Over the years, we have seen some truly great sports cars. The Porsche 911, Toyota Corolla, and Chevrolet Corvette are three of the biggest names.
Despite their success, there have also been plenty of flops. Sports cars that didn’t perform as well as expected and then lost their coolness.
We have compiled a list of some of the worst sports cars that have become less cool over the years. All of these cars are ones to avoid on the second-hand market.
DeLorean DMC-12
The DMC-12 became caught up in the issues surrounding company founder John DeLorean and its poor performance. The 130 hp PRV 2.85-liter V6 engine badly let down the sports car, as did the quality control issues with nearly every example.
Saturn Sky
The Sky was the final attempt by General Motors to boost the ailing Saturn brand. The Sky, however, did almost the opposite, and the poor exterior design and lackluster performance didn’t go down well with consumers. The Sky production line was finally shut down in 2010 before Saturn closed for good just a few months later.
Chevrolet Corvette C1
While it is an icon and now a revered classic car, the first-ever Chevrolet Corvette was arguably one of the worst. Chevrolet rushed it into production for its debut model year to try and capitalize on the public reaction to the concept. Poor performance and reliability meant it fell short of expectations, but thankfully, Chevrolet persevered, fixing many issues before launching the C2.
2002 Ford Thunderbird
The original Thunderbirds remain an icon, but the 2002 model does not. The eleventh-generation Thunderbird was a retro effort by Ford to revive the model. Despite its elegant design, production lasted just three years. A lack of proper marketing and sales drive hurt the new Thunderbird, and its average performance also didn’t help.
Covini C6W
As the name suggests, the Covini C6W is a six-wheeler Italian sports car that was remarkably road-legal. With 500 hp from its 4.2-liter naturally-aspirated V8, it had a lot of potential. But its asking price was $400,000, and the six-wheel arrangement never caught on, so the C6W faded into obscurity.
Smart Roadster
Smart has done some clever things over the years, but the Roadster isn’t one of them. The Roadster was born after panic followed slow sales for the Smart ForTwo city car. The two-seat Roadster had plastic body panels and a 0.7-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 81 hp. But the entry-level European model had even less power at 61 hp and a slow 0-60 mph time of 15 seconds.
Chevrolet Corvette C3 ‘California’
The Corvette C3 California was one of those Corvettes with a big, meaty V8 engine yet a meager amount of power. This was because GM had to comply with new emissions laws in California following the gas crisis of the 1970s. So, the 5.0-liter 305 ci V8 had just 180 hp, while the 5.7-liter had just 230 hp.
Pontiac Fiero
What started as a clever and innovative sports car became the stuff of nightmares. The Fiero was unreliable and slow, the build quality was horrific, and they tended to catch fire. The best thing that happened to Fieros was when they became replicas of Ferraris. In 1985, though, a punchy V6 slightly turned around its fortunes.
Ford Probe
It is harsh to put the Ford Probe on this list. Both generations of the Probe were good cars. They looked great and had reasonable V6 and four-cylinder engines. However, the marketing failed, as Ford tried to sell them as the “next-generation Mustang.” A front-wheel-drive car with no V8 and Japanese ancestry didn’t sit well with muscle car diehards.
Ferrari Mondial
Ferrari’s Mondial was even less potent than some of the awful Chevrolet Corvettes and Camaros of the 1980s. A small 214 hp engine was a huge letdown, but it was also around two seconds slower than some of the base Corvettes. With an average sales value of $47,270 however, they are a solid option for a cheaper, classic Ferrari.
Third-Generation Chevrolet Camaro
The third-generation F-Body Chevrolet Camaros were some of the worst sports cars on the planet. The 5.0 L LG4 4-bbl V8 had a paltry 145 hp, and even the sleek new styling couldn’t make up for that lack of power and performance.
Mitsuoka Orochi
Some classify the Mitsuoka Orochi as a supercar, and others classify it as a sports car. But most say it is neither. Mitsuoka said this was a supercar, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The Orochi launched in 2006, and not only was it ugly, but its 3.3-liter Toyota V6 provided just 230 hp and a top speed of 155 mph.
Aston Martin Virage
The Virage was one of those rare occasions when Aston Martin got it a bit wrong. The British manufacturer borrowed components such as the Volkswagen Scirocco taillights to create the Virage, and some interior components even came from GM, Ford, and Jaguar. This change in construction philosophy meant the quality of the Virage suffered.
Nissan 350Z
As a sports car, we can acknowledge that the Nissan 350Z isn’t bad. But it forged a terrifying reputation. The IIHS recorded 143 deaths per million registrations of 350Zs, creating a reputation as an unsafe vehicle. The reality is that many of these accidents were just driver errors, and the 350Z was a well-built sports car.
Porsche 914
Porsche rarely misses a trick, but the 914 was one of those rare occasions when it did. It was a budget-friendly sports car and an entry-level vehicle in the Porsche range. But an underpowered flat-four Boxer engine with 80 hp and poor sales hurt its chances of success.
Mazda RX-8
The Mazda RX-8 had one fundamental problem. This was due to the lack of oil injected into the engine, thanks to early ECU flashes. Then, at around 30,000 miles, ignition coils would fail, but Mazda thought the engines needed replacing. The reality was that the engines themselves were fine, so Mazda needlessly replaced a considerable number of perfect RENESIS twin-rotor engines.
Hyundai Tiburon
Despite its sporty appearance, the Tiburon was as far from a sports car as possible. The top-trim Tiburon had just 170 hp from its 2.7-liter V6, while the front-wheel drive layout didn’t provide the most engaging driving experience. In the 2000s, Tiburon models had 96 fatalities per million registrations, making them one of the deadliest cars in America.
Pontiac Solstice
The Solstice deserves a place on this list based on its looks alone. In 2014, GM issued a major recall for the Pontiac Solstice. This was due to a defective ignition system, as drivers could pull the ignition switch out of its socket. This could send the Solstice’s safety systems crazy, and it did lead to over ten deaths in the process.
Fisker Karma
The Karma was a plug-in hybrid sports car produced by Fisker in 2012. Its high price tag—$102,000 for the base model and $116,000 for the top model—immediately caused problems. Production would cease in November 2012 after the battery supplier for the Karma, A123 Systems, filed for bankruptcy.
Fourth-Generation Ford Mustang
Out of all the Mustangs, the fourth generation is one many avoid. The steering and economy of the fourth-generation Mustang are among its most criticized aspects, as is the 145 hp 3.0-liter Essex V6. After the success of the Fox Body Mustang, this was quite a shock to the Blue Oval.
Lamborghini Urraco
Calling any Lamborghini bad feels harsh, but the Urraco had its problems. Lamborghini created the Urraco to try to get into the budget supercar/sports car segment. But a 2.5-liter V8 with just 180 hp wasn’t what the sports car world wanted. It is now a scarce car, with only 800 produced.
HTT Plethore LC-750
A 750 hp, 655 lb-ft of torque supercharged 6.2-liter V8 should have put Canada’s first supercar in a good place. Sadly, a failed test drive with Dragons Den investor Robert Herjavec set the project back massively. Despite pushing forward, HTT would soon admit defeat with the LC-750 as funding dried up.
Plymouth Prowler
Plymouth and legendary designer Chip Foose hoped to evoke the memory of the 1930s hot rods with their Prowler sports car. The Prowler sported a prow-shaped front and exposed wheels, but Foose’s hopes for a manual V8 sports car were sadly dashed after Plymouth went for a meager V6 instead.
Fiat 124 Spider
Fiat reintroduced its 124 in 2016, creating a modern interpretation of its iconic Roadster. Fiat hoped it would become a significant rival to the Mazda Miata MX-5, but it struggled to stand out from Mazda’s offering thanks to a lack of refinement. It was unfortunate, as Fiat had produced quite a striking-looking sports car.
Fiat X1/9
Another Fiat, the X1/9, was an eye-catching car thanks to its Bertone design. It was also the first Fiat designed from its conception to meet US safety regulations. Many praised the handling of the X1/9; however, the rust issues and lackluster power figures were not so well received. The most power on offer from an X1/9 was 84 hp from the 1.5-liter engine.