One of the main features that drivers look for in a car when they decide to purchase a vehicle is the performance. While reliability, low maintenance costs, and a spacious interior are essential, most drivers want to know that their vehicle won't trudge along the road when they step on the gas. The thrill of driving at fast speeds is one of the best aspects of owning a car. The design of a vehicle depends on the segment of the car market it belongs to and its performance. Manufacturers design pickup trucks with a hard body while designing sedans to look reliable and safe. Portrayed as performance cars, sports cars look flashy and have more curves than a standard vehicle.
While most cars' performance matches the cars' extravagant designs, some cars look fast, but their engines provide lackluster performance. The manufacturers of those vehicles have designed the cars to look like speed demons, yet they perform like angels, and we don't mean that as a compliment. We've compiled a list of cars that'll delude the average car buyer to believe that the vehicle is a performance specimen. While most of the cars on our list look as if they can match the performance of a Ferrari, these entrants have a design of a sports car but the performance of a family car.
20 Honda CR-Z
The Japanese manufacturer is known for making reliable vehicles that can last for more than 300,000 miles. The S2000 is Honda's best model to enter the sports car segment, although it cannot match the power and style of a Mustang. When Honda announced the release of the CR-Z, enthusiasts of the brand were hoping that the car would be a successor to the compact hatch CR-X.
The enthusiasts were disappointed as Honda fitted an engine that pumped out 130 horsepower from a six-speed manual transmission.
The car wasn't sporty or fuel-efficient, and Honda decided to discontinue the model.
19 Porsche Cayenne
Featuring a Porsche on the list may not make sense to most car enthusiasts, but the Cayenne is a worthy entrant. You'd be forgiven for believing that all Porsche vehicles are fast, but that's not the case with some Cayenne models. The standard model reaches 0 to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds and has a top speed of 142 mph. The entry level has a 3.6-liter V6 engine that pumps out 300 horsepower. That may sound a lot but is insignificant considering the car's weight. Buyers who want to get the best performance from a Cayenne should opt for a Turbo or a GTS.
18 Toyota Celica
The Japanese manufacturer is known for making reliable and safe vehicles, not sports cars. When the print ad for the 2000 Celica came out, the headline stated, 'Looks fast.' The headline was correct.
It looks fast but provides a performance that you'd expect from a Prius.
Toyota added a large spoiler and a body kit. The front fascia required removal of the fog lights. The Celica was part of Toyota's Project Genesis, meant to lure in the young generation of buyers. The base vehicle produced 140 horsepower that came out of a 1.8-liter engine. The GT-S version had 180 horsepower.
17 DeLorean DMC-12
The producers of Back to the Future may have wanted you to believe that the vehicle was capable of cruising at astonishing speeds, but that only happened in the movie. The gullwing doors fooled viewers to believe that the car was on par with Tesla's performance. The original vehicle had a 2.8-liter V6 engine that could produce 130 horsepower. The good news for lovers of the car is that it's making a come back. This time, the manufacturer decided to install a V6 engine capable of producing between 350 and 400 horsepower. The only problem is that the styling of the vehicle is outdated for the modern era.
16 Pontiac Fiero
The Fiero had the potential to be a super sports car that delivered great performance. The problem was that General Motors feared that the Fiero would compete with the Corvette, resulting in a decline of the Corvette's sales.
The original engine in the Fiero was the V-6. Then, GM decided to replace it with a 2.5-liter inline-four engine. That's when the performance of the vehicle decreased, as the Fiero was capable of getting from 0 to 60 mph in 10.6 seconds.
The later Fiero GT wasn't much better. The car's engine pushed the vehicle from 0 to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds.
15 Plymouth Prowler
Blistering speeds is the first thought that'll pop into most drivers' minds when they look at the Prowler. Plymouth released the two-seater roadster at the turn of the century and had hoped that the car would make the brand relevant.
Chrysler took a 3.5-liter V-6 engine from the Dodge Intrepid and fitted it inside the Prowler.
Although the vehicle produced 214 horsepower, it looked as it if could pump out more than 400. One of the key problems with the vehicle is that the price matched that of the Corvette, while the performance was on the same level as that of the Camaro.
14
13 Toyota MR2
The MR2 was also part of Toyota's Project Genesis but at the good end of the spectrum. The Japanese manufacturer redesigned the vehicle, and some car experts panned the design, but the handling was excellent. The car weighed 2,200 pounds and had a rear-wheel drive.
The problem with the MR2 was that it had the same 1.8-liter inline-four engine as the Celica.
The engine could pump out only 138 horsepower. The later model had a 6-speed transmission but was still slow. The S2000 had 100 more horsepower at a similar price. The car takes corners well but at a slow speed.
12 Hyundai Veloster
The Veloster isn't the first vehicle Hyundai released that looks faster than the performance it delivers. The first car was the Tiburon. The Japanese manufacturer discontinued the Tiburon since it didn't live up to the reputation of a performance vehicle and paved the way for the Veloster. Buyers will be disappointed to find out that the Veloster has a 1.-6-liter engine that pumps out 132 horsepower and 120 lb-ft of torque. The other option is the Turbo model, which has a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that pumps out 201 mph.
11 Dodge Dart
The aesthetics and the name of the vehicle may allude to speed, but this U.S.-made car does everything other than deliver performance. Dodge marketed the vehicle as a fuel-efficient compact car. Dodge has good performing engines in cars such as the Viper and the Hellcat, so we were surprised to discover that the Dart has a 2-liter four-cylinder engine that pushes out 160 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque. The other option is the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that pumps out 184 horsepower. The U.S. manufacturer likes to refer to the 2.4-liter model as a "powerhouse."
10 Smart Roadster
The latest Smart car is known for its miniature stature and fuel economy. Smart wanted to compete in the sports car segment and decided to manufacturer a roadster that was supposed to deliver good performance. The car may look like the offspring of a Mazda Miata, but its performance isn't on par. Smart manufactured the vehicle with the intention of following in the footsteps of sports cars such as the classic British Leyland car, the MG B. The bad news is that Smart left out the sports car performance inspiration out of the production phase since it installed a 698 cc, three-cylinder engine. The result was that the Roadster could reach 0 to 60 mph in 10.5 seconds.
9 Chevrolet SSR
Chevrolet executives decided that it would be a great idea to release a retro vehicle at the turn of the century. Their intentions were good, but the production was meager. Chevrolet decided to unveil the vehicle at the Detroit Auto Show. The vehicle had a long wheelbase that Chevy borrowed from the Trailblazer chassis and drivetrain.
The car's engine could pump out 300 horsepower, but the vehicle weighed 5,000 pounds. The car was extremely slow.
Chevrolet decided to improve the engine by fitting a 400-horsepower LS2 V8 later. The performance improved, but the vehicle was slower than competing vehicles at the price point.
8 Mazda MX-5 Miata
A surprising entrant... Many people love the Miata and believe that the vehicle can deliver a quick performance. The Miata looks fast, and it can perform at high speed but not on a straight road. The Miata excels on windy roads and corners. The car has a 2-liter four engine that spurts out 155 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque. The Miata looks like a sports car but reaches 0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds, according to Car and Driver. Although it cannot cruise at blistering speeds, the Miata is fun to drive and is a light, engaging vehicle that's reliable.
7 Fisker Karma
If you wanted to own a vehicle that looked similar to a Maserati but performed like a standard sedan, then you should opt for a Fisker Karma. The Karma can cruise on an electric motor or a combination of gas and electrics for best performance. The car reaches 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. One problem with the Karma is that it looks like a sedan. Another problem with the vehicle is the hefty price tag. A Tesla base model is faster than the Karma and is half the price. Poor sales led to Fisker filing for bankruptcy.
6 Mazda RX8
Numerous drivers love the RX7 so much that the Japanese manufacturer decided to release the RX8. The effort was supposed to result in a car that looks as good as it performs. Unfortunately, the car looked good but performed poorly. The RX7 had an engine that could pump out 276 horsepower from the tiny 1.3-liter engine. Mazda enthusiasts believed that the Japanese manufacturer would surpass its accomplishment, but the RX8 was a disappointment. The addition was extra seats but not more power. The RX8 was heavier, resulting in slower performance. The RX8 was a second slower than the RX7.
5 Opel GT
The old Opel GT may have looked like a Pontiac, but it didn't deliver the same performance. When General Motors released the vehicle, most car experts deemed the GT as an odd vehicle that they didn't expect from GM. Opel didn't last long in North America's marque segment before Opel retreated to Germany. The manufacturer left behind the GT, resembling the Chevrolet Corvette C3. The GT had similar tail lights, body styling, and flip-over headlights. The GT wasn't a sports car but looked like one. The car reached 0 to 60 mph in 10.6 seconds.
4 Mitsubishi 3000GT
The 3000GT was supposed to take the lead role in the Fast and Furious movies. The scene required a T-top, and producers decided to cast the Supra instead. The 3000GT VR-4 wasn't a slow car when it came onto the market.
The car could reach 60 mph from a standing position in 4.7 seconds, but the vehicle became scarce due to its unreliable, failure-prone four-wheel steering system and complicated maintenance.
Most of the 3000GTs are naturally aspirated cars that have a front-wheel drive. These days, the car will reach 0 to 60 mph in 8.4 seconds.
3 Nissan 300ZX (Z31)
Nissan wanted to release a performance vehicle. The Japanese manufacturer released the first-generation 300 ZX, known to Nissan enthusiasts as the "Z31," which looked like a classic Ferrari. Many Nissan enthusiasts debated if the semblance of the 300 ZX had improved from the 280 Z, but the performance of the vehicle was undebatable. The Z31 had a stronger engine that delivered more power but was less aerodynamic than its predecessor. That was difficult to believe since the 2+2 version of the Z31 could accomplish 0 to 60 mph in 8.7 seconds. The car looks good but lacks performance.
2 Scion FRS/Subaru BRZ
The name is ridiculous, and so was the performance. Two Japanese automobile giants collaborated to manufacturer a vehicle that was supposed to deliver performance. The only thing that Toyota got right during the production was to make another version of a Camry. Subaru used its expertise in producing fast vehicles, and the result was a car that had the best steering for a vehicle available under $100,000. The car looked flashy and may have outperformed the Honda S2000, but it was no match for other sports cars. The engine matched the horsepower of a Mazda RX8.
1 Porsche 924
You may find it difficult to believe that Porsche would make the list, but the German manufacturer is fallible. Porsche is known for manufacturing vehicles that deliver great performance and are reliable. The German manufacturer never produced vehicles that couldn't beat the competition in any of the racing series they entered. Then, Porsche decided to manufacturer the 924 series, which ended the blistering speeds that we had known Porsche to produce. Some of the later 924 models reached 0 to 60 mph in 8.4 seconds. That's disappointing, considering that Porsche is a manufacturer that previously released numerous fast vehicles.
Sources: thedrive.com; autoguide.com