The coolest Japanese sports car you've never heard of: Isuzu Impulse RS Turbo | The Next Big Thing
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- čas přidán 21. 07. 2024
- The Isuzu Impluse never got the attention of a Supra or Integra, but it's a reminder that there are still '80s and '90s Japanese cars out there that aren't outrageously expensive and over-hyped. Magnus Walker takes a trip in a clean Impulse RS Turbo with Paul Kramer.
Special Thanks: Paul Kramer
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Episode chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:54 What is it?
03:09 The VW Scirocco issue
04:41 It was how much?!?
06:28 Good Vibes Breakfast Club
07:20 Let's drive it
09:02 The next big thing?
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#MagnusWalker #NextBigThing #NeverStopDriving - Auta a dopravní prostředky
I bet 90% of Hagerty Club members recognized the Isuzu Impulse at first glance and 90% of the general population had no clue what it was.
I’m not joining no club when 10 percent of the members are total losers goodbye 👋
My brother had one ...
I wouldn't join any club that would have me.
Does it really matter though..... You act like it's a Porsche 935.... This car is nothin special to remember for.....
@@EUC-lid lol 😂
I worked at an Isuzu dealer in high school. These cars were SO fun. I still remember their new car smell.
Paul's pronunciation of "Giorgetto"
Cammisa: "Hold my Focaccia!" lol
Sold as the Holden Piazza here in Australia. It was a staggering $36,000! When it came out. As rare as hen’s teeth now. But will always be cool in an 80’s way , oh and penned by the Master himself!! - great video as always thanks - cheers from Brisbane
We trashed heaps of these for the running gear. Slapped them in geminis
Super rare, but as popular as Aids when new. Resale was zero.
@@fatasdat yep, back before the SR20 was the go to swap, Gemini powered Piazza turbo or Rotary 12A/13B was the go, I do remember a few FJ20 conversions but those engines have always been hard to get
@@glennt69lol could buy a whole piazza for what a fj20 or sr20 would cost. Lol.
Same here in Norway. Only 13 were sold new here, so thay was rare even back in the day. I have never seen one of those ever on car meetings or so.
It's amazing how many car guys define their love for a car based on how other people feel about it.
One that always comes to mind for me is the Mitsubishi Starion.
Hard to get parts
not nearly as good looking as the piazza imo
GREAT looking CAR ESPECIALLY THE 87 MODEL BUT A POS MAINTENANCE WISE
My dad owned two Chrysler Conquests, both with blown engines that he was trying to fix. Never did. Still love that design.
The CEO of Mitsubishi wanted the car to be named after a male horse but in english, and so the Starion (Stallion) was born.
I craved the “handling by lotus” badge as a youth
They were pretty easy to come by in CA junk yards in the late-2000s. Definitely a worthwhile garage knick-knack.
@@joelness funny you say that. Cuz about that time (I’m old and no longer consider a kid at that point) I DID get one of those badges from a junkyard and stuck it on my computer! lol
@@joelness yep! Got one myself!
AND they didn't even mention this badge in the video! WTF? Well worth the extra 6 grand over the Integra!
@@toddsmith8608 The Lotus suspension was introduced in 1988, the RS missed it by 1 year
This Hagerty channel is just fantastic. Thanks for the great content guys. Your presenters should replace Top Gear
I had an '88 silver 5spd Impulse for a few years after high school. It was a wonderful car. One of my favourites actually. Very nice to drive, great handling and just enough power. I think about it a bit - definitely a car I would love to have again.
I always loved the interior and how the dash was adjustable. It was also exotic because the hood opened in reverse. Good times
I remember those things being rare even back in the day, but for various reasons.
Yeah, I always thought they were pretty cool-looking, I suppose there were always reasons to have something else instead, unless you just liked it as a package.
If I can name this car? Of course I can! Let's call it Robert.
Maybe Robby or Robin!
If you're a man you give your car a female name, and vice versa.
@@victoralley708 are you assuming the car's gender? 🤣
Suzie.
Isuzu Impulse or Piazza
Magnus, please don't ever stop making these! The minute I saw that Isuzu I thought Scirocco knock-off, amazing how distinctive Giugiaro's designs are.
DeLorean
The Scirocco, DeLorean, Impulse, and Audi GT were all part of Giugiaro's Ace card designs. The Impulse is the Ace of Clubs.
It’s probably not known on US market but in europe we’ve also had Volvo 480 which was definitely highly inspired by Giuliaro work. Let’s face it, late 80’s were really homogenous era with few main design languages.
@@JeremiBulakowski The 480 is beautiful. I always wanted one but there really aren't that many left these days. Shame you can't fit a T-5 engine in them.
@@KarlHamilton the front does remind me of a delorean
Awesomest video of the week :) Waited very long for a detailed, well-produced Isuzu Piazza / Impulse video like this. Thanks, Paul, Magnus, & Hagerty!
In Australia it was sold as the Holden Piazza, I've always thought they looked really cool
Isuzu Piazza in the UK
Same in NZ (Isuzu Piazza). Used to see one on my paper run and thought they looked pretty cool.
I was very young when they came out in Oz but I recall the egg crate wheels causing quite a stir. Very rare but you do see them pop up occasionally.
@Spinach hahahahaha yeah I heard that a few times 🙄🙄🤣🤣
@@benspeedschannel888 I think for all RHD is name PIAZZA
I had a 1989 intercooled turbo, 5 speed with the "handling by lotus". I found it at a used car lot in Virginia Beach in 1994 while I was in the Navy. I loved that car.
Next big thing? That would imply you could actually find one! Beautiful car and nice to see it be appreciated.
I've had two in recent years. All you have to do is find an Isuzu community.
So glad you guys did this vid. I drooled over Isuzu Impulse's in the 80's as much as I did the Lambo Countach. Was always a favorite. The fact that you don't ever see them is a shame seeing as that it has such a timeless design. I STILL want one! Bravo Hagerty.
Man this was awesome.. I had an 87 RX-7 and got “friend zoned” by a really hot cheerleader in high school who had an Impulse Turbo and we used to hang out and swap cars sometime. I always thought this was a cool car. Have not thought about one in years. Thanks for posting..
I recall them from back in the day... As a hardcore Dodge muscle guy at the time, its kinda odd that I remember them catching my eye!!🤣
Now for the Stealths and 3000GTs to start getting some love....!!!
In 1989 I joined the Navy... my first duty station was NAS Miramar, I went down the street a few blocks to a used car dealer and bought an 85 Impulse. Intercooled, Turbo and Lotus suspension absolutely loved that car an absolute blast to drive. Kept it for about three years and sold it, wish I hadn't.
In 1988, I went to college with a high school classmate who had an Impulse. I had a gen2 Scirocco. We always marveled how similar they were when parked side by side. He would always beat me in spirited runs on the back roads, though. Loved both of those cars.
Gotta love these "Next Big Thing" videos ... keep up the good work guys!
The very first car I bought with my own money, 86' Turbo. Fully loaded, cloth interior and only 17K miles when I got it back in 1990. Miss that car so much! Great memories!
I had an ‘83 Impulse. It was a very slow incredibly gorgeous car.
Paul Kramer (and most people to be fair): Ee-zoo-zoo
Magnus Walker: Eye-zoo-zoo
Correct: Ee-sue-zoo
👍
More correct: いすゞ
who remembers the Isuzu spokesman from the 80's commercials (and the movie "AIRPLANE')?
this is every conversation with Paul but a different car every.single.time...legend.
I always enjoy this series as there is always something different.
I won a 1987 impulse in Daytona Beach on Spring Break.. I enjoyed it for many years! It was the Budweiser Mystery Tour Sweepstakes.
This channel is better than any others i know of
Very good content
Back in the late 80s when i was a teenager i sat in one of these that was on a used car lot as i had always loved the looks of them. I was young and broke and there was no way in hell it was in the cards at that time. Little did i know at the time, that would be the LAST time i would ever see one in person. I searched for 25 years and never even came close to finding one. I've owned many of my bucket list cars ( MK1 MR2, Conquest TSi, Mclaren Turbo Grand Prix, Bonnevile SSEi, CRX, SHO, and so on and so forth). These will forever be the one that eluded me.
Always loved this car since I was a kid. Timeless design. I love the Alfa Romeo GTV6 and Brera, too. I'm seeing a pattern
Wow! Great video!
This brings back memories. I had a red 1984 Isuzu Impulse that used to get so much attention! I'll never forget how jaws dropped when I would drive down the road in that thing. It was more show than go with that 90 hp 4-cylinder engine but I didn't care. It was so much fun to be seen in!
Ya was it reliable?
@@chefgromano5025 It was fine until an accident where I was rear-ended by a Volvo. After that there was a problem with a sensor that took quite a while to diagnose. That caused a lot of frustration but once they figured it out it was OK. At that point I only had about 38,000 miles and traded the Impulse at 50,000 miles for my very first new car (1987 Acura Integra). Sadly though, the day after that deal the Impulse's engine blew up on them! As it turns out, at that time, Isuzu engines were commonly burning up at 50,000 miles. I traded it just in time! Oops! A deal's a deal! 🙄
I owned a black 86 Turbo... beautiful car. So many good times. I bought it used from a neighbor and it was well kept. I regret selling it, and given the chance I would buy it again. Never gave me any problems.
Had an 86 turbo in the 90s and absolutely loved it. Blew a headgasket and traded it in on a blah Ranger. Miss that car.
finally a late 80s car i never heard about on YT! and then not even a clickbaity title... classy!
One of my favorite Isuzu's from the 80s as well as the gen which succeeded it(Yes, the AWD version).
You have more than 1 favourite Isuzu from the 80s?
@@bogdanrus7953 Sure, the Isuzu 4x4 Truck. That thing was a tank.
I had an 89 US model with the lotus package and the checkered wheels as my first car. I loved it! I knew it was special but I overheated it and toasted the head and my mom decided not to get it fixed. I think it went to a scrap yard:( finding out just how rare they are now really depresses me. This model Isuzu will go down in history as one of the most unique and rare cars of its era.
The 89 Turbo Impulse was my first car at 16. I loved it!
That was the first car I brought as an adult out on my own. I got it brand new in 1985. Probably the best car I ever had. No mechanical problems at all. I hate that I sold it in 1995. I still have dreams where I still have it and I'm driving it.
very cool car and the whole experience is just cool. Thanks for sharing.
I had an 89 with Lotus suspension. Bought it used in 94 with 20k miles on it for a daily driver. Had it roughly for 6 years, and put 100k miles on it. Cranked up the boost a little. Only issue I had was a cracked head that was replaced under warranty, and the passengers side window regulator broke that I replaced myself. Traded it in on a new 2000 civic si. The impulse wasn't to bad of a vehicle back then. Drifted nice, and had a little bit of pep to it. About matched the Si in acceleration with the boost turned up a little.
That little Isuzu 2.0 turbo motor was a beast!!!!! Also glad you mentioned that Isuzu was owned by GM because I had an 88' Pontiac Grand Am with that motor and it was a rocket ship.
Recognized it right away. I've owned 2 of these back in late 80's and early 90's a red one and a white one. Really miss them
How was reliability?
Another great video about a car I had basically zero knowledge of. Only Isuzu I was familiar with was the Piazza from playing Gran Turismo 4
Probably the most fun car to drive I have ever owned. I sure do miss that car. Who knew it would become so rare.
My unique car is a 1981 ford el durango-yes an el durango- when I say this people look to me like I'm stupid, but that car has history. Maybe that will motivate me to start a channel to show people the rebuild process. I also saw this car today near a motor dealer near me, although it's not the turbo model, this piece is timeless and it'll only become more coveted.
It's too bad you couldn't test a 1988-89 "Handling By Lotus" Impulse Turbo model as a comparison. I wonder how much that would have improved the suspension feel as this one seemed a little weak.
That would be a rare car since the suspension components are tuned by lotus. Given the age of those components it cant be compared.
My brother owned an 88, heavy and kinda anemic. But for a change I owned a 91 impulse awd RS. And that thing really rocked. If I knew then how rare they are, I would have never gotten rid of it.
All turbo first gen Impulses had Lotus suspension. All.
@@der_pinguin44 maybe in the US, not for the rest of the world.
I remember these and thought WTH when I would see one. Now I understand why people drove them.
Cool car excited for the next one. (:
Had the same one featured on here!!! Extremely Extremely fast and so underated!!!
this hagerty channel is underappreciated
I had a Mitsubishi GSX. Something about the Japanese 2+2 economy sports hatchback with pop up headlights just makes me happy to see.
Great this car is getting some attention, in New Zealand it was sold as an Isuzu Piazza and had the early models had a reputation for dodgy handling, I remember driving one in the early nineties and it was interesting, always liked the unique styling
Here in Australia it was the Holden Piazza :-)
I had 3 of these, 2 for 86 and 1 from 89 which had the Lotus Tuned suspension. I really wish I still had that one.
Looks cool…Handling by Lotus gave it street cred. Always liked this car. The last year for the Fiero was pretty hot too…’92 had the 2.8L and Lotus suspension as well.
we got a impulse turbo in on trade years ago. I drove for a few days. it was a nice little car. kinda quick and it handled pretty well. I think they ended up as the geo storm.
Love these Hagerty videos
I had a black 1989 Isuzu Piazza turbo handling by Lotus. I live in Sweden and i was for a moment the only one in the country. I was out buy my first s c sports car and wanted something my friends definitely didn't know know about or even existed. Isuzu was a very obscure japanese car manufacturer and never really found it's place and to as al brand they were and minnow on the market and were also to expensive to costumers looking to by a Japanese car. I found the Piazza accidentally when i stoped at a dealership in a city about an hours drive from where i lived. When i walked in and laid my eyes on instantly and it was so different than anything else resembling it. It's was crazy how many people asked me about my Piazza. It was cool but ( in Sweden ) 140bhp was way too little for a such cool sports car ( back then ) wasn't fast and responsive enough. Lucky to me my brother is a expert mechanic and set me up with some very impressive upgrade mostly from his garage and he did the jobb totally free. When i got it back the difference was staggering in so many ways. I was more than satisfied with the end result and my brother agrred. My Piazza now much quicker, now as fast as it looks! I wanted to race my brothers car for fun. . Ok so we did it. Me in my black ( updated version ) Piazza turbo vs his car a red 1991 Mazda RX 7 the rotary engine not stock either . The difference was staggering in terms of performance. His RX-7 was quicker of the line and got the advantage and won the race. But the trimmed Piazza was surprisingly close to caching up at the end. But my time with the Isuzu was cut short. The car was sadly in a serious car accident and was completely totaled. Sad ending for me because I really loved that car as you can understand. Sometimes we have to take chances and so i did. So thank you 💖 brother you're the best!
Awesome video, great shots in the San Gabriel Mountains…. Wonder who’s going to buy Newcombs Ranch.
My old friend Randall Peak had the only one I've ever seen Non turbo , black and had a lot of quirky features. I remember particularly the ambience button on the stereo,which had a control panel with enough switchgear for five stereos of the day.Reminded me from the rear view of a 928 a lil.
I remember seeing the "handling by lotus" stickers on these cars as a kid and being blown away "whoa that thing must be AWESOME!!!" lol
Testdrove one of these in 84. Very fun little car.
In Australia the Isuzu Impulse was marketed as a Holden Piazza, came in white and black. They didn't sell well and disappeared rather quickly.
Was also called the Piazza in New Zealand. My father was a Holden dealer when I was a youngster and we had one of these.
Paul! Such a legend
Very cool vid! I had a chance to hang out with the Piazza Owners Club here in Japan over the summer. The Piazza (Impulse in the U.S.) is celebrating its 40th birthday, as is the DeLorean. To mark the occasion, both owners' clubs are holding joint meets this year around Japan.
As a GenXer, I'm happy that the eighties cars come into their own as classics!
Had a lady friend in college that had parents that bought her and her sister matching isuzu's. She got the I-Mark RS and her sister got the Impulse RS. I loved driving that I-Mark and always wished I had a chance to drive the Impulse.
This Magnus guy I like. More Magnus. Keep this guy coming.
I love these things, truly an underappreciated car, great to see them get some love now
This car is homely compared to the 91+ Impulse sportback. They were offered with AWD and Turbo. There was a single dealership in Regina Sask. (Hauser Saturn Saab Isuzu) that used to sell/rent them with manual transmissions. They were the only dealership in Canada (at least Western Canada) to offer them and when they were released, they were totally revolutionary to anything else on the prairie roads.
Did y’all see that gauge cluster??? 🔥🔥🔥
There are plenty of reasons why the 80’s & 90’s sucked, but there was no better era for cars and racing. Group B, Group C, Touring cars, IMSA, and the street cars really showed inspiration from all of it.
The 1988 Isuzu Impulse Turbo was the first brand new car I bought. It was Midnight Blue with Lotus suspension. The car handled great, the speed was average for a sports car that size but handling was exceptional. The interior console was a great feature with all the controls at your fingers. The stock Technics stereo sounded great. About 2 years after owning the car it started leaking oil. I put off the repair and the leak from the cam shaft seal was soaking the rubber timing belt which prematurely broke. It was an overhead cam desing and the valves were all bent. I tore down the top end and replaced the valves and cam. I noticed the cam shaft seal looked to thin and small. About a year and a half later the cam shaft seal started leaking again so I sold the car. I believe the cam shaft seal size was a major flaw with the car but other than that I really enjoyed the car.
I had a 91 Impulse RS AWD Turbo w/ the Lotus suspension. It was built on same platform as the Geo Storm. Mine also had the flip headlights. Before I could start building it, so 87 years old man pulled right in front of me
My dad had one of these when i was younger and one of my moms friends. Not the RS of course. I remember those controls well
I had the 87 Impulse RS and I loved that car! I got hit and the insurance company totaled it. I wish I bought it out of salvage and repaired it. I had it for 5 years.
All the young racers I knew used to have these back in day. They raced them up and down highways against mustangs, Camaros and mitsu's.
I nearly bought a standard Impulse when I was in high school. I still think they’re cool. It appeals to people like me who like things that are similar to what’s accepted but are just a bit different.
Though it is briefly mentioned here this car rode on even then antiquated platform the GM T-Body aka Chevy Chevette. It had a SRA at a time when higher performance versions of the competition had IRS such as the Toyota Celica GTS. What made it special was the ahead of time design and styling of Giorgetto Giugiaro and handling and ride calibrations done by Lotus.
It was indeed a female's car and I don't mean that in the derogatory sense of the term. Compared to it is contemporaries in its marketing segment, the Toyota Celica, the Nissan 240SX, the Ford Mustang and the Chevy Camaro it was a stunner in the looks department. When a was a young NYPD rookie cop in 1988 a female officer in my squad bought a turbo version with the "Handling by Lotus" badge on the rear hatch lid in dark cherry metallic. Man that car was as gorgeous as she was.
I owned one of these when I was 16. It was such a cool car and really got people's attention. I actually kept it until I replaced it with a new model Toyota Celica.
i had an '84 normally aspirated Impulse and then an '86 Turbo. The 86 had leather seats and the full digital instrument cluster. All impulses came with Everything: auto windows, AC, two on-board computers measuring exact gallons of fuel, MPG and distance to empty. these were a BIG deal back in the 80s.
Really looking forward to the Subaru XT6 getting the love it deserves…one day.
Isuzu Impulse. I had a 1984 Impulse and loved it.
I’d love a Sunfire personally. Impulses are some of my favorite japanese 90s designs. 3000GT VR4s and Eunos Cosmo JC also comes to mind. Subaru SVX also
I wanted an Impulse Turbo so badly back in the day. Ended up driving out of the showroom a brand new 1987 Integra LS. Great car but I still wanted that Impulse, especially the later Turbo models with the "Handling by Lotus" upgraded suspension. Beautiful car.
My Dad had a 86' Impulse Turbo I got to beat on when I was 16, it looked gorgeous in red. 8 years later I bought an 87' Integra LS(2 door- in red),I loved it too. We have similar tastes in cars. Truth be told, while both were fun to drive the Integra was a much better car mechanically. (and the wheel hop in the Impulse on bumpy roads in a turn was downright dangerous under power)
Same here...wanted the Impulse, but my first new car was an '87 Integra LS also (in white of course). It was 25% less money than the Impluse.
@@nickb3968 Agree on the Integra being a better car mechanically. I put about 200K miles on mine (red also!) and the maintenance costs were insanely low.
I’ve always loved Isuzu’s, the I-Mark was cool, so was the Stylus, the second gen cars were awesome too. Always wanted a turbo Isuzu with handling by lotus
Ditto
I wanted to buy an 89 I-Mark, but I had no credit and nobody would consign for me. I believe Brand New it was like 10K
I got offered one of these in good shape, yellow with handling by lotus badges all over it in the uk for £2.5k in about 2015, always regret not buying that thing, they look so good in person
hell yeah I was just looking at one of these. Super under any radar.. Til now
I've love the Impulse since the 90s. Had many opportunities to own one then and one of my greatest regrets not having one.
Isuzu Impulse.
Worked in their parts distribution network in the early’90’s.
I bought and sold Imarks / Chevy Spectrum for several years.
Never see any of these here in the Mid-Atlantic
My mother had one of these. It was called the Piazza in the international market. Great car.
G'day mate from Perth Western Australia
I haven't seen these in a long time. Unicorns even back then.
The later models came with suspension designed by Lotus. They even had a badge for that.
I owned a second generation car when I was younger. When it was written off I pulled the Handling by Lotus badge off and turned it into a fridge magnet that I still have
Isuzu Impulse....was almost designed by Giogiaro to be the second gen Scirocco.
First time I ever saw Magnus without a hat
Oh man, an Isuzu Impulse! There's one in a back yard in Staunton, VA. Can't remember the last time I saw one (running, anyway).
I had one in the 80's, great car it was!
I bought an 85 NA with a 85 MPH speedometer and was slow as a snail so I changed it the next year for a white 86 Turbo Intercooler. Then my friends Celicas and Preludes learned my back license plates. Slugish at the curves but at highways it went to 130MPH. In a week got 4 tickets so had to buy my first radar.
I had one back in the 90's, it ran great, I painted it bright Yellow and refinished the rims and it was a real zipper for traffic driving.. Its a shame the went to trucks and suvs...
Informative!
I vaguely remember teh Impulse when I was at university. Now, all I can think of is Joe Izusu.
As a teenager in the 1980s the three cars I lusted after the most were the VW Scirocco, the Renault Fuego, and the Isuzu Impulse. Something about the wedge-shaped design just works for me. Never did own any of them though. :(