Supercars are some of the most intriguing vehicles in the automobile world. There is no question that we often are fixated on them because of their astronomically high speeds. They also can be deemed as some of the most original and beautiful vehicles available to us. This is why they often come at extremely high prices.
When they are good cars, it is hard to find many that are better. However, when car manufacturers focus on elements like top speed, 0-60 times, and traction too deeply and not on overall build quality, this is where these cars run into some serious problems. Because they're so expensive and exclusive, anything that goes wrong can end up costing a small fortune—on top of the original purchase price—to fix.
With all that has been stated thus far, in this article, we will be looking at 20 supercars that were built to crumble. It is important to note that these vehicles will be coming from a large variety of release years, so cars from the past and present are fair game. A number of different car manufacturers will be discussed as well, so it will be clear that mistakes can happen for anyone. At the end of the day, it is fair to state that all of these cars had a ton of potential. Yet, these manufacturers ended up making far too many mistakes while building them. A car that looks nice and is fast has no value if it is in constant need of repairs.
Now, let's look at these supercars!
17 BMW M1
It is hard to admit that BMW has had a fair share of mistakes in its history. However, when looking at the BMW M1 in depth, it is quite apparent that it just was not at the top of the line. In fact, it was structured so poorly that it would end up being in the repair shop more than the actual road.
This was a supercar from an expensive car manufacturer, so it was expected to be so much more. However, customers would end up being sorely disappointed with the end result of this complete and utter lemon. Although it looked nice at first glance, it is clear that it just did not perform in the manner that it was supposed to.
16 Lamborghini Aventador
The Lamborghini Aventador is an absolutely beautiful supercar. There is no question that it was built for speed, as it has the ability to outclass the vast majority of vehicles in that department. However, when it comes to its overall quality, it honestly is quite underwhelming.
It is absolutely clear that the car manufacturer has used cheap products to build this car. This is why it ends up needing a ton of repairs when it comes to its interior accessories. This is definitely a fun car to drive but these minor structural issues definitely make it a bit risky to purchase, especially at its high price point.
15 Jaguar XJ220
In terms of its overall looks, the Jaguar XJ220 was an absolute beauty. However, this would be the only one of a short list of positives that would come from this vehicle. From the very start of its release, it became clear that it was far too unreliable for a supercar and people would be very disappointed.
It also would come with a ton of issues with its fuel system and this would only worsen as time went on. When seeing how this car manufacturer is known for making top-of-the-line luxury cars, it is a bit unfortunate that this one ended up being so lackluster.
14 Ferrari Testarossa
The Ferrari Testarossa definitely was quite popular during its time on the primary market. This should honestly not be a surprise to anyone, as this, of course, is one of the top car manufacturers in the entirety of the automobile world. However, it did possess some flaws as it aged.
It is quite apparent that this vehicle was quite flimsy. It was in constant need of attention by mechanics after some usage and that just is not acceptable when it comes to a car of its value. At the end of the day, although it left a positive impact on some fans, it definitely can be stated that it was also built to crumble.
13 1990 Vector M12
For the record, it must be stated that the 1990 Vector M12 was an absolute beauty when it came to its appearance. However, aside from this clear fact, this car was a complete and utter lemon. It simply was structured in a very negative manner and this would result in it having a short life cycle.
It should go without saying that the M12 would end up falling behind its competition pretty severely. This would result in the car manufacturer losing a ton of money in the process. This was entirely justifiable, though, as this car would go on to disappoint the vast majority of its owners.
12 Covini C6W
The Covini C6W failed as soon as its developers decided to give it six wheels. When it came to this car, this was an awful decision, as it would end up taking away from its overall reliability. The appearance that it would give it also looked extremely strange and this was just unfortunate.
Transmission problems seemed to be the primary reason why this vehicle was absolutely built to crumble. It did not help that it also was prone to having a ton of major issues with the quality of its engine. All of these factors would result in this car being heavily detested during its time on the primary market and this is entirely justifiable.
11 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG was one of the most hyped up supercars in the history of the automobile world. This should not surprise anyone, as it merged together two extremely popular car manufacturers. However, it would end up failing to reach the level of success many thought it would.
First and foremost, its overall performance was quite underwhelming. It was clear that this vehicle was simply not built for speed. However, to make matters even worse, this car was also extremely weak when it came to its overall structure. At the end of the day, there is no doubt that it can be deemed as one of the biggest letdowns ever.
10 Ferrari Mondial
The Ferrari Mondial is a rare example of a vehicle from the car manufacturer that just was not solid. The primary reason for this clear fact was that it absolutely was made with cheap materials. This would result in these cars not lasting as long as they ultimately should have.
Although sales of the Mondial were definitely quite high during its time on the primary market, it is apparent that these cars did not reach expectations. This was a low-tier model from Ferrari, and it will easily forever be remembered as one of their worst cars ever because of this.
9 Mosler Consulier GTP
What in the world was the Mosler Consulier GTP going for? I mean, it can easily be deemed as one of the ugliest supercars in the history of the automobile world. This definitely was awful to see, as these type of cars are always supposed to have spectacular styles to them.
However, to make matters even worse for this monstrosity, it would also have a ton of problems. Engine issues seemed to the primary ones that its owners would have to deal with. Also, due to its extreme scarcity, any little issue would end up costing a ton of money to rectify.
8 Lotus Evora
The Lotus Evora came into the automobile world with a ton of major issues. Due to this clear fact, it is quite apparent that they have not been able to redeem themselves in the slightest. Although these cars are quite nice looking, they have continuously been structured poorly.
It just seems unlikely that they are ever going to perfect these cars. This definitely has been hurting their overall sales, as they have developed negative reputations. When seeing how they also come at a premium when compared even to other Lotus models, it is understandable that people go elsewhere for cars that they can trust fully.
7 DeLorean DMC-12
Although this car would end up very popular in movie culture, it is quite clear that the DeLorean DMC-12 was a complete and utter lemon. This is due to the fact that it clearly was rushed during its development stages. This would result in it having far too many major issues.
It honestly is a shame that this car turned out to be so poor. It is quite apparent that it had an immense amount of potential to be something special. However, it fell so short, and now it is heavily criticized to this day. Alas, it had too many problems to ignore.
6 Mitsuoka Orochi
When the Mitsuoka Orochi was first released to the primary market, it had a lot of hype. Many people were impressed by its very unique style. It also was projected to be able to reach very high speeds without much trouble. However, it would take a massive turn for the worst.
This vehicle was structured in such a negative manner that it would have significant body problems from the second it was released. This definitely was inexcusable at the time it came out, as this vehicle was extremely expensive. At the end of the day, the car manufacturer should have spent far more time perfecting it.
5 Lamborghini Countach
There is absolutely no question that Lamborghini is one of the most elite car manufacturers when it comes to this type of vehicle. However, when looking at the Countach, it is quite clear that they did not reach the same level of structural success with it.
This definitely was a very beautiful car, but it did come with a high amount of problems. Engine issues seemed to be the most common of occurrences, and that definitely was a major flaw when seeing this car was built for speed. This would result in the vehicle dropping in value at a surprisingly quick rate—until its collectability factor set in.
4 Maserati MC12
There is no question that Maserati has been known for making extremely solid supercars over the years. However, when it comes to the MC12, it is quite apparent that this is one of their worst vehicles ever. It simply performed in an extremely poor fashion.
The MC12 was prone to having a lot of engine blowouts, as well as serious issues with its transmission. This definitely was not ideal, as the car manufacturer had been banking on this car to reign at the top of the competition. However, this is now deemed as one of the worst vehicles in the history of the automobile world.
3 1980 Chevrolet "California" Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette series is easily one of the most iconic in the history of the automobile world. Although this happens to be the case, that does not exempt it from past mistakes. The 1980 "California" Corvette was a complete failure and one of the worst cars of all time.
Due to state regulations, this car was given a far weaker engine than in years past (and since). This would result in the vehicle being far slower but also needing constant repairs. It did not help that this car also was structured extremely badly in general. At the end of the day, this is clearly one of the biggest blemishes in their history.
2 Venturi Atlantique 260
The Venturi Atlantique 260 came into the automobile world with very high expectations. However, it became quite clear that it would actually end up being a serious letdown. It was built in a very poor fashion, and this would result in it having a plethora of major problems.
Engine issues definitely were the primary ones that we would sadly end up seeing with this car. It also had a few steering problems that would result in a lot of unpredictability when in use. To make matters worse, it was also considered to be quite slow compared to other supercars around it.
1 Panther 6
The Panther 6 is one of the most intriguing looking cars in the history of the automobile world. With it having six wheels, there is no question that it would grab the attention of a lot of buyers. However, it was a gas guzzler and needed constant repairs to its body.
This vehicle is one that ultimately could have worked, but it simply came with far too many problems. It definitely did not possess much durability in the slightest and that made it less worth buying, especially with how expensive it would end up being. At least it is still pretty cool looking, though the only two ever built mostly sit in collections nowadays.
Sources: Car Throttle, Jalopnik, and MSN.