MotorWeek | Retro Review: '89 Isuzu I Mark RS

Рет қаралды 120,142

MotorWeek

9 жыл бұрын

Free MotorWeek T-shirt to the first person who can prove current ownership of an I-Mark RS

Пікірлер: 252

@melifter8897 2 жыл бұрын

That brushed metal motor is beautiful.

@prisoneralex2752 9 жыл бұрын

I'm sure there are lots of young ppl who never heard of Isuzu lol. These videos make me feel old and I was born in 82 haha

@TheDonta99 9 жыл бұрын

I know right!!! I was born in 79 and remember these Isuzu's rolling around...😁

@ggroff73 4 жыл бұрын

Geeze, born in 73, feel old 😂 but still remember seeing these cars. Now I tow for a living and hardly ever see any of them.

@grantmills4184 Жыл бұрын

I was born in ‘01 and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of these, it’s a shame they sold so poorly and just kinda fell off the face of the earth really. Neat little cars

@shaeet 9 жыл бұрын

my roommate in college had one of these and he didn't even realize what he had. I got to drive it a few times and it was very impressive and has a sexy engine sound reminiscent of Honda's b-series engine

@nonope1774 4 жыл бұрын

Funny. I had a similar thing happen with a roommate and a 1991 Suzuki Swift GT. Lots of fun car too.

@tinav1341 4 жыл бұрын

Had one. Had horrible resale compared to Honda at similar price. I all but gave it away when I needed a truck for work. Ugh. I cringe thinking of it. Loved that car. So much more awesome than the Honda. Not known...people missed out.

@Flying_GC 3 жыл бұрын

@@tinav1341 um more awesome than what Honda? Certainly nothing remotely performance based.

@tinav1341 3 жыл бұрын

@@Flying_GC I said nothing about it being more awesome than a Honda, did I? I said the Isuzu IMark had a horrible trade in value compared to what I would have gotten back in the day if I had chosen the Honda. I regret the cash loss, but not the car. That was a fun little bugger, the Recaro seats were amazing, and the handling by Lotus didn't disappoint me. I had a 1988 Isuzu IMark RS Turbo. 😄. I have fond memories. Red wheels. Every dude in a suped up car would sit at lights revving their engine daring me to race, and all because it said Handling by Lotus Turbo. Funny guys lol... I'm old now. I'd maybe now think it's a Tin can... I had my fun youth and I'm glad. Lol.

@93remix 8 жыл бұрын

this was an Si before all the import tuners made it BIG. I like this shape and look of this 1

@Gerisheng Жыл бұрын

OK, I'm seeing this 8 years too late. But I love these fun Japanese cars from the late 80's and into the late 90's. Generally speaking, they are bombproof. And I love the small, zingy engines that may not give you good numbers by today's standards, but always felt eager and revvy and entertaining when you wanted to have fun. And isn't that more important than 0-60 times? Long live the mid-80's to mid-90's Japanese fun little compacts!

@eterrnnoly1 9 жыл бұрын

I had an I-Mark but it was an xs; the mid grade version. I loved that car and my girlfriend at the time wrecked. I always wanted an RS. Having a moment right now.

@AtomicBuffalo 8 ай бұрын

I had a white hatchback with Recaros and sunroof. It was glorious. Fantastic throttle response, no balance shaft, very light on its feet, useful design touches everywhere, handsome styling with serious-business chunky ground effects and rear wing. Of all the cars I've owned, the 89 I-Mark RS is the one I most want back.

@cbnboy34 7 жыл бұрын

My mom had a 89 White Rs sedan...LOVED IT!!

@rupertstun 3 жыл бұрын

And my mom in 1989 had only some garbadge in the kitchen)) And now I had this car)

@heavilyarmedgoy 9 жыл бұрын

I love these reviews, cars back then were unique. They all look the same nowadays.

@heavilyarmedgoy 8 жыл бұрын

I loved the turbo z`s.

@heavilyarmedgoy 3 жыл бұрын

LOL

@theoriginalralph5141 3 жыл бұрын

Well, the I Mark might look cool nowadays, seeming to have some character to it because of the retro style, but back in the 80's the I Mark was the most generic and boring car you could buy. Although it was also the toughest car money could buy, if you got the diesel 5 speed. Mine's got nearly 400k miles and the damn engine still runs like it's new, and EVERYTHING IS STILL FACTORY.

@slash11lipo Жыл бұрын

I bought one of these new in 89 and loved it. One summer I drove it from Georgia to Northern Iowa to visit family and it turned 4,000 rpms at 80mph. That was one hell of an engine with a 7,800 rpm red line. Ear plugs were recommended at all times.

@nikoskourasis 9 жыл бұрын

Still have my 4-door I-Mark RS I bought new back in August of 1989... :-) Would not change it for the world... It has a lot of upgrades now, but then again, I have to to keep up with technology (and reliability)...

@Motorweek 9 жыл бұрын

Proof of current ownership wins a free MotorWeek T-shirt. Shoot me a current pic to bdavis@mpt.org along with your shirt size and mailing address. Thanks!

@5cardpimp 8 жыл бұрын

+MotorWeek Is this still a thing? I just bought one up here in Canada.

@dexterwallace4060 5 жыл бұрын

Is the rs all wheel drive?

@peacefulguy9539 3 жыл бұрын

@@dexterwallace4060 FWD

@AWDfreak 9 жыл бұрын

Holy hell you could get Recaro seats in a 1980's Isuzu?!?!

@PaulEdgewatertheman 5 жыл бұрын

RIGHT???

@scottycalvert3966 3 жыл бұрын

Right .....cassette player and recaro seats ....lol

@tonybino01 3 жыл бұрын

The public buses I used to take to go to school have Recaro seats too. LOL.

@AWDfreak 3 жыл бұрын

@@tonybino01 Some of my county's Gillig commute buses had Recaro seats for the driver only.

@ottodob 9 жыл бұрын

keep these retro reviews comin! good job motorweek. I love this stuff.

@bryanmayes9234 7 жыл бұрын

my mom bought an '89 RS sedan in whit new when i was a kid which ended up being my first car. i miss that car

@rupertstun 3 жыл бұрын

And my mom in 1989 had only some garbadge in the kitchen)) And now I had this car)

@cribs78 9 жыл бұрын

These "Retro Reviews" are awesome! I honestly didn't know Isuzu made this car.

@carwhiz90 9 жыл бұрын

Back when Isuzu was at its highest point. Sad it never could transition through the late 2000's and early 2010's

@mrdaykurutakuchannel 5 жыл бұрын

They focus towards commercial vehicles like buses or big rigs nowadays. Cars that they made so far are only suvs/d cabs with mu-xes n d-maxes and panthers (been there since '00 without any big changes whatsoever....)

@atomsmash100 4 жыл бұрын

Totally. They were getting great press and had huge potential, then lost it.

@jeffpittel6926 Жыл бұрын

Probably didn't help they were part owned by GM?,,,LOL

@strongereveryday2302 Жыл бұрын

@@jeffpittel6926 Exactly. Gm like Ford, ruins anything else they touch.

@carlasghost656 8 ай бұрын

@@jeffpittel6926 GM badge engineered most Isuzus into the Geo division. Isuzu probably thought they'd make good money making the cars and selling them through GM. Worked well until GM dropped Geo and most people forgot Isuzu made passenger cars. Reintroducing a brand as we're back, but never really went away, isn't easy.

@RoadCone411 4 жыл бұрын

30+ years ago, yikes! Can’t remember the last time I saw an I-Mark/Spectrum on the road.

@johnnymason2460 2 жыл бұрын

I used to own a 1987 Spectrum I got from my mother. It broke down almost immediately. Could never get it fixed. I wish I still had that car now. At least I would have a car right now.

@ImpatientWreck 8 жыл бұрын

I love these Retro Reviews!!!!

@Saytheodd 9 жыл бұрын

The awkward moment when this made 125hp from a 1.6L in 1989 when the 2014 Nissan versa 1.6L only makes 109hp.

@kma198199 9 жыл бұрын

Its not awkward. This isuzu was cranked to high hell for the time for power. The versa today is tuned for fuel economy.

@kma198199 9 жыл бұрын

The 2015 versa with the cvt can easily AVERAGE 35mpg..

@Saytheodd 9 жыл бұрын

omg reall? when my veloster can average 38 mix driving and get 42mpg hwy, and it's much faster

@kma198199 9 жыл бұрын

The versa hatchback is larger than the veloster I believe, by a pretty big margin inside and out. That might have something to do with the fuel economy difference. The leg room and headroom in the versa is more than many full size american sedans.

@hawkermustang 9 жыл бұрын

The Honda Fit makes 130hp from a 1.5 liter and gets 41mpg highway.

@whoohaaXL 9 жыл бұрын

PLEASE! Bring on a review of the Suzuki Swift GTi, Gotta be one in the archives somewhere.

@frank09busa 6 жыл бұрын

this was an bad ass car back then.

@alexander1485 6 жыл бұрын

ive never seen one ever.

@mjallen1308 6 жыл бұрын

RIGHT! My aunt had a 5 sp manual one and I absolutely LOVED THAT CAR!

@LifeofFabi 5 жыл бұрын

:) i love my one too, but i need a new fuel pump thats why my gti is standig in the garage for 1 year now

@f6sk 5 жыл бұрын

@@LifeofFabi join the isuzone facebook page and we'll find you one.

@Asphalt_Legend78 Ай бұрын

I bought one of these my senior year of high school in 1997 for $1,000 cash. Man oh man, I literally gave that car a run for it's money before I left for boot camp after graduating. Such a fun little car, I had 5 star wheels on it, a booming system with 2 12"s and of course, the neon light kit. This car was a BLAST!!!!

@CMFL77 4 жыл бұрын

Owned an I-Mark Turbo coupe w/ Recaro package. Bought it not running..lol.. After replacing the turbo it was absolutely one of the most fun cars I've ever driven. Also one of the quickest.

@qmto 3 жыл бұрын

These things had a fantastic sounding 4 banger. One of the best imo.

@jeepguy95 9 жыл бұрын

Those rims... they remind me so much of the ones on the Shelby GT500 Mustang.

@TheDonta99 9 жыл бұрын

lol...😁

@suomenpresidentti 7 жыл бұрын

Vincent D Backlights remind me of a much newer mustang.

@DavidWBuggJr 9 жыл бұрын

***** I currently own an 89 I Mark RS hatch

@chrisreynolds6391 5 жыл бұрын

Show us. I've never seen one

@LifeofFabi 5 жыл бұрын

i own a white and a red one. the white one is terrible conditions, but the red one drives perfect @@chrisreynolds6391

@KS-qr1ry 5 жыл бұрын

David Bugg still own it?

@CarlitosAPC 9 жыл бұрын

Im still have my Isuzu Gemini Sedan since 1989, Never think sold, I love that car, is not the same, Because i have the 1.5L Carb Engine...but still rocks!

@rupertstun 3 жыл бұрын

You have cool dude car) Give me five to Gemini GTI owner

@cyotacorolla1489 7 жыл бұрын

That thing pulls like an ef civic. Handling needs to be tweaked a bit but damn!! Wish these were easier to find.

@leavingasap843 6 жыл бұрын

Miss simple hatchbacks sad to see them virtually gone

@willbill808 6 жыл бұрын

I haven’t seen an I Mark since the 90’s. Wow this is nostalgic.

@handymanit166 Жыл бұрын

This was my first car back in the day and I got it from an auction.. Such a great car

@WebbRacingdotcom Жыл бұрын

I've loved both of my Isuzus - an Impulse RS and a VehiCROSS. I've even had the pleasure of road racing a Stylus RS in the mid 90s. All of them were great fun to drive.

@d0sitmatr 4 жыл бұрын

honestly, I never even heard of this car before having this popup on my recommended list.

@michaelheppe218 2 жыл бұрын

I had a marron RS in highschool. No one knew what it was. Man I loved that car, and I went through a few sets of tires.

@mrwigley9883 2 жыл бұрын

I had this exact same I-Mark while I was in the Army back in 94-95, same color, wheels, interior, everything! I loved this little car and had so much fun with it, but I drove back from Kansas to CA and traded it in for a pickup to carry all my crap back! I have always wished I had gotten rid of the crap and kept the car!

@brettbanta2100 Жыл бұрын

They were a pretty cool little car

@WSNO 2 жыл бұрын

Love these Isuzu’s on this channel. These should have sold like hot cakes. I want one of each

@fernandorocha8459 Жыл бұрын

Beautiful isuzu, beautiful this car

@senyashchukin391 4 жыл бұрын

I saw one of these at the junkyark years ago. I looked inside and noticed the tachometer goes up to 10,000rpm. I never seen that before

@ramonhernandez3812 3 жыл бұрын

Isuzu was a underrated manufacturer

@Dresdin2012 9 жыл бұрын

Would love to find one these. In good shape.

@1995RangeRover 4 жыл бұрын

Funky and swift lil box! ❤

@radsk8rbigollies594 Жыл бұрын

Good looking little car!

@jeffrichards1537 2 жыл бұрын

My friend had one. I drove it when I was 19. This little thing could fly on a twisty road with its lotus suspension.

@thetreblerebel 3 жыл бұрын

Today small racer cars are hip, Yaris GR and Civic Type R. This 1.6L DOHC engine in a small hatch looks awesome. I bet it's badass to drive fast

@unconbentional2044 6 жыл бұрын

Isuzu used to make some great little cars and trucks. My Dad had a 94 Isuzu pickup, and that thing was a rock solid, dependable little work truck. It's a shame that they no longer sell cars in North America.

@ajheinze4443 7 жыл бұрын

I have an 89 chevy geo spectrum izizu motor but parts are hard to find

@thomaswills2301 4 жыл бұрын

I have always wanted an I-Mark and a 90's Impulse but those are next to impossible to find. Even the Geo Storms are extremely hard to find.

@dkt1976dt 9 жыл бұрын

This car was a more sporty and hyped version of the Chevrolet Spectrum

@laurokeeney6047 9 жыл бұрын

Donald Thompson IS LIKE COMPARING A BIG THURD TO A STAKE DINNER,AND MIG 29 TO A 747

@cubdukat 5 жыл бұрын

Or the Spectrum was a toned down version of the I-Mark. It came first.

@RoadCone411 4 жыл бұрын

Considering Isuzu made the Spectrum, I think you have it backwards.

@OllieCat7 2 ай бұрын

This is when cars were fun. Keep this in mind anybody who's watching and how all the manuals are going away bit by bit. And think of the price point even at that time that was not a hard amount to swallow.

@bosalvucci4439 3 жыл бұрын

Had one as a teenager quick lil car fun to drive

@JoseGarcia-hw6ty 6 жыл бұрын

I loved this model

@mpa1931 3 жыл бұрын

I had this through 1993-1995. fun little car but upgraded to an RX-7 afterwards :)

@21April853BC 8 жыл бұрын

I like it. I was 12 when this car was sold in the US.

@tays8306 3 жыл бұрын

Had a friend in high-school in the late 90s with one of these. Can confirm. Driven like F1 car daily. 😄

@Asphalt_Legend78 Ай бұрын

Might have been me lol

@rabit818 6 жыл бұрын

The shifter is notch. I remember the Lotus logo on the side. The volume is loud.

@perryingraham236 7 жыл бұрын

its like the feista st from the 80s

@cubdukat 5 жыл бұрын

Supposedly the car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro was so pissed off at what GM did to his original design of the I-Mark that he never designed another car for Isuzu, and even disowned the I-Mark design until it had been out of production for over a decade. And he designed two of their most beautiful cars, including the 1st-generation Impulse.

@speedyink 3 жыл бұрын

There's a lady around here that drives one of these (the red hatchback). It's still a very nice looking car today

@PantomimeHorseMusic 9 жыл бұрын

That's impressive power from a 1.6 L engine, even in 2014. It's a shame that Isuzu went down the tubes since then.

@kma198199 9 жыл бұрын

These days, with the same goal, I think most car companies can get a lot more power out of a 1.6 liter engine. That displacement seems more popular for fuel economy though.

@mrdaykurutakuchannel 6 жыл бұрын

True. Isuzus are now associated with utility commercial vehicles. That 1.6 can give the 4AG or B16 a run for theor money.

@oldtwinsna8347 5 жыл бұрын

Honda Fit - 1.5 normally aspirated 130hp, 33/40mpg with far more interior space.

@strongereveryday2302 Жыл бұрын

@@oldtwinsna8347 Also ugly as hell, and a boring car for grandmothers

@rupertstun 3 жыл бұрын

I was today own Gemini GTI 1989 :) Still good car for nowadays, but without spare parts

@VolkswagenGamer 9 жыл бұрын

SO MUCH RETRO REVIEW! :O

@Hot80s 7 жыл бұрын

the kids back then loved these I-marks make mine a white one

@jeffdeal4681 8 жыл бұрын

econobox, never knew this term was used in that era.

@HAMLETM3 5 жыл бұрын

My first Car,but 4 doors, lot of fun!

@reedy2ratchet 8 жыл бұрын

Getting ready to buy one of these off craigslist for $300 lolol

@Morboeatspeople 7 жыл бұрын

Did you get it?

@Bug_Bait 4 жыл бұрын

Well? Did you?

@reedy2ratchet 4 жыл бұрын

Niko Gambino ball bag 😂😂 but no I ended up buying a 4 cylinder foxbody that broke down on me during the ride home. Lost sleep for weeks for not buying the Isuzu lmao

@cadsux 9 жыл бұрын

How about one of the last Isuzus in the U.S, the Vehicross? Thanks.

@x-man4702 5 жыл бұрын

Love the 80's and early 90's cars, throw a set of coilovers on that i-Mark and it will probably out handled many modern cars I'm sure.

@ericwhitehead6451 3 ай бұрын

That's some good power for a 1.6L back then. Isuzu made some good cars and trucks... To bad they never really caught on here in North America (besides their commercial trucks).

@imgonnagogetthepapersgetth8347 2 жыл бұрын

125hp out of a non turbo 1.6 is fantastic, and this was 1989.

@Skyhawk1987Turbo 9 жыл бұрын

I really can't believe there are not tests on a skyhawk turbo, but you do a test on this?

@sailordave1000 9 жыл бұрын

Or at least a Pontiac Sunbird GT with the same engine, 2.0L SOHC turbo of about 160 HP

@x-man4702 5 жыл бұрын

Looks like Isuzu started the i revolution... i-Mark, iPhone, iCloud, etc...

@TheCarCrazyGuy 6 жыл бұрын

I miss Joe Isuzu

@pl5624 3 жыл бұрын

David leasure

@thegolfernment Жыл бұрын

1:58 Bro had the white forces on in 1989

@fatherhate889 6 жыл бұрын

The 4 door sedan was the car that stalked Ricky

@USA_djhiggi77 4 жыл бұрын

Is the 1.6 just the miata engine?

@darknessislight3689 Жыл бұрын

I owned its cousin (1985 Chevy Spectrum) 3dr hatch was a good little car

@777jones 4 жыл бұрын

Haha this is one of their most positive reviews. For the Isuzu I-mark

@chrisdooley6468 7 жыл бұрын

Love it :)

@stoneylonesome4062 2 жыл бұрын

My only gripe with the I-Mark RS is that it should’ve been AWD. Anything deemed “Rally Sport” should be AWD. Unfortunately they didn’t produce an AWD sports car until the 1991 Impulse RS Turbo.

@BigEightiesNewWave 3 жыл бұрын

timeless design still looks good.

@wawewawe1316 6 жыл бұрын

We never had this car in my country. It looks like a potent hot hatch in it's day! What happened??? How come I didn't hear about this until now?

@ronaldderooij1774 8 жыл бұрын

I think the car would have sold well in Europe too. Shame they did not sell it over here.

@stephenwilliams8963 2 жыл бұрын

Inside shots were so dark, didn't they have lights back then

@MrNuggetface 9 жыл бұрын

Shit, I left my I Mark title at home

@thetreblerebel 3 жыл бұрын

This was a Type R v fore the Type R. Imagine this car on boost, it was a sports hatch before they were popular. Like the Omni GLHS

@zackstopzackstop8091 Жыл бұрын

I have been looking for one of these for the last 3 years as far as I am concerned they are extinct, but I am still aggressively still looking

@SmangItDrums 9 жыл бұрын

***** Can I just have a t-shirt? Does owning an Acura CL Type-S that's all stock close similar enough? Give it a few years, and it'll be that way. Truth be told, I had no idea the I-Mark had such a little scamper of a hatch. It's pretty cool to know they were genuinely serious with this offering.

@britishsecretagent0078 4 жыл бұрын

Faster to 60 than the sexier impulse from the same year😳

@atomsmash100 2 ай бұрын

Isuzu had some cool vehicles in the mid to late '80s. Had they kept that momentum, they could have still been in the U.S. market.

@dwilsonjr78 5 жыл бұрын

0-60 in 8.4 seconds? That was quick for a small car back then.

@bradfromthevalley 6 ай бұрын

9 thousand bucks. under 9seconds and it handles and looks well, this should of been more popular.

@Laptops1781 4 жыл бұрын

Slap some modern day head and tail lights on this thing as well as some modern wheels and it'd look awesome in today's market.

@TechWizMaster 3 жыл бұрын

What a cool car for the time.

@alejandrovaldivia2078 4 жыл бұрын

I REMEMBER Joe Isuzu driving the car on commercials.

@MrJblaze83 3 жыл бұрын

I had one !!! I beat the hell out that thing .. I raced it daily .. and beat so many cars 1/4 ... lol .. wish I can find one now

@alsoto8696 5 жыл бұрын

Este si que era un buen auto

@jonathanquiroz1 3 жыл бұрын

Lástima que en México ni como Chevrolet llegó.

@miketheyunggod2534 3 жыл бұрын

What happened to Isuzu? The Impulse and this I-Mark RS were really nice cars.

@DeltaOps3 7 жыл бұрын

what a sexy 4 door

@JEMHull-gf9el 7 жыл бұрын

I wish you could still buy this new

@theeyeinthesky3854 4 жыл бұрын

I always wanted to have one of those!!

@dermetzger Жыл бұрын

4:05 - "...hides much of the already confusing gauge cluster." Confusing? How is that confusing? What about it is confusing? Nothing. Those bar gauges are well marked and complete, especially considering how so many other models don't even bother with including anything but the bare minimum when it comes to instrumentation...