Toyota: The 12 Models Of 1991, Their Peak Year?
By Mike Garcia
Toyota Previa
I saved the mini van for last. Why? I consider this the pinnacle of Toyota creativity.
It’s bad enough that I am madly in love with the second-generation Mr2. But guess what company is crazy enough to put a mini van body on a mid-engine set up? Toyota. One would think that Lancia or Citroen would come up with something as crazy. Porsche wasn’t ready for that mini van life just yet. Toyota made a reliable mid-engine sports car. They also made a reliable mid-engine, rear-drive, mini van.
It’s like going into a brain-storming event and asking the question, “How do we get sports car enthusiasts with families into one car?” Then the guy sitting in the back, staring at the ceiling actually responds. Two hours later, you have the idea for a Toyota Previa with production costs sorted out.
How cool is the Previa? Well, the egg-shell shape actually made it attractive for a mini van. Later iterations of this model also came in supercharged versions and all-trac versions. Like, yes, my Toyota Previa has the same set up as a Bugatti Veyron and an Audi R8. It too, has a mid-engine, all-wheel-drive set up.
Insane.
The Previa is more supercar than the Mr2 and the Supra. It even had a “poor” rating from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. Who knew that the perceived family-friendly minivan could be so supercar dangerous?