured to be only a partly finished prototype that can fully run. The Tara King would have made an excellent concept car if any car manufacturer believed it was up to the task.

Buick Wildcat Concept

(Image Source: Old Concept Cars)

 

In 1985 Buick had tried to imagine the car of the future and later build it. This vehicle was the Buick Wildcat concept. Despite the name, it is nothing with the Buick Wildcat muscle car you may have heard of. The car is completely streamlined to make it as aerodynamic as possible. Moreover, the design was very similar to the Corvette Indy and the Pontiac Banshee. Both of these cars were made by GM-owned brands. This might explain the similarity between them design-wise.

 

The car was loaded with all kinds of futuristic tech. It had a centre console that displayed g-force, oil pressure, torque and even a compass. Furthermore, the steering wheel of the car was ‘spokeless’. This meant the entire gauge cluster could be mounted in the middle.

 

Another awesome feature of the car is its complete lack of doors. How does one enter the vehicle if it does not have any doors? Instead of doors, the car had a canopy just like the ones found in fighter jets. The canopy also supported Heads-Up Display (HUD). Moreover, the steering wheel also lifted with the canopy to allow more room.

 

Unlike what its appearance might suggest, the car’s performance did not seem to be its strong point. It was only powered by a 3.8 liter V6 which could only muster 360 horsepower. This power was sent to all four wheels with a 33:66 ratio. In simpler terms, the rear wheels received more power than the front wheels. Furthermore, the car was equipped with a 4-speed semi-automatic. 

 

The car’s top speed was only limited to a lowly 112 km/h (70 mph). Furthermore, the Wildcat’s not-so-wild engine could only make it do a 0-60 in 8.2 seconds. Only two samples of the car exist. One is a basic model, whereas the second example is a fully functional prototype.

 

About Writer: The article is written by Hassan Rizvi. Hassan is a die-hard car fanatic whose only purpose in life is cars. The author has an endless appetite for car-related content from all over the world. He is well-versed in almost every car-related topic. Furthermore, the author can just NOT stop talking about cars and is always eager to devote himself to the automobile.