Sports cars are every gearhead's dream. Sitting down in a bucket seat, feeling the steering wheel while examining the sporty cockpit, putting the key in the ignition only to hear a roaring engine is a true car fan's definition of pleasure. Sports cars are what makes the auto industry exciting.
Carmakers always do their best to come up with the fastest and most stylish sports cars. For almost a century, they have been at the forefront of innovation. However, there are times when sports cars just fail to live up to the hype. They end up being a lukewarm version of sports cars and quickly forgotten.
10 1968 Plymouth Barracuda
The Plymouth Barracuda, also known as 'Cuda, is an iconic muscle car. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, muscle car fans were enamored of the Barracuda. Despite being shadowed by the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, the Barracuda was still able to please a wide array of people and build a reputation for itself.
The Plymouth Barracuda Formula S is anything but a Formula 1 car. In fact, the Formula S is one slow muscle car. The 340 6.3L V8 produces a meager 275hp. Given how heavy it was, the Formula S 340 was the definition of a slug. The basic Formula S is too slow to be taken seriously, but it still looks nice and sounds awesome.
9 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1
When people hear "Mustang Mach 1," the first thing that comes to their minds is speed. It is undeniable that Mustangs, in general, are synonymous with roaring engines, burning rubber, and head-turning looks. However, not all Mustangs inherited the traits that make the pony legendary.
The 1970 Mustang Mach 1 looks absolutely terrifying. At first glance, the pony looks like it is ready to destroy any muscle car on the quarter-mile. Well, the 351 5.8L V8 is not the most powerful engine Ford Motors has ever manufactured. Producing a timid 250hp, the Windsor V8 found on the 1970 Mach 1 is far from being as memorable as the V8 found on the GT500. The car is still badass though, and we certainly wouldn't mind owning one!
8 1974 Bricklin SV-1
The Bricklin Company originates from Canada. Its only car, the SV-1, was seemingly an attempt to reinvent the wheel. Despite receiving government support, the company never truly materialized the original idea behind the SV-1. That being said, the SV-1 still looks super nice.
The SV-1 was initially engineered to be the safest car on the market. The retractable front bumper and the factory roll cage were some features that truly enhanced the car's safety. However, all the safety features added significant weight to the car. Despite being equipped with a Ford Windsor V8, the car was too heavy to ever be fast.
7 1978 Lotus Esprit
Lotus is well-known for its two-door monsters. The British sports car brand was never considered luxurious, but it was sure perceived as a maker of real drivers' cars. The last Lotus Esprit, produced in 1999, is a beautifully put together vehicle. With its magnificent V8 under the hood, the last Esprit is a true collectible.
First released in 1976, the Lotus Esprit came from very humble beginnings. The 1978 version is equipped with a simple 2.0L 4-cylinder engine developing a depressing 160hp. The car looks like it could pack at least 400hp, but no. The 1978 Lotus Esprit is all bark, no bite.
6 1982 Ferrari Mondial
Ferrari - the internationally renowned Italian carmaker - ascended in popularity through its numerous racing victories with La Scuderia, Ferrari cars eventually became a sign of socio-economic success. Some true car fans still love Ferraris for their amazing designs and mind-blowing performances.
The Ferrari Mondial is absolutely stunning. It is very representative of the supercars of the early 1980s. Though only slightly faster than a blender, the Mondial remains one of the most disappointing Ferraris ever. Its 3.0L V8 producing a shameful 214hp is the main reason why the Mondial was always perceived as Ferrari's biggest failure.
5 1988 Pontiac Fiero
Pontiac used to be part of General Motors. For decades, Pontiac released some of the meanest muscle cars. The GTO and Trans-Am are prime examples of Pontiac's ability to churn out one iconic muscle car after another. Unfortunately, due to poor management and repeated failures, Pontiac declared bankruptcy and ceased to exist.
The Fiero was marketed as a sports car by General Motors. Available with both a four and six-cylinder engine, the Fiero still is far from being the sports cars it aspires to be. Despite its small size, the two engines respectively producing 92 and 140hp were not sufficient to make the Fiero a sports car. The chassis was excellent, however, and made it a fun car on the right roads.
4 1999 Porsche Boxster
Porsche often rhymes with speed and more speed. Given all the special editions released by Porsche, it is quite unimaginable that the German carmaker could ever make a car that is nowhere as impressive as what was made prior. However, Porsche did release a few models that were far from being fast.
The first edition of the Boxster was far from being anything like the 911 GT2. Equipped with a 2.5L 6-cylinder engine, the Boxster developed a disappointing 201hp. The Boxster is light though, which works to its advantage. All in all, the Boxster is still a Porsche and it still turns heads. It does not matter if it is sort of slow.
3 2002 Toyota Celica
The Toyota Celica is far from being a recent car. First marketed in 1971, the Celica was Toyota's very first attempt at producing cars with a bit more punch. Though considered as powerful back in the days, Toyota felt the need to bring a faster vehicle to the market. Using the Celica as a base, Toyota came up with the Supra. The rest is history.
As the Supra became an iconic car, the Celica completely fell off. It failed to evolve and went from a sporty vehicle to a ricer-ready, slow, and forgettable car. Though the car looks fast, the 1.8L 4-cylinder engine only produces - at most - 188hp. The production stopped in 2006, for obvious reasons.
2 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
Hyundai has been trying to get rid of its somewhat negative reputation for quite a while now. One of the first attempts was the Hyundai Tiburon. Commercialized in most parts of the world, the Tiburon's success was debatable. The design of the Tiburon was decent for a cheap and disposable car.
Its highly sport-like appearance is where it all stops. The 2.7L V6 cranks out 172hp. That is absolutely ludicrous. The Hyundai Tiburon, however, paved the way for more competent vehicles such as the Genesis Coupe with its 3.8L V6 producing 306hp. After all, Rome was not built in one day.
1 2018 Toyota 86
The Toyota Motor Corporation has tremendously grown over the years. Starting with the AA Model in the 1930s, Toyota now owns several brands such as Lexus. Toyota also has stakes in other brands such as Subaru. Consequently, cars such as the Toyota 86 are also marketed under other brands, such as Subaru.
The Toyota 86 is a pocket sports car that gained popularity since its original release. Despite having a small 2.0L 4-cylinder engine, the car still packs 205hp. It is a bit disappointing knowing that Toyota is about to commercialize a 268hp Yaris. On the other hand, the Toyota 86 is a great base for a stylish JDM setup.