The whole world, more or less, lusts after sports cars. Of course, things like price, practicality, garage, and parking space come into play, nipping many a sports car dream in the bud.
For instance, in the US, sports car sales lie between 1 to 2% of total car sales, meaning there's only a tiny number of people who can realize their dream of driving around in a sports car; and fewer still who can lay their hands on the greatest sports cars ever made.
Yet, despite all the sports car wishes around, some of the coolest and best-handling sports cars have not been able to make a market for themselves, for various reasons. Sometimes, they came before their time, and often times with inflated prices. In this list, we'll show you 10 of the greatest sports cars ever made that failed to sell. We’ll tell you why they are so cool and why, more’s the pity, they flopped so hard on the market.
10 2004-2009 Cadillac XLR-V
Being part of the first generation of Cadillac V-Series, the high-performance XLR-V speedster is credited with igniting the modern revolution of the Cadillac brand we see today. We’re talking about the sensational CTS-V, the insane Blackwing versions, and many other electrifying cars that evolved afterward.
The XLR-V carried a supercharged V8 mill pumping out a massive 443 horses and 414 lb-ft of torque propelling the car for a 4.6-second 0-to-60 MPH spin. Transmission duties were handled by a deft 6-speed automatic. However, the sports car shoppers were not impressed with this masterpiece.
9 2004-2006 Pontiac GTO
The last-gen Pontiac GTO may not have sold well, but it’s one of the bests you can get from the used car bazaar today. The fact that it was a rebadged Australian-built third-gen Holden Monaro coupe imported into the US didn’t impress its deep-rooted fans who thought ill-bed to wear the GTO name.
This unloved GTO was an excellent V8-powered burnout machine pumping out 350 horses when armed with the LS1 engine and 400 horses with the LS2. With a 4.7-second 0-to-60 MPH feat, it’s one of the bests of its era.
8 1991-1995 Bugatti EB 110
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The velocious EB 110 is one of the most underrated sports cars of the 1990s. It’s got an insane powertrain, especially for a 1990s machine that includes a 3.5-liter V12 mid-engine, five valves per cylinder, and four turbochargers with intercoolers. With this setup, the EB 110 thrashes out outrageous output figures of 560 horses as standard.
The same engine cranks out a massive 610 horsepower if it’s a Super Sport trim. Clocking 0-to-60 MPH in just 3.2 seconds on the way to a top speed of 221 MPH, the Super Sport was a record-breaker. The end came because of alleged “industrial sabotage”.
7 2007-2010 Saturn Sky Redline
The Saturn Sky and its sibling, the Pontiac Solstice, are known as GM’s pre-bankruptcy cars in the auto world. They were awesome import-fighting GM roadsters and could be future collectibles but no one bought them when they were new.
The Saturn Sky Redline used a high-revving 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot to hammer out 260 horses and an equal amount of torque. With a 5.5-second 0-to-60 MPH propulsion, it beat its arch-rival, the Mazda Miata, but failed to make a dent in its sales.
6 1969-1972 Porsche 914/6
The entry-level Volkswagen-derived 914 was a winner in sales but the flat-six-powered Porsche version 914/6 bombed. The 914/6 was packed with a 911T-borrowed 2.0-liter, flat-six mill cranking out 110 horses. At the time it was also underappreciated and mocked for its lackluster appeal.
Despite its outstanding performance, it never got enough buyers to stay strong in the sports car bazaar. However, their values are hitting the roof lately in the classic cars' marketplace. There are some good deals at Hemmings to grab at the moment.
5 1997-2002 Plymouth Prowler
Many buyers complained about the Hot Wheels-like Plymouth Prowler’s drivetrain but at the time it offered plenty of fun. Instead of a V8, Chrysler gave it a powerful V6 mill mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission, but the visual impact of this roadster was awe-inspiring.
Later known as the Chrysler Prowler, its 3.5-liter engine made 214 horses initially and 253 horses from 1999 onwards. Its top speed was electronically limited to 118 MPH, but the acceleration was insane with a 7.2-second 0-to-60 MPH sprint.
4 1984-1988 Pontiac Fiero
The Fiero’s sporty styling and mid-engine design won many hearts for Pontiac in the mid-1980s. However, it came at the end of the malaise era too so build quality was questionable. The Detroit biggies were muted and so the Fiero was unveiled in 1983 with a timid Iron Duke Inline-4 with a two-digit horsepower figure.
The car was underpowered and also came with electric gremlins. The badly-needed V6 and a fastback GT were launched within a couple of years boasting better power figures, but the damage was already done.
3 1981-1983 DeLorean DMC-12
John DeLorean's legendary DMC-12 was one of his best creations. It was a great car, but it fell flat on its face for unforeseen reasons. The car was being manufactured in Northern Ireland which at the time was marred with a huge political crisis.
The company ran into a deep financial crunch, and it had to shut its doors before long. The rear-engine DeLorean survived for just two years, but it deserved much better at that moment. Here are a few up for grabs at Hemmings.
2 2004-2008 Chrysler Crossfire
The remodeled version of the iconic Mercedes SLK, Chrysler Crossfire may not have found many buyers in its days. It does have a growing fanbase today and is likely to become a future classic considering it’s got a 3.2-liter Mercedes-sourced V6 cranking out 215 horses and 229 lb-ft of torque for a 6.6-second 0-to-60 MPH show.
The supercharged SRT-6 versions armed with a hefty 3.5-liter V6 hammered out a massive 330 horses and 310 lb-ft of torque giving an even better result, a 4.7-second 0-to-60 MPH time.
1 1990-1996 Dodge Stealth R/T Twin Turbo
The Dodge Stealth was the beautiful result of the American-Japanese automotive alliance because the Stealth was a rebadged Mitsubishi 3000GT. It was affordable, good-looking and a people pleaser with a 3.0-liter V6 engine that made 164 horses and 185 lb-ft of torque.
The R/T Twin Turbo was insane, with 300 horsepower and 307 lb-ft of torque, and was even faster than the Ford Mustang Cobra of its time. Yet, people veered towards the others, so Dodge took the Stealth away and replaced it with the Viper. There's one up for grabs at BAT auctions.
Sources: Hemmings, BringaTrailer