Saturn Sky, 2007-2009.
These eight cars will disappear with the new model year, but they merit more than a footnote for what they say about the auto industry and its buyers.
Bentley Arnage, 1966-2009: With a design dating back more than 40 years, the Arnage is the last Bentley engineered by Rolls-Royce, which owned Bentley at one time. Now that Rolls is owned by BMW, and Bentley by Volkswagen, the Arnage will be history come spring, despite its legendary British craftsmanship.
Chrysler Aspen, 2007-2009: Late to the luxury-truck party, this sapling never grew in popularity despite its appealing design and price. But Chrysler's first SUV will be its last. Along with its sibling, the Dodge Durango, it bit the dust last year.
Honda S2000
Honda S2000, 2002-2009: Many great sports cars live brief lives -- and then they either disappear or descend into senility, a shadow of their former selves. So the S2000, one of the finest roadsters of the past decade and a victim of corporate neglect, disappears.
Hyundai Entourage, 2007-2009: When Hyundai introduced the posh Genesis sedan, it was obvious the company was moving upmarket. For 2010, the Entourage minivan disappears, but it will live on in Kia showrooms, where it's sold as the Sedona. Meanwhile, look for Hyundai to sell an even larger flagship sedan, the Equus, in about a year.
Mercury Sable, 1986-2009: The Sable was sold alongside the Ford Taurus this year. Mercury's masters have designed a new Taurus, but no Sable, for 2010. This is a roomy, responsive front-wheel-drive family sedan with an enormous trunk and good safety ratings.
Pontiac G8
Pontiac G8, 2008-2009: One of GM's finest sedans, the Pontiac G8 is very much the poor man's BMW. This rear-drive sedan handles as well as the finest European cars with a big, honkin' American V8 under its hood. While Pontiac will die, the car will live on as a Chevy, sold with a different set of clothes and under a different name: the Camaro.
Saturn Sky, 2007-2009: The Saturn Sky is a stunningly sculpted bit of steel, one that eclipses that of its sibling, the Pontiac Solstice, because of its Corvette-derived styling cues. No matter. Both the Solstice and Sky two-seat roadsters are history, despite great handling, awesome styling and the sports-car requisite lack of trunk space.
Toyota Solara, 1999-2009: Toyota Camrys are not built to be exciting; they are built to please a broad section of buyers who want reliability, comfort and safety. The Solara was Toyota's attempt at injecting a bit of spice into what was a thoroughly vanilla brand. But Americans love vanilla. And so the Solara's star fades for 2010.
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