Sports cars are designed to offer a thrilling alternative to standard commuter vehicles, adding an element of excitement to everyday driving without being overly expensive to maintain.
Beyond their performance, sports cars are also meant to turn heads and deliver exhilarating experiences on winding back roads or scenic mountain passes.
Various automakers venture into the sports car segment, sometimes for the first time. Occasionally, they nail the formula, resulting in a massive success.
However, more often than not, the outcome falls short of expectations. Even manufacturers known for producing excellent vehicles in other categories have, at times, struggled when attempting to develop a sports car.
This issue is particularly common when multiple companies collaborate to cut research and production expenses.
These underwhelming sports cars often face harsh criticism due to numerous flaws, leading to poor sales and, ultimately, financial losses for the manufacturers involved. Here are 10 of the biggest sports car failures of the 21st century.
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10. Chrysler Crossfire
The Chrysler Crossfire turned out to be an unfortunate misstep. It was built on the underpinnings of the R170 Mercedes SLK, as Daimler-Benz had acquired Chrysler in the late 1990s.
As a result, the Crossfire shared nearly all its mechanical components with the SLK. Despite the similarities, the Crossfire somehow ended up being inferior to the SLK in nearly every aspect.
Critics were particularly unimpressed with its ride quality and overall driving dynamics, with the automatic transmission receiving especially poor reviews.
Produced between 2003 and 2007, the Crossfire struggled to compete with its more advanced and widely favored rivals of the time.
9. Ford Thunderbird
The eleventh and final generation of the Ford Thunderbird was an attempt to breathe new life into the iconic nameplate. However, this revival was short-lived, lasting only three years.
Unlike the more recent generations before it, this version of the Thunderbird drew heavy inspiration from the original mid-1950s design, aiming to recreate that classic experience.
Unfortunately, the reception was underwhelming. On paper, the Thunderbird had all the right ingredients for success a two-door layout, a V8 engine, an automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive.
However, the overall execution failed to impress. While critics praised its exterior styling as a well-executed modern take on the original, the interior was widely panned for its excessive use of cheap plastics.
Ultimately, this was not the ideal way to bring back such a beloved classic.
8. Chevrolet SSR
The Chevrolet SSR stands out as one of the most bizarre designs ever produced by General Motors.
Marketed as a Super Sports Roadster hence the name it was essentially a convertible sports pickup truck that few people actually desired.
GM designers referred to its styling as “modern retro,” taking inspiration from the late-1940s Chevrolet Advanced Design pickup trucks.
One of the redeeming qualities of the SSR was its inclusion of a V8 engine, setting it apart from the similarly styled Plymouth Prowler.
Additionally, it was relatively affordable to purchase and maintain, thanks to its dependable LS2 V8. The early 2000s were certainly a unique era for automotive design in the United States.
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7. Cadillac XLR
The Cadillac XLR was an ambitious attempt to introduce a performance-focused luxury convertible under the Cadillac name.
Built on the Y-Body platform the same one used for the Chevrolet Corvette it boasted relatively good handling and a sporty driving experience.
To align with Cadillac’s luxury image, the brand equipped it with the Northstar V8 and positioned it as a high-end offering within its lineup.
When the initial approach failed to gain traction, Cadillac attempted to boost its appeal by supercharging the engine, creating the high-performance XLR-V to rival the Corvette.
Unfortunately, this strategy also fell short, leading to the model’s discontinuation in 2009. Over its five-year production run, only about 15,400 units were sold.
6. Buick Cascada
The Buick Cascada was a hatchback-based convertible, similar in concept to the VW Golf Convertible. It was derived from the Opel Cabrio, which itself was built on the Opel Astra hatchback platform.
Buyers had a choice of engines, including a 1.4-liter turbo, a range of 1.6-liter gasoline turbos, or a 2.0-liter diesel.
Depending on the region, the Buick Cascada was sold under different brand names, including Opel, Vauxhall, and Holden, as all these companies were part of the GM corporate umbrella.
However, the model was discontinued in 2019, along with its counterparts, as it was clear that it failed to gain widespread popularity.
5. Pontiac GTO
The Pontiac GTO was one of the most iconic muscle cars of the 1960s and 1970s. However, when GM decided to bring back the GTO name in 2003, the revival fell flat.
The new GTO was built on the Australian Holden Monaro platform, which was already outdated and outperformed by the time it was reintroduced.
Despite its shortcomings, Pontiac pushed forward with the model. Like the Buick Cascada, the GTO was just one of several nearly identical vehicles, including the Vauxhall Monaro and Chevrolet Lumina.
Unfortunately, the revived GTO lasted only two model years before being discontinued due to disappointing sales an unfortunate outcome for such a legendary nameplate.
4. Saturn Ion Quad Coupe Redline Edition
The Saturn Ion was one of those cars with such a generic design that it could easily blend into a parking lot filled with Chevrolet Malibus and Dodge Journeys.
Recognizing this, Saturn attempted to make the Ion stand out by introducing the Ion Quad Coupe Redline Edition a four-door coupe with a rather uninspired rear spoiler.
The Quad Coupe Redline Edition did have one notable feature the same supercharged 2.0-liter inline-4 engine found in the Chevrolet Cobalt SS.
Saturn even provided factory upgrade options that increased the car’s output to 241 hp. Unfortunately, even this enhancement failed to make the model a success.
3. Pontiac Solstice
The Pontiac Solstice was a stylish and fun sports car produced by Pontiac from 2006 to 2010. It was available with either a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated inline-four or a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four.
The latter engine delivered 260 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, making it the highest specific output engine in GM’s history at the time.
Buyers also had the option to upgrade the engine, boosting its performance to 290 hp and 340 lb-ft of torque.
The Solstice wasn’t exclusive to Pontiac it was also rebadged as the Saturn Sky Roadster, Opel GT, and Daewoo G2X.
While around 65,000 units were sold during its production run, the Solstice has since faded into relative obscurity as a largely forgotten sports car.
2. Chrysler Sebring Convertible
The Chrysler Sebring was an unremarkable car until the third generation debuted in 2007.
As one of the last Chrysler models to adopt the brand’s retro-inspired design language seen previously on the Prowler and PT Cruiser the Sebring ended up looking more like a boat than a car, largely due to the vertical lines on its hood.
The Sebring Convertible initially came with the same 2.4-liter engine as the PT Cruiser but was later upgraded to a 2.7-liter V6, with an optional 3.5-liter V6 borrowed from the 300C.
Unfortunately, the Sebring Convertible was a failure, plagued by bloated styling, inefficient engines, and poor handling. Fortunately, the model was discontinued after just two years.
1. Fisker Karma
The Fisker Karma is arguably one of the coolest failed sports cars ever made. Designed by Henrik Fisker the mastermind behind the Aston Martin DB9, BMW Z8, and the Mustang-based Fisker Rocket the Karma was intended to be a cutting-edge electric sports sedan.
It featured an innovative drivetrain where the electric motors always powered the wheels, while a gasoline engine acted as a generator to recharge the battery when needed.
With two rear-mounted electric motors, the Karma delivered an impressive 403 hp and a staggering 960 lb-ft of torque.
However, despite solid initial sales, the car ultimately failed due to major issues, including spontaneous combustion incidents and severe part supply delays. These setbacks cost Fisker Automotive far more than expected.
Once priced at over $100,000, the Fisker Karma can now be found on the second-hand market for less than $35,000.