Too many unique cars don't receive all the love they so desperately deserve. Automakers might have released their sports cars with too steep of a price, inadequate marketing, and some were just too far ahead of their time—such as the Pontiac Aztek, and its weird coupe design.
As we progress through this list you'll notice that many of these manufacturers aren't with us anymore or have even ceased production of these models for the soul lack of sales. But we're not here to bash on anyone's head today, on the contrary, we're here to tell you these underloved vehicles are incredible, deserve absolutely no shame.
10 Hyundai Veloster N
Hyundai used to be purely focused on creating boring old commuter cars, but nowadays, this Korean auto manufacturer makes some of the wildest hatches the world has ever seen, and even their new sub-compact SUV, the Kona N is stirring some waters.
But as we said, Hyundai's forte is hot hatches, and their most profound little pocket rocket has to be the Veloster N. Not only did it have a striking appearance, but it had a potent teeny turbocharged four-banger with 275 hp that had a beautiful fruity tone. Oh, before we forget, this is one of the few new fun cars that still come equipped with a standard transmission.
9 TVR Sagaris
TVR is a British sports car manufacturer that strives to create drive-focused sports cars like no other, and to this day we're still uncovering their cars' hidden quirks and features. One of their stand-out models is the Sagaris, and it's nowhere near a tame, unnoticeable car; its rear side-exit exhaust tips, scales on its fenders, and transparent wing definitely implies otherwise.
This might not be as brutal or dangerous as other older TVR models, like the Cerbera or Tuscan, but what this iridescent alligator lacks in lethality it makes up for in precision and performance. The Sagaris can go from 0-60 in as little as 3.8 seconds, and its 400 hp 4.0-liter straight-six will keep on working its magic up to 195 mph.
8 Spyker C8
Not many people know of the Spyker car brand, not even many automotive enthusiasts do, but those who are part of this cult following known what incredible cars this Dutch automaker has released over the years.
Their newest model, the C8, is a luxurious touring car that consists of various other brands' parts. The coupe for example features an Audi-engineered V8, while the convertible variant will feature one built by Koenigsegg; its suspension supplied by Lotus and the rest of the C8 will consist of carbon fiber and pure aluminum.
7 Holden Ute
Putting a huge gas-guzzling V8 into a pick-up truck isn't anything new, look at the Chevy El Camino for example, but this Australian-built muscle-truck is just a tad more special than the others. If you're wondering why you've never seen one of these Holdens in the US, it's because they're predominantly sold in Australia, and need to be imported into America if you need one.
So, why was this specific Ute so great? A 6.0-liter naturally-aspirated 367 hp V8 that sends all its power to the rear wheels, in the real world, that meant you could use your practical everyday pick-up to wake up the whole neighborhood and paint pretty little pictures on the tarmac for all your friends watching.
6 Peugeot RCZ R
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, the French car manufacturer, Peugeot, created a sports car to rival others like the Audi TT and MG TF, and they called it the RCZ. The Peugeot RCZ has to be one of the most beautiful sports cars ever created with its unreal double-bubble roof and leather-drenched interior, but it never got enough time in the spotlight.
So, in an attempt to show other brands Peugeot was serious with their RCZ, they swapped out its front-wheel-drive layout for an all-wheel-drive one, bumped up its turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder's power number up to 270 hp, and added a dual-exit exhaust system as well as a sporty rear spoiler.
5 Saab 900 Turbo
The Swedes always have a way of creating quirky automobiles, and back in the day when Saab was still up and running, they created some of the most innovative rides the world had ever seen. One of their most stand-out models however has to be the 900 Turbo from the late '70s. Back then, very few cars came equipped with turbos, and if they were, they'd usually end up suffering from severe turbo lag, and dreary fuel economy.
However, Saab engineered their 900 Turbo to build up boost in low rev ranges, and not chug gas like an alcoholic on a Saturday evening; not just were their engines superior to other cars at the time, but its unique shape was like nothing else on the road, and interior-wise Saab has built some of the most user-friendly cockpits to ever exist.
4 Saleen S7
Saleen has been scorching up Mustangs for quite a while now, but very few people know that they hand-built their own supercar, the S7, and it was proudly American-built. And like all American cars, the Saleen's everything was as big as it gets; it engulfed a monstrous naturally-aspirated 7.0-liter V8 engine at the back, was 188 inches long and 78 inches wide, and has an incredible top speed of 220 mph.
The Saleen S7 came with a mandatory 6-speed manual gearbox and weighed less than 2,800 lbs; if for whatever reason its 550 hp figure is a smidgen disappointing for you, the S7 did later evolve to a twin-turbo version which produced 750 hp.
3 Mosler MT900S
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Let's just address the elephant in the room straight on, if you've ever played Forza Horizon, you already know exactly what this rocket ship is, but for the rest of the world, the Mosler name is completely unfamiliar. Mosler has made some odd-looking supercars in the past, like the Intruder/Raptor, but the MT900 received its styling from right around the world.
Its rear-end looks like a chunky Corvette C5, its front-end like a knock-off Dodge Viper and from the side like your everyday race car. Now, the Mosler didn't just look the part of a ferociously quick machine, it was out-and-out expediting. Its mid-mounted Corvette Z06-derived LS6 V8 produced 600 hp, and the MT900S weighed 2,200 lbs, so 0-60 was possible in as little as 3.1 seconds... keep in mind, this was the year 2006. Only twenty-five Mosler MT9000S models were ever built and just two came to America, and the one-and-only George Lucas was the first individual to buy one for himself.
2 Citroën DS
The very first Citroën DS model to exist still holds up to automotive luxury standards to this day despite it almost being 60 years old. See, the DS was one of the most revolutionary cars the world had ever seen, it was fitted with something called hydropneumatic suspension which absorbed virtually all rough surfaces and bumps on the road; not only did it set a new standard for conformability, but it was also the first-ever production car to come fitted with disc brakes instead of drum brakes.
Technologically, Citroën was decades ahead of the competition, so they designed their DS range with a sleek and stylish metal dress that would distinguish them from all other "normal" cars at the time.
1 Radical SR10
There are quite a few extreme track toys that you can legally drive on public roads for sale today, but the SR10 looks and feels like a literal racecar. The carmaker Radical has been developing track cars since 1997, and they're very proud to announce their newest monstrosity, the SR10 is road-legal.
The SR10 is powered by a fine-tuned Ford EcoBoost engine with an added Garret turbocharger which now makes 425 bhp and 380 lb-ft of torque. Not only does it make an absurd amount of power, but because it weighs as much as a cardboard box (1,600 lbs/725 kg), it can achieve a 0-60 time of as little as 2.4 seconds, and achieve a lateral force reading of 2.3 g. Unfortunely, Radical's racecars are only assembled in the UK, and if you were to import one into the US, you'd be looking at about $155,000 in total spent.