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Introduced for the 2004 model year, the RX-8 was the latest in a line of Mazda’s rotary-powered vehicles that dated back to the early 1960s. It succeeded the two-seater RX-7 sports car that was available in North America from 1993-’95 model years. The RX-8 accommodated four passengers and provided access to the rear seats via a pair of rear-hinged “freestyle doors” that could be operated only when the front doors were opened. A physically tiny 1.3-liter twin-rotor engine delivered 238 horsepower in models equipped with the six-speed manual transmission, and 197 horsepower when mated to the optional four-speed automatic (later adjusted to 232 and 212 horsepower, respectively). The four-gear automatic was upgraded to six speeds for 2008 and a special R3 handling and dress-up package became optional for the 2009 model year.

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The Element was a niche-market utility vehicle that appealed to a narrow range of customers seeking an apart-from-the-crowd tall wagon. The platform was loosely based on that of Honda’s CR-V, but the Element was a foot shorter, eight inches taller and a bit wider. The Element also used the CR-V’s 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that produced 160-166 horsepower. Transmission choices consisted of a five-speed manual, or optional four-speed automatic that was upgraded to a five-speed automatic for 2007. The Element was retired following the 2010 model year without a successor.

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Mazda’s mid-size model arrived for the 2004 model year as the replacement for the long-serving 626 series. The “6” was originally offered as a sedan, but a hatchback was added part way into its second season followed by the Sport Wagon for 2005. The sedan and hatchback came with a 160-horsepower 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine or optional 220-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 (standard in the Sport Wagon). A five-speed manual transmission was standard with both powerplants, while four- and five-speed automatics were available on the I4 and V6, respectively. For 2006-’07, the performance-oriented all-wheel-drive Mazdaspeed6 sedan came with a 274-horsepower 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder matched to a six-speed manual transmission. An all-new sedan model replaced the original Mazda6 for the 2009 model year.

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The Vibe was a collaboration between General Motors’ Pontiac division and Toyota, which called its version the Matrix. Essentially, the wagon’s sheetmetal was Pontiac’s creation, which sat atop a Toyota Corolla-based platform. Both the Vibe and Matrix were assembled at a California plant jointly owned by both automakers. The standard 1.8-liter powerplant (also Toyota-sourced) was rated at 130 horsepower (later 126) except when installed in all-wheel-drive models where the output was reduced to 123 ponies. GT versions (FWD only) used a 170-horsepower 1.8. The Vibe received a mild styling update for 2005 and Pontiac launched an all-new version for 2009. Both the Vibe and the Pontiac brand were cancelled following the 2010 model year.

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The addition of the sleek Tiburon (a Spanish word for Shark) hatchback to Hyundai’s lineup in the fall of 1996 marked an important step in the development of this Korean-based brand. Until that time, the company offerings were limited to a trio of innocuous sedans plus the semi-sporty two-door Scoupe. Based on the Elantra platform, the youth-oriented Tiburon shared that model’s 140-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The all-new second-generation 2003 Tiburon arrived in early 2002 offering more scoot with an available 2.7-liter V6. Other than some mild restyling, the Tiburon remain virtually unchanged until the end of its run in 2008 after which time the Genesis Coupe took over.

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Part wagon, part sport utility vehicle, the Impreza-car-based Forester was added to Subaru’s line of all-wheel-drive vehicles for the 1998 model year. Although compact in proportions, a tall roofline gave the Forester a distinctive appearance along with a bit more character.

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Part wagon, part sport utility vehicle, the Impreza-car-based Forester was added to Subaru’s line of all-wheel-drive vehicles for the 1998 model year. Although compact in proportions, a tall roofline gave the Forester a distinctive appearance along with a bit more character.

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Chrysler Corporation’s brief alliance with Mercedes-Benz yielded a limited number of interesting joint products, including the Chrysler 300 sedan as well as the Dodge Charger and Magnum wagon. All shared the same Mercedes-Benz E-class-inspired platform and suspension components. The Magnum offered a base 190-horsepower 2.7-liter V6 as well as a 250-horsepower 3.5-liter V6. On the menu was the 340-horsepower 5.7-liter “Hemi” V8 as well as the 425-horsepower 6.1-liter version in the SRT8 model from Chrysler’s Street and Racing Technology department.

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The SC badge was originally applied to a pair of six-cylinder and V8 sport coupes that were introduced by Toyota’s premium brand for the 1992 model year. Both were retired after nine years and replaced by a four-seat hardtop-convertible for the 2002 model year. The SC 430 featured a 300-horsepower 4.3-liter V8 connected to a five-speed automatic transmission. For the 2006 model year, it was given a mild restyling plus a new six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift controls. As well, the V6 was downrated to 288 horsepower. After a nine-year run, the fun was all over.

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The SC badge was originally applied to a pair of six-cylinder and V8 sport coupes that were introduced by Toyota’s premium brand for the 1992 model year. Both were retired after nine years and replaced by a four-seat hardtop-convertible for the 2002 model year. The SC 430 featured a 300-horsepower 4.3-liter V8 connected to a five-speed automatic transmission. For the 2006 model year, it was given a mild restyling plus a new six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift controls. As well, the V6 was downrated to 288 horsepower. After a nine-year run, the fun was all over.