Even though SUVs and crossovers might have something to say about this, sports cars are starting to become all the rage once again. They're relatively affordable, incredibly fun to drive, fast and they can even be very frugal and reliable in some situations.
Everyone knows about the established range of sports cars, such as the likes of the Toyota Supra, the Nissan 370Z and upcoming 400Z, and of course the Toyobaru twins. But there have been tons of other sports cars throughout history that, even though they're very good, seem to have been forgotten by pretty much everyone...
10 Bristol Fighter
Bristol Cars was an automotive company that was doing quite well throughout the 20th century, and then disappeared for a while. In 2004, the company returned with a rather interesting automobile, that they called the Fighter.
Underneath the unusual but good-looking exterior was the V10 engine from the Dodge Viper, tuned to make 525 hp in the base Fighter. That number was meant to go up to over 1,000 with the turbocharged Fighter T, but very few units were sold and the company was forced into liquidation by 2011.
9 Renault Alpine A610
Though a lot of people remember the original Alpine A110 as the beautiful, rally-dominating legend of the 60s, pretty much every sports car that succeeded it seems to have been forgotten about. That includes this, the Alpine A610.
Manufactured from 1991 to 1995, the A610 used a naturally aspirated 3.0 liter V6 engine with 247 hp. The engine was mounted in the rear, just like the Porsche 911, and it was sent to the rear wheels through a 5-speed manual transmission. The lightweight and aerodynamic A610 did 0-60 in 5.7 seconds and could do 165 mph. Not bad for the early 90s.
8 Mastretta MXT
This was Mexico's answer to the Lotus Elise. The Mastretta MXT definitely looks like it could have been a lot more, but it eventually ended as a small footnote in sports car history.
Underneath the unique body design was Ford's Duratec 2.0-liter inline-4 cylinder, similar to what's used in the BAC Mono. In this application, the motor made 247 hp, which might not sound like a lot. But this car weighed around 2050 lbs, and that meant it was fast and had pretty decent handling. Shame that no one remembers it.
7 Saturn Sky
This is one of the several roadster siblings offered by General Motors in the 2000s, alongside the Pontiac Solstice, Opel GT and Daewoo G2X. The Sky was meant to be a rival to the Miata, but it exceeded it in a few ways.
First of all, the Sky was actually significantly more powerful than the Miata, puffing out up to 290 hp, provided that the 2.0 liter Ecotec with the optional Turbo Upgrade Kit was equipped. It also looked really cool, and it could hold its own in the corners as well. The Sky is not drowning in fame like the Miata is, but we suspect a lot of people will pick up on it eventually.
6 Mitsubishi Starion
When it comes to Mitsubishi, pretty much everyone is aware of the Evo, and it's their most notable sporty car. But Mitsubishi also dabbled in sports cars throughout the 80s and 90s, before they started making entirely forgettable SUVs and atrocious subcompacts.
Aside from the 3000GT, the FTO, and the Eclipse, there was also the Starion. Also sold as the Chrysler Conquest in the United States, the Starion was a truly awesome sports car. An incredibly 80s exterior, in a good way, a good amount of power, a widebody version, and AWD. We're struggling to understand why it hasn't gotten more attention.
5 Bricklin SV-1
Bricklin was a company founded by Malcolm Bricklin, a business magnate with over thirty companies to his name. As well as manufacturing the obscure SV-1 sports car, Bricklin is also well known for importing cars like the Yugo and most Subarus to the United States.
The SV-1, which looks like a marriage between the DeLorean, the Pontiac Fiero, and the C3 Chevrolet Corvette, was marketed as a sports car with a high emphasis on safety. Ultimately, all the safety equipment added weight, and the lethargic Chrysler V8, and later Ford V8, that powered it meant that it wasn't fast enough to compensate.
4 Noble M600
Imagine the look on people's face if you told them that the supercar you own borrows its engine from a Volvo SUV. Well, if you have a Noble M600, you can indeed say that. But that doesn't tell the whole story of this obscure supercar.
The Yamaha-built engine has two turbochargers strapped to it, allowing it to make 650 hp, fed to the rear wheels through a classic 6-speed manual transmission. The lack of driver aids, most notably anti-lock brakes, meant that it was quite scary to drive. But, it's an amazing car, and it's a shame that it's not getting the recognition it deserves.
3 Marcos GT
Built by now-defunct British sports carmaker Marcos, the GT was definitely a unique little car to come out of the 60s. Looks pretty good, doesn't it? In its own unique little way. It was pretty good to drive too.
It was powered by a huge variety of different engines, from Ford inline-4s and V6s to even the engine from the legendary Volvo P1800. They are incredibly rare and very expensive nowadays, but still a cool piece of British sports car history.
2 Mitsubishi FTO
As well as the Starion, the FTO is the other forgotten Mitsubishi sports car. Many people brushed off the FTO because it was front-wheel drive and wasn't exactly sightly on the exterior, but this is still a hugely underrated vehicle.
Though the base model had a 1.8 liter 4-cylinder, the most powerful versions had a 200 hp 2.0 liter V6. The engine also used Mitsubishi's MIVEC technology, and the automatic versions had a Tiptronic-style manual override. Sadly, most people preferred the Eclipse, giving the FTO a one-way ticket to obscurity.
1 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
In 2007, Hyundai began dabbling in the luxury car market with the Genesis full-size sedan. This eventually led to Genesis being spun off into its own luxury brand, and it would seem as though they are getting attention left, right, and center.
Back then, Hyundai also decided that they wanted a sporty coupe based on the Genesis, and that led to the Genesis Coupe in 2010. Billed as a competitor to the V6 Mustang and the 370Z, the Genesis Coupe had a svelte body, a great engine, and surprisingly good dynamics. Most people struggled to believe that it's a Hyundai, but it seems as though everyone forgot about it.
This is just a fraction of great sports cars that have been forgotten about over the years. It really is a shame, because most of these are surprisingly cheap on the used market, and they're worth considering for a used buy. We hope that they get the attention they deserve, sooner or later.