The thought of possibly owning a nice sports car is what keeps many car enthusiasts going for years on end; working tirelessly to achieve their goal. Unfortunately, it isn't always a blessing to meet your heroes, because they may very well let you down.
This isn't the case for every sports car, of course, but remains a pervasive problem throughout the industry. There's nothing worse than working for years to get your dream car, only to find it's an awful design. To help you avoid some of these problem vehicles, and learn a bit about what makes them so bad, observe these 10 sports cars that have way too many problems to deal with.
10 Pontiac Solstice
First off is a relic of sorts. Due to Pontiac's dissolution during the recession, their vehicles have become a rare sight on the roads. One, however, that still seems to captivate buyers (for some reason) is the sporty Pontiac Solstice.
To concede a bit, the Solstice is a sleek-looking car. The curvy lines, large bonnet, and convertible roof makes for a decent looking sports car. Off the lot, these car are great, but buying one used is another story. Overall, the engines weren't reliable at all and were prone to breakdowns after a certain milage.
9 Ferrari F355
When you buy a Ferrari, you're probably not thinking about reliability at first. The only thing that matters in that moment is the looks and the speed. Upon later realization, however, you'll find that a pricy trip to the mechanic can ruin your experience with the car. This is exactly what happened to many who bought/drove the Ferrari F355.
When the F355 worked, it did so in a spectacular fashion; tearing up race tracks and public roads alike. When the F355 had (frequent) problems, though, a simple mechanics visit could cost over $10,000. That's as much as a BMW E46 M3 just for repairs. Needless to say, nobody likes that and Ferrari's stubborn traditions make repairs a nightmare.
8 Jaguar E-Type
As fans of the popular B.B.C. TV show Top Gear already know, Britain doesn't have the best track record for making the most reliable cars. Perhaps the best supporting evidence for this theory can be seen in the classic Jaguar E-Type.
In terms of looks, the E-Type is easily one of the most beautiful cars ever created. This, sadly, is often overshadowed by the constant mechanical issues and breakdowns E-Type owners would experience. In fact, it has become a meme of sorts in the car community as to how awfully built the E-Type was. Even the A.M.C. television show Mad Men took a stab at the E-Type in their later season by showing a brand new one failing to start multiple times!
7 Mazda RX-8
After Mazda's profound success and history with the RX-7, it was clear that they'd eventually make a successor to the beloved rotary-powered sports car. When they did, it was named the RX-8. Two words accurately describes the big problem with the RX-8: Apex Seals.
In rotary, the engine doesn't use the normal pistons, but triangular-shaped ones that rotate in a circle to create a spark instead and sometimes break off the edges. When well tuned, they are very powerful and sound like F1 cars. Although, when not treated carefully, the RX-8 becomes a nightmare; requiring daily oil replacement/changes, engine rebuilds, and much more.
6 Porsche Carrera (996)
Of all the vehicles in this article, few received as much hatred from the die-hard fanbase as the 996-body Porsche Carrera. This was due to two problems: The introduction of water-cooling and a poorly designed engine. As far as reliability is concerned, the 996 was supposed to be the next step in their cars efficiency and build quality.
What ended up happening, though, was Porsche's inexperience with water-cooling coming to bit them. After around 70,000 miles or so, the 996 has issues that appear out of nowhere constantly. As someone who has lived around, driven, and extensively studied the 996, it is certainly a pain in the neck - especially at over 150,000 miles.
5 Audi S5 (B8.5)
Like with many poorly built and designed sports cars, they don't hold their value for very long. This, however, works for both the good and the bad. The good being that it's cheaper, but the bad is how it attracts unsuspecting gear-heads. A good example of this is with Audi's S5 B8.5.
The B8.5 models were built by Audi from 2013 to 2017. In the later years, some of these problems were negated. Before then, the engines had a lot of small issues, leading to a lot of time looking for tiny parts to just keep the thing running. Clearly, Audi parts are not cheap, especially in The States or at an Audi Dealership. Because of the endless amount of small issues and the hefty price it requires to fix them, the previous generation Audi S5's are just not worth the hassle - even if they're only $20,000 or less).
4 Mercedes-Benz SL 600
As of late, Mercedes-Benz has been revered for the classic level of high-quality German engineering in both their road cars and their Formula One racing team. This, though, wasn't always the case, as evidenced by one of Mercedes' largest failures: Their classic V12's.
Like with the Mercedes S600 (a luxury car with the same engine), the SL 600 (The sportier convertible alternative) had all the same problems: Eating up oil, leaking all the time, expensive repairs, and a never-ending money pit. The real lesson to be learned here isn't just to avoid the old SL 600, but all classic Mercedes-Benz V12's all together!
3 2013 to '14 Dodge Challenger R/T
Similar to Mercedes-Benz, Dodge now carries a badge of reliability and excellence that it once did not hold. The best example of this tendency can be seen with the Dodge Challenger. The new ones are fantastic, but the 2013 to 2014 versions were atrocious.
Since the Dodge Challenger is still a G.M./Chrysler vehicle, it likes to fall to pieces as the years go on. Few 2013 to 2014 Challengers are available today in great condition, except for the ones that cost as much as a newer one. To add to this, those year Challenger R/T's completely failed emissions testing, but were still (somehow) allowed.
The real nail in the coffin, though, is how hard owners of these cars drive them. The V8 lovers will do burnouts when they're new, and sell them before/after the problems start. So, do yourself a favor, buy a new Challenger instead.
2 Mazda RX-7
As mentioned previously with the RX-8, its predecessor known as the RX-7 is not a sports car for the faint of heart. Not only due to its capabilities, but the maintenance needed to keep hold of such a beast, as well.
Just like with the RX-8, the older RX-7 has the same problems: Breaking apex seals, leaky pipes/fuel-lines, constant thirst for oil, and frequent oil changes. However, if you're one of the determined few who's willing to deal with the problems that come with it, you'll have a sports car that almost every J.D.M. fan drools over.
1 DeLorean DMC-12
If you talk to a long time car enthusiast and ask them "what are the worst/most unreliable sports car you've heard of?," you'd be hard pressed to find someone who didn't at least mention the spectacular failure of DeLorean.
The DeLorean DMC-12 is the epitome of an unreliable sports car. Like with the Audi S5 and Jaguar E-Type, the futuristic and cool look of the DMC-12 lured in unsuspecting buyers. When it was already too late, they learned the hard way that 88 M.P.H. was probably as fast as it'd go.
Because of a rushed design, continually failing engine, and unorthodox method of creation, the DMC-12 became known as a good looking car, but not a good car. Sadly, though, they're still expensive today thanks to none other than Back to the Future and are even harder to find parts for.