Thinking about some of the best European sports cars of all time, they often blended gorgeous looks with tremendous engines and outstanding driving characteristics. Even less sporting classics from Europe still had pretty styling. However, good looks aren't enough to save every European sports car.
While European cars often come with understated classic styling and are often incredibly refined, that doesn't necessarily translate into how to they could drive. Cars such as the Lamborghini Countach may have been able to hide awful driving characteristics behind beautiful looks, but not every European sports car has been so lucky.
10 Maserati Biturbo
Built between 1981 and 1994, the Maserati Biturbo lasted a long time in production despite its status as a complete lemon. The car itself was designed as a sports car that could also be used as a daily, however, despite its impressive technology the car failed among enthusiasts. While the car was the first production car to be offered with a twin-turbo set up, and despite it being offered with a 2.0-liter or a 2.5-liter V6 engine, it didn't live up to the competition (e.g. the BMW E30 M3 especially). The build quality was shockingly bad and enthusiasts stayed away from the Biturbo.
It is a shame since the car itself is good-looking and it definitely suited the '80s design period. While the Maserati Ghibli (which was based on the Maserati Biturbo chassis) garnered lots of success and enthusiasm, the Biturbo was a complete flop.
9 Jaguar XK-E V12 Series III (1974)
The Jaguar E-Type of the 1960s has long been considered to be one of the most beautiful cars ever, and the brand continued this styling into the 1970s. While the Jaguar XK-E V12 Series III was a good-looking car, the car was a massive flop for enthusiasts. The 4.2-liter straight-six engine was replaced with a 5.3-liter V12, which was nowhere as reliable as the former and it was difficult to keep in tune.
Indeed, the car was viewed as a complete letdown compared to its predecessors. Even while the car was still good-looking, changes to the bumper definitely left some questioning the appeal of the car. As such, the XK-E V12 Series III makes its way onto this list as a definite flop in the car community.
8 Jaguar XJ220
The Jaguar XJ220 wasn't a bad performer in any way, but it became a flop for a separate reason. While being able to go 212 mph at top speed (which was the quickest in the world at the time of release in 1992), and coming with a supercharged V6 engine which produced 542 bhp, this Jaguar was not the one which was promised to the world. Originally advertised as a V12, buyers weren't very happy with the changes and the '90s recession also meant that sales flopped even more.
With buyers who had already purchased an XJ220 suing their way out of owning one, the car quickly became an unfavorable vehicle among much of the car community and unsold models were available as late as 1998. Despite its aerodynamic styling and distinctive appearance, the car simply didn't make the cut and it is remembered as being a flop, despite its world record status.
7 Cizeta V16T
Being influenced in design by the Lamborghini Diablo, and coming with a V16 engine that produced 540 bhp, the Cizeta was looking to become an interesting car that was to be very exclusive. Produced by Claudio Zampoli and Giorgio Moroder, the partnership of an automotive engineer with a composer was a strange one and the idea garnered interest among the car community.
In terms of appearance, the Cizeta was interesting. Coming with two sets of popup headlamps and the cool supercar styling, the car was definitely good-looking. However, despite actually still technically being purchasable, there haven't been that many made since its production starting in 1991. While the car was supposed to be exclusive, it simply didn't pick up among consumers at all.
6 Lister Storm
Released in 1993, the Lister Storm came with the largest V12 engine at the time of its release (7.0 liters). Producing 546 bhp, and having a top speed of 208 mph, the car was definitely powerful and it was well suited to the track. There were even racing versions available with the GTL and the GT models being released later in the '90s. It looked good too, with the aerodynamic design fitting in with the 1990s supercar styling, but sadly the public (who could afford one) didn't take to it.
Only three Lister Storms remain in the world now, which is sad considering how fast the car could go (and in being the fastest four-seat grand tourer during the '90s). The price of a Lister Storm was simply too high for many, with it being over $200,000 at the time of its release.
5 BMW Z1
Launched in 1988, the BMW Z1 was actually only brought into production after buyers demanded it be made after the concept car was revealed at the Frankfurt Motorshow in 1987. The car was rushed into production and was unique with vertically sliding doors that dropped into the sill. However, it was a huge flop as a lot of people believed it was very underpowered.
The car produced 168 bhp from a 2.5-liter straight-six engine, but for a car with such outrageous styling and because people had hoped that the same engine used in the M3 would be used, however, BMW couldn't afford to do this. The Alpina Z1-RLE did improve power by boring the cylinders out to 2.7-liters which in turn took the car power to 200 bhp, but this was a lot pricer and meant that many weren't able to afford it (and only 66 were made). As such, the Z1 remains a very interesting but slow sports car.
4 Lotus M100
The Lotus Elan M100 was released in 1989, and the car was surprisingly made with FWD. While many sports cars were RWD at the time, this shocked consumers and Lotus loyalists. In terms of handling, the car was amazing and the FWD system was definitely a key part of this. It drove well, but enthusiasts couldn't get behind the change in driving dynamics. Also at the time of release, many didn't like the styling as much either - however, the car has aged incredibly well,
As such, even though the car looks good and drives fantastically, the car was a huge flop among Lotus purists especially as they wanted to and as such, the car has depreciated massively since its release.
3 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4
Released in 1973, the Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 came with a V8 engine that was often discussed as being a letdown by the Ferrari brand. The engine wasn't powerful enough for a lot of people, despite having 240 bhp in the US. However, this was before the era of the Ferrari V8 being popular and most people expected a Ferrari to have a V12 engine and the Dino simply wasn't enough for Ferrari enthusiasts.
Despite the good Ferrari looks, many couldn't see past the engine. It may have fit in with the '70s design language at the time, but simply put - the car wasn't what consumers wanted and it flopped for that very reason.
2 1975 Triumph TR7
The 1975 Triumph TR7 came with interesting styling that may not have been appreciated at launch but is now often enjoyed by many enthusiasts. However, in terms of build quality and performance, the TR7 was a definite flop. After the TR6 which was quite impressive, the TR7 came a little too late for many fans and many were disappointed as they had to wait for the convertible option in the US (due to legislation at the time).
Even though the TR7 sold incredibly well (even better than the TR6 in North America), it has not aged well. While the car looked good, the Triumph company was going through difficulties and the terrible build quality has been a let down over the years. As such, despite its wedgy appearance being enjoyed now, its quality is still a letdown.
1 Triumph Stag
The Triumph Stag was considered to be a very attractive car, especially as it was styled by Giovanni Michelotti. It looked luxurious and its appearance was more enjoyed than other '70s cars at the same time. However, it was the engine that let the car down. The 3.0-liter V8 may sound good on paper, but the engine would often overheat and there were a lot of leakages.
As such, the car was a complete flop and the car didn't run properly very often either, meaning many enthusiasts stayed away from the Stag. It is a shame considering the cool styling and elegant appeal of the car, but in many cases, the only way to fix them is to fit a new engine.