The second-generation Impulse is a hidden gem that gets less attention than its Geo Storm cousin and Isuzu’s focus on SUVs. The fastest and rarest RS Turbo is the one with all-wheel drive. There are anti-lock brakes, a working hood scoop, passive rear-wheel steering, and Lotus-specific suspension on this high-tech pocket rocket. With only 27,000 miles, this is one of the best examples of a fun, unique, and highly sought-after car that is still around. The second-generation Isuzu Impulse RS Turbo is open, even though it was challenging to spot at first. It’s quick, rough, and loud. If you’re behind one at a red light, the all-caps stickers on the back make it clear that it has “all-wheel drive/inter-cooled turbo” powers. There are also the letters “DOHC” and “Handling by Lotus” on the sides. It might have looked like a Winston Cup car if Isuzu had put up stickers or plaques that showed off all of this fast pocket rocket’s high-tech features. Even though the car had many useful features, a beautiful look, and a shooting-brake body style, Isuzu only sold about 10,000 second-generation Impulses in the US before stopping its car production in 1993. Even though they were embarrassed, the Impulse ended on a good note. This 1991 Impulse RS Turbo AWD with 27,000 miles is the best Impulse ever. It is for sale on Bring a Trailer and is owned by Hearst Autos and Invoice Pricing. There are only 600 turbos available in the US. This secret gem has 160 horsepower and could beat Integra GS-Rs and 240 SXs. When it was first planned in 1985, the Impulse’s main rival was the Geo Storm, a GM brother. The Storm would increase Isuzu’s small vehicle sales and productivity. It would also make it easier to replace the old first-generation Impulse and give Chevy a fun, high-quality compact car. GM held 35% of Isuzu at that time. In fact, the Geo was cheaper, looked like it was related, had a bigger dealer network, and had a lot more money for marketing, even though it didn’t have some of the Impulse’s best performance features. Geo put the Impulses away and sold 280,000 Storms at the same time. Isuzu was thought to be an SUV name in the United States in 1991. It was the Amigo, Rodeo, and Trooper, not the cars, that brought them to showrooms. The company had to stop making cars in the US in 1992 because of weak local sales and Japan’s economy. This meant that the company no longer had any cars in production. Still, Isuzu went all in with the Impulse and Storm ideas. Takao Honda of Isuzu designed the coupes that looked like spaceships. Masayo Nagata, one of the first women to work for the company as a designer, designed the wagon back. Chuck Jordan was the general manager of design at General Motors and was in charge of the designs at the company’s Fujisawa plants. The “eyebrow” lighting on the Impulse looks like the lighting on the Lamborghini Jarama, which makes it look scarier. In terms of mechanics, they were just as risky. They had Lotus-tuned suspension, Isuzu’s passive rear-wheel steering, all-wheel drive with a 43:57 torque split from front to rear, available anti-lock brakes, and powerful twin-cam, 16-valve engines, including a 1.6-liter turbo with 160 horsepower. Lotus used Isuzu’s turbo four- and five-speed transmissions in the Elan M100 roadster when General Motors owned it. Due to labor problems in Japan, the Impulse was released in the spring of 1990 instead of 1989. In that year, it was only available as the XS coupe. It came with a 1.6-liter twin-cam four-cylinder engine with 130 horsepower, which was the Storm’s more powerful optional engine, and either a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual gearbox. The all-wheel-drive RS Turbo car and the wagonback XS are Isuzu’s two rarest models. They came out in 1991. The RS was in the brochure for 1992, but it was only offered for one year, and only 600 manual units were sent out. In an April 1992 comparison, we found that the all-wheel-drive turbo was a very exciting car. It kept you interested and active. To save money, it could have been better tuned and made a lot of noise, but it could easily compete with other cool cars of the time, like the Honda Prelude, Mitsubishi Eclipse, and Integra GS-R. It still has a strong fan following, which makes the trip fun. The group of people who own classic Isuzus is close, active, and friendly. This car is known to be one of the best low-mileage RSs on the market, and it has been listed for sale in that group before. The back wiper is missing, and the wheels aren’t the originals (the originals are included), but other than that, it’s in great shape and ready to go. Impulses and Storms are usually reliable and easy to live with, even though some parts are hard to find because they are so rare. If you want to join the Isuzone and become a king or queen of Radwood, the auction ends on August 14.
