We put on our flame suits last week and asked readers what they thought were the worst sports cars ever made. Aside from lots of discussion about how wrong we were to call out the third-gen Camaro, there were many great responses and surprises. These were the answers.
The automatic Ferrari 400. Used a GM 3 speed trans. Also, probably one of the worst looking Ferrari’s ever made mainly due to the weird proportions in the back.
Suggested by: klone121
To paraphrase Car & Driver: “Something is seriously wrong when the 4 speed (manual) gets beaten to 60 by a Nissan Stanza”, “Shifter is a high effort/low precision device”, “J Car seats”. At least by ‘87 the Formula was fast, fun, and affordable.
Suggested by: Scott Storey via Facebook
I’ll say it since nobody else has.
Mk4 Supra.
Suggested by: HotSauceIsTheBest
The DeLorean, and it’s no contest. The car didn’t handle or perform like a sports car at all. 0-60 in 10 seconds and a top speed of 110? Please. Build quality and reliability were practically non-existant.
But the real kicker is that it cost as much as a 911.
Suggested by: Lonnie Rowe via Facebook
Though now iconic, the 1953 C1 Corvette was an absolute disaster at launch. Rushed into production, it had issues with water intrusion, poor handling, terrible fit and finish, leaking fluids, and doors that had a tendency to fly open unexpectedly.
The oft-maligned Blue Flame I6 was the least of its problems. A survey of owners revealed those who previously owned British-built sports cars found them superior to the Corvette by a significant margin. Without Duntov championing for extensive changes, it is very likely the Corvette wouldn’t have survived beyond the first generation.
Suggested by: Hankel_Wankel
Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky. Yes, they could fit an LS in them, yes they had a peppy 260hp Ecotec, but the wheelbase is that of a wheelchair, and good luck seeing out the back with that giant slab of bodywork behind you.
There’s a reason you don’t see these line up at auto cross events and track days compared to Miatas. It was as if GM said we need to make a Miata, but ignore their dedication to it being a proper sports car, we’ll do it the American way, by coming so close, yet make sure to drop the ball where it counts, like curb weight (2800-3000 vs. NC Miata about 2400-2500).
Suggested by Jeffeu Conover via Facebook
I’ll nominate the 1984 Corvette. Punishing ride, flaccid TBI 350, and a weird manual that forced skip shifts for fuel economy. While the C4 redeemed itself with better suspension, better engines and a normal 5 speed the debut model was terrible.
Suggested by: Slow Joe Crow
Let’s start with the obvious styling issue - the Stag is a ‘convertible’ with fully framed side windows that, according to one review, made it appear the driver was seated in an aquarium.
The engine was Triumph’s 3.0 liter V-8, which was extremely failure-prone, especially in the US where the deficiencies of the cooling system were exacerbated by operating the car at highway speeds at high ambient temperatures.
Add to that, stereotypical 1970's British engineering and build quality, and it’s no wonder why the Stag shows up on so many ‘worst car’ lists.
Suggested by: Earthbound Misfit I
Everything else has totally missed the mark.
Hear me out: there was a time when sportscars were fun and accessible. The Miata has totally kept this concept afloat- it’s fun, it’s reasonably priced and if I put my dad behind the wheel, he’d get the same kind of feeling he got from the MGA he had in college AND he’d be able to drive it to the ice cream shop without wrecking due to too much power. I could put my driver’s permit having kiddo behind the wheel and not worry any more than I worry when she’s driving my outback. But, I could also take this Miata out on the country roads that surround our city and have a blast driving- driving at normal-ish speeds but still having fun because this is what it’s made to do.
Contrast this with pretty much anything else that calls itself a sportscar today. Serious. Crazy power. Lethal in the hands of an inexperienced driver. Lethal in the hands of an experienced driver. Would you toss the keys to your kiddo to show them how much fun driving can be or would that be a recipe for a medflight to the nearest level 2 trauma center? Too much power, too much focus on track times, too much focus on being take seriously by other car guys.
One of the most important qualities of a sportscar is fun and I’m sorry, but once you get over 200hp, fun goes away and becomes danger.
Suggested by: Buckfiddiousagain
I’m sorry, but it is garbage. The later versions much improved on it.
Suggested by: skeffles
Does the Mustang II count as a sports car? If so that.
Suggested by: ExGavalonnj and others