by Gabrielle DeSantis

Models like the Kia Carnival are proof that modern minivans are just as stylish as they are practical. But when it comes to performance, they’re certainly not supercars. At least, not the vast majority of them. On rare occasions, automakers cut loose and make high-speed minivans like the Porsche B32. And sometimes, like with the 1988 Bertone Genesis, they go even further.

The 1988 Bertone Genesis was envisioned as a Lamborghini minivan

Today, if you want a ‘practical’ Lamborghini, you can buy an Urus SUV. However, before the SUV craze, in the 1980s, minivans were all the rage due to their novelty and practicality. And while Lamborghini technically had an SUV, the LM002, it didn’t have a minivan. That’s somewhat ironic given that Chrysler, which owned Lamborghini at the time, essentially invented the minivan.

Enter Italian design house Bertone, the firm behind cars like the Alfa Romeo BAT concepts, the Lancia Stratos, and the Ferrari 308 GT4. It, along with Chrysler exec Lee Iacocca, thought that Lamborghini could benefit from building a minivan, Hagerty explains. This idea wasn’t just about practicality, though.

Remember, at this point, Lamborghini was purely a supercar company. A bull-badged people-mover would have been utterly sensational and bold, HotCars says. And that’s exactly what the 1988 Bertone Genesis is.

In 1988, Bertone came out with the @Lamborghini Genesis concept: a 5-seat minivan fitted with a Countach V12 engine pic.twitter.com/78DYqxfvA2

— Shah Selbe (@shahselbe) December 10, 2015

Like all modern minivans, the Bertone Genesis has sliding rear doors. But in front, it has gullwing doors—and that’s not the most unconventional thing about it. Its seats are arranged in a 2+1+2 layout, meaning two in front, two in the rear, and one in the middle. Those seats are upholstered in red and white Alcantara and come with adjustable leg rests, Motor1 notes. They’re also power-folding and power-sliding. Plus, the front three seats can rotate 180°.

Being a 1988 minivan, the Bertone Genesis doesn’t have Apple CarPlay. But it does have a built-in TV. However, even if it wasn’t on, the minivan’s occupants had another soundtrack on hand: the V12 engine.

Beneath those gullwing doors, the Bertone Genesis flies with a Lamborghini Countach V12

Yes, you read that correctly. Decades before the Mercedes R63 AMG arrived, the Bertone Genesis offered the minivan world a high-horsepower experience. Or rather, a Lamborghini Countach experience.

Under the Bertone Genesis’s hood is the same 5.2-liter V12 used in the Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV. That’s why the front two seats are set so far apart: to accommodate the mid-front-mounted engine. And with six Weber carburetors, the V12 makes 455 hp.

Unlike the Countach, the Genesis has a three-speed automatic, rather than a five-speed manual. But that’s still good for a top speed of 155 mph, Petrolicious says. And, also like the Lamborghini Countach, the Bertone Genesis is a RWD car. Though given that it weighs almost two tons, it’s likely not as nimble as the Countach.

It’s a one-off concept

Sadly, for minivan shoppers, the 1988 Bertone Genesis was just a concept, albeit a functional one. However, despite Bertone’s bankruptcy, the Genesis still exists. The Italian organization Automotoclub Storico Italiano snapped it up in an auction following the design firm’s bankruptcy. And ASI occasionally displays it at motoring events such as Retromobile.

For now, though, the idea of a production Lamborghini minivan will have to remain a fever dream.

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by Gabrielle DeSantis

When it comes to consumer satisfaction ratings on Consumer Reports, there are a few manufacturers that stand out as the best car brands. Conversely, there are also a few that get lower scores than others. These are the least satisfying car brands according to Consumer Reports.

What are the worst car brands in terms of consumer satisfaction ratings?

Although these may not be the worst car brands in terms of performance or style when it comes to consumer satisfaction ratings, the worst car brands reviewed by Consumer Reports all scored below 65/100. The consumer satisfaction survey rates car brands based on how many owners say they would buy another of the same vehicle from that respective brand. So which ones are the worst car brands? 

According to Consumer Reports, the manufacturers with the lowest consumer satisfaction ratings are Mercedes-Benz (64/100), Buick (61/100), Cadillac (59/100), Nissan (58), and Infiniti (48). For one reason or another, fewer owners of vehicles manufactured by these brands would opt to rebuy. Chevrolet and GMC tied for sixth place with scores of 65/100. 

How many models are used for scoring? 

One important factor we should take into consideration is that these brands all have a varying range of models which Consumer Reports reviewed. Consumer Reports collected data from the owners of four different Mercedes-Benz models. There is data from two Buick models and two Cadillac models.

Nissan owners of seven different models submitted information for the survey. The Infiniti results include data from the owners of three different models. Chevrolet’s results include nine models. GMC brings data from five models to the table. 

All of the worst car brands in terms of Consumer Reports satisfaction ratings show data from a similar number of models as the top brands. Tesla and Lincoln, the No. 1 and No. 2 brands respectively, include data from four models. Ram and Chrysler (No.3 and No. 4) each offered data from two models to the survey. Middle-of-the-pack scorers like Toyota (71/100) and Ford (70/100) include data from 13 and 9 models, respectively. So it’s not likely that the number of models has much to do with the low scores. According to actual owners, these five brands are the least satisfying car brands to own.  

What are the worst car brands still doing right? 

The brands we mentioned have the lowest consumer satisfaction ratings according to Consumer Reports. But that doesn’t mean that these brands don’t still garner some positive attention. It also does not definitively label them as the worst car brands. Mercedes-Benz, for example, gets a 5/5 for driving experience and a 4/5 for cabin comfort. 

Chevrolet and GMC each show scores of 4/5 for driving experience. Cadillac scored a 4/5 for both driving experience and cabin comfort. Buick has a high 4/5 score for cabin comfort. Nissan and Infiniti both have the lowest consumer satisfaction scores. Still, they each earned a 3/5 score for both driving experience and cabin comfort. 

Overall, there are models from each of these manufacturers that have much to offer. That said, there are certain brands that performed a lot better in terms of survey results from actual owners. While ultimately the choice comes down to the buyers, using ratings from various critics can help inform our car shopping decisions. The fact that these are the least satisfying car brands according to owner data is worth noting.

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