Great cars can be defined by a number of things such as their balance of communicative handling feedback, outright power, jaw-dropping looks, and superb poise when pushed hard. Getting behind the wheels of such vehicles should deliver a joyous driving experience, one that paints a lasting picture and fills the driver with a satisfying sense of achievement.

Some cars, though, have the bare bones to deliver spine-tingling thrills but fall short of delivering when the throttle is fully pressed, robbing themselves of a place amongst vehicles that can be defined as out-and-out legends. These are the cars that, despite being recognized as good or even great, came so close to being fantastic but failed due to a lack of outright power.

Hugging the tarmac with deft agility that their close rivals just can't muster here are 10 Great-Handling Cars That Deserve More Powerful Engines.

10 Suzuki Swift Sport

swift sport

In all of its generations, the Suzuki Swift Sport presented fantastic value for money and delivered the crisp, responsive type of handling and involved feedback that would upset, and outplay, hot-hatches costing three times as much.

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The latest car features a mild-hybrid engine with 129 hp which allows for a 0-60 mph time of 9.1 seconds. The chassis will happily cope with more and with an additional 50 hp, the Suzuki Sport would no doubt give the Mini Cooper S, a benchmark supermini, a fright.

9 Subaru BRZ

brz

Jointly developed with Toyota, the Subaru BRZ has been underlined as one of the finest-handling cars to have been released in recent years, offering a return to a time when cars felt alive and nimble and not overly assisted.

brz interior

What it doesn't offer though is enough pace. With a 200hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and an average 0-60 mph time of 7.8 seconds, the BRZ is way off the pace, and it's not like Subaru didn't have more powerful engines to choose from.

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8 Abarth Spider 124

abarth

An affordable lightweight Italian Sportster that can scythe its way across any tarmac with fantastically sharp handling, the Abarth 124 is both a delight to drive visually stunning. But with a 0-60 mph time of 6.8 seconds, it's just not particularly fast.

abarth interior

Relying on shared mechanicals from the 500 Abarth, the 1.4-liter unit produces 168 hp/184 lb-ft of torque and often feels underpowered. An additional 30 hp would allow for more flexibility in gear and elevate the 124 to greatness.

7 Renault Clio R.S

clio rs

Previous Clio Renaultsport cars rewrote the rule book when it came to small fast cars, they provided the type of cross-country pace that could embarrass supercars whilst bringing more accessible thrills per mile than any other budget car.

clio interior

The last version fell short of the mark despite having a revised 1.6-liter turbocharged engine and a flappy paddle gearbox, as Renault failed to acknowledge that with only 197 hp rivals were now offering far more power and pace.

6 VW UP! GTi

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Channeling the spirit of the original Golf GTI, the little UP! proved that you don't need a huge engine and monster power figures to provide an engaging and enjoyable driving experience in these modern times.

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With a 1.0-liter turbocharged engine putting out 113hp and posting a 0-60 mph time of 8.8 seconds, the UP! GTI can feel strained when not on boost, and the addition of some extra grunt would have provided greater flexibility.

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5 Toyota Corolla

corolla hatchback

Possibly the best-looking hatchback, GR Yaris aside, that Toyota has designed in years has been described as one of the best-handling cars on sale today with compliant, grippy handling and incredible driver feedback through the steering wheel.

toyota-2021-corolla-hatchback

What it lacks though is power, as its 1.8-liter engine only kicks out 122 hp to give a 0-60 mph time of a whisker beneath 11 seconds. If Toyota gives it the full-on GR treatment, with a meatier engine and AWD, then the Corolla could become a successor to the mighty Celica GT4.

4 Skoda Octavia VRS

skoda octavia vrs
via concept carz

Having established itself as much more than a VAG parts bin special, the fantastic Skoda Octavia VRS remains a sure-footed performance car of choice for those looking to skate under the radar without losing out on ability.

vvrs seats

Bumping the power-up will no doubt bring the humble Octavia into direct competition with other offerings from its own stablemates in the form of VW, Audi, and SEAT, but the Skoda has served its dues and needs rewarding for being such a fine handling all-rounder.

3 Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce

ar blue

The 280hp Alfa Romeo Giulia is simply one of the best value for money performance sedan cars on the road today, offering comfort and speed in a beautifully designed body which just demands a thoughtful and appreciative nod.

Alfa Romeo G
Via: autoexpress.co.uk

Offering a 5.7 seconds 0-60 time, its turbocharged 2.0-liter unit could be tuned and fettled to easily put out in excess of 320 hp through the AWD system, allowing for a truly fantastic and affordable superfast Alfa.

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2 Honda CR-Z

honda crz

As if having glided off a rotating concept turntable at a motor show, the CR-Z was a throwback to excitingly styled Hondas of yesteryear but came with cutting-edge technology, materials, and a hybrid drivetrain.

crz interior

Offered as a sports hybrid coupe, the CR-Z was just too off the pace to entertain drivers with its combined output of 121 hp and 0-60 time of 8.8 seconds. With an extra dollop of horsepower, the CR-Z could have become a modern classic.

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1 Audi S1

S1 Quattro

Most would admit that the diminutive Audi S1 is already a fast car and that 228 hp in such a small footprint would probably be enough, with a 0-60 mph time of 5.7 seconds hardly being something to complain about.

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Yet with a healthy injection of power, the S1 could have been so much more. Benefitting from the Quattro all-wheel-drive system, dialing the S1 output all the way up to 300 hp would have given the automotive buying world the car it truly wanted.