There are a few things that simply don’t go together. Like sneakers and a tux. Or one for the road while you have to drive down that road. Or even a flippant attitude and an angry girlfriend/wife. You get the drift, right? Pairing this only leads to pain of different kinds. Another great example is sports cars (of the supercar variety) and city driving.
Ask anyone, and it’s a no can do. Even if you have a ton of money to spare, driving a sports car in a traffic-laden city is more pain and no gain. No one will be impressed, your car will be punch-drunk on gas and ruining the environment, and every scratch on the car would be like a whip to your back. These are the ten sports car people waste on city roads.
10 Alfa Romeo 4C
The Alfa Romeo 4C does not need to sell too many units to make a profit considering those astronomical prices. Powered by a turbocharged 1.8-liter inline-four engine, it churns out 240 horses and goes as fast as 160mph. It does a 0-60mph dash in 4.5 seconds and gets a 28 miles per gallon fuel economy. So yes, it is fuel heavy.
And while those beautiful curves of the car may make it coveted, driving this in the city can leave you open to thefts since it’s a rarity. Of course, driving this on the same roads where SUVs and pickup trucks jostle for space can lead to this beauty getting nicked and bumped a lot as well.
9 Bugatti Veyron
At $1.7million a pop, getting a Bugatti Veyron is only possible for the rich and the famous (or the infamous). The base version of the car, if you could call it that, goes as fast as 253mph and yes, it is still street legal. If you are even crazier about speed, the fastest street-legal car title belongs to the Bugatti Veyron SuperSport, at 267.9mph.
Now that we have got your brain whizzing, imagine trying to drive this home during Miami rush hour, with traffic at a nose-to-bumper crawl at speeds of 20-50mph. It's like trying to make a Cheetah slow-walk to catch its prey – utterly ridiculous. And what’s more ridiculous is the mileage of the Veyron: a money-burning 10 miles per gallon.
8 Maserati GranTurismo GranCabrio
A price of $138,800 sounds far more affordable than the almost $2 million the Veyron took out of your bank. So here is the deal with the Maserati GranTurismo GranCabrio, with the latter just being a fancy term meaning convertible.
A 4.7-liter V8 power mill can take this baby 0-60mph in 5.2 seconds, and go at top speeds of 177mph. Plus it will burn a massive 15 miles per gallon of premium fuel while it does that. Honestly speaking, this car will also get you far too many eyeballs than you may be comfortable with as well.
7 Aston Martin Vantage
If you are a complete Bond fan or at least Daniel Craig's version of it, you would love the 2020 Aston Martin Vantage. At a base price of a little less than $156,000, it’s not that much of a bank killer either, that is if, you already have deep pockets to fuel and maintain the car. With stunning looks, this is one feisty car that produces more than 500 horses on its twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8.
Now while this car is an absolute delight for the race track, for city driving you will feel every bump and jar there is on the road. Also, the brakes are upgraded for high-speed driving, so in the city, your spine will feel even the most gently applied brakes as well. And 18 miles per gallon fuel economy is also a bit of a dampener.
6 Lamborghini Veneno
Thought the Bugatti Veyron was the most expensive car on this list? Think again. Coming up at a dear, dear price of $4million – the Lamborghini Veneno is not for the faint-hearted. You don’t need deep pockets for this, just a subway full of cash would do the trick here.
Lookswise, this is like Batman meets Flash meets Superman, because not only does this car have style and speed, it flies down the roads from 0-60mph in a mind-boggling 2.8 seconds. The 6.5-liter V12 makes 740 horses, and the cost is far greater to the environment with it giving a fuel economy of just 13 miles per gallon.
5 Bentley Continental GT Convertible
Of course, it's not just the Italians making faster and flashier cars – it’s the British too. The Bentley Continental GT W12 (convertible) was introduced in 2018 and is one beautiful and powerful car. The all-new 6.0-liter W12 takes this beauty 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds at tops speeds of 207mph.
Retailing at a price of about $250,000 – this expensive and superior piece of technology comes at a price. And that is the 15 miles per gallon of fuel economy, the brunt of which is borne by the environment. City driving means a lot of braking and accelerating, so even more fuel gets burnt.
4 Dodge Viper SRT
The 2013-2017 Dodge Viper SRT is a gorgeous piece of art and tech melded together. The utter power of the car is a delight. The 8.4-liter V10 power mill churns out 640 horses for a maximum speed of 208mph. The Viper is one fast car. Its 0-60mph run is a 3.5-second one, but for all its speed and performance, it is an uncomfortable car.
This would not be a good choice as a daily driver because of claustrophobic interiors and a firm ride that can give you a crick in your back and neck. The 15 miles per gallon fuel economy also hurts the environment. And yes, we do have a bleeding heart as far as the environment goes.
3 2015 Ferrari F12
The 2019 Ferrari F12 will cost you upwards of $ 650,000. You have to pay to get quality, speed, and the Ferrari brand. The 2015 Ferrari F12tdf (Tour De France) was a bit cheaper, though it too cost a pretty $450,000 approximately. With only 799 built, this was a premium and limited edition.
It boasted the same F12 engine, the 6.3-liter V12 but was tuned to give higher horsepower numbers of 769. Base price notwithstanding, the very first of these offered in the US went for a cool $1.5mllion, and the very first day it opened for sale. Not a city car considering that heart-stopping 211mph plus speed, the 13 miles per gallon fuel economy was also pretty much in the pits.
2 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Coupe
2014 was its final year of production, seeing a total run of 350 units. The 6.2-liter V8 jetted 583 horses and took a 0-60mph sprint in 3.4 seconds. Honestly, these kinds of figures are utterly ridiculous for traffic-congested cities, where reaching the top speed of 197mph is simply not possible.
The gullwing doors also become a parking problem on busy streets or basement parking because these need more space to open and close with ease. A price of $220,000 was digestible enough for this car for the kind of tech and comfort it offered. But a 13 miles per gallon fuel economy was a bit painful.
1 Lamborghini Aventador Coupe
Remember Transformers: Age Of Extinction? Well, the Lamborghini Aventador Coupe was the main baddie of the film, called Lockdown. Of course, the car is bad is both a good way and the usual sense of the word. It's bad in a good way because it’s a piece of the technological marvel that costs nearly half a million.
A 6.5-liter V12 engine gives 690 horses and takes this coupe 0-60mph in a flat 2.9 seconds. Official top speed is listed at about 217mph, but it has been known to go much higher. We can’t imagine taking this beauty out for a spin on busy and congested roads of the city where all the horses may have to be muzzled to avoid fender benders. Plus the 13 miles per gallon fuel economy hurts the planet as well. Better to take this out on the highway.