These Cars Were Major Let-Downs When It Came to Speed
You get cars that look fast and promise speed. But once you hit the road, you’re left feeling disappointed. The 35 cars on our list talked a big game but just didn’t deliver. Want to know which ones made the cut? Let’s go!
Pontiac Fiero
Pontiac’s Fiero looks like a mini Ferrari, so people thought it would be fast and exciting. Instead, it came with weak engines and drove more like a Sunday driver. To make things worse, some even caught fire. It’s not exactly the thrilling ride people were promised.
Ford Mustang II
The Mustang name makes you think of power and speed. But the Mustang II didn’t live up to it. It was built during the fuel crisis, and came with weak engines that struggled to move its heavy body. Drivers wanted real muscle and got a slow, dull ride instead.
Chevrolet Camaro Iron Duke
A Camaro is supposed to roar with power, right? The Iron Duke version barely made a sound. Chevrolet gave it a tiny four-cylinder engine that promised cheap speed but had no punch. Instead of excitement, it was slow and lifeless.
1977 Dodge Charger Daytona
Don’t confuse the 1977 Daytona with the legendary Dodge from 1969. This one was just a decal package on a slow Dodge Charger. It looked like it could race, but it drove like a lazy car that barely moved. The style was there, speed was not.
Maserati Biturbo
You’d think a car with a Maserati badge would deliver incredible speed. But, in the case of the Biturbo, it was unreliable, underpowered, and broke down way too often. Drivers wanted a fast car, but got a slow headache instead.
Cadillac Allanté
The Allanté was built to compete with Mercedes and Jaguar. It had that fancy Italian styling that meant business. Under the hood, however, it didn’t deliver the power or handling to match its high price tag. Drivers expected speed and luxury, but they got neither.
1980s Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
People thought they were getting a hot, speedy machine when they bought the Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. Instead, the car was heavy and slow, with a turbo lag that made it feel even slower. Sure, it was stylish, but it didn’t have the speed to back it up.
Saab Sonnett II
Saab’s Sonnet looked quirky and cool. It was also super lightweight. But the tiny engine just couldn’t deliver any real speed. It was unique, which drew in a few fans, but it lacked the quick pace and real excitement.
1980 Chevy Corvette California 305
Imagine buying a Corvette and finding out it has less power than an average family car. That was the California 305. It had a weak V8 that barely moved the car. Corvette fans were shocked. It looked the part, but crawled rather than moved.
2000s Toyota MR2 Spyder
The MR2 Spyder looked like it was ready to take on Porsches. But Toyota gave it too little power and no real edge. It handled well, but lacked that punch people expected from a sports car. For many people, it was more cute than fast.
Plymouth Volaré Road Runner
Plymouth’s Road Runner used to mean muscle, power, and fun. Then they slapped it on the Volaré. The car was slow, boring, and heavy. Drivers also expected that quirky yet fun “beep beep” sound, but this bird didn’t make a sound.
AMC Gremlin GT
The Gremlin GT was just another car that tried to look sporty with its stripes and badges. Underneath, it was still a Gremlin. Its small engines and clunky handling made it more laughable than thrilling. It was not the pocket rocket everyone thought it would be.
1970s Mercury Capri
Mercury’s Capri had sporty promises. Ads made it seem like a European-style sports car. The reality? It was underpowered and not at all exciting. Drivers thought they were getting something fast and ended up with a car that could barely go.
Base Model Nissan 300ZX
The base models of the Nissan 300ZX were nothing like later versions when it came to speed. They were heavy and came with far weaker engines. Buyers ended up with a car that looked sporty but drove like an average sedan.
Mitsubishi Eclipse Base Version
By the early 2000s, the base version of the Mitsubishi Eclipse was slow and heavy. Like other cars on our list, it promised sporty speed, but delivered sluggish performance. People who wanted Fast & Furious vibes ended up feeling slightly annoyed.
2004 Pontiac GTO
The GTO name has always carried legendary weight. So when Pontiac brought it back, fans expected a true muscle car. Instead, they got a heavy Australian import with bland styling. Yes, it had some power, but it didn’t feel special or thrilling.
2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
People thought the Monte Carlo SS would be a street rocket. But Chevy gave it a weak V6 engine that barely made it interesting. It looked like a fast car, but it drove like a rental car. The Monte Carlo had zero thrill.
Chrysler Crossfire
The Crossfire looked like a German sports car in disguise. In fact, it was built on old Mercedes parts. But it wasn’t fast or fun. The car was more awkward than exciting, so drivers who wanted speed got clumsy handling and almost no speed at all.
Hyundai Tiburon
Hyundai’s Tiburon had it all - good looks, cold ads, and a name that meant “shark.” People thought it would bite the road. But the engines were weak, and it lacked the power to back up the styling. Instead of a shark, people got a goldfish.
Volkswagen Corrado
Volkswagen hyped up the Corrado as a hot sports car. And yes, it looked stylish and had a spoiler that popped up. But its performance was underwhelming, especially for the price people paid to own one. All they got was a slow, pricey Volkswagen.
Jaguar X-Type
The Jaguar X-Type was nothing more than a dressed-up Ford with none of the magic of a Jaguar. It looked fancy, but the engines were weak and the handling wasn’t sporty. Buyers ended up with a slow, overpriced car instead of the rocket they were paying for.
Saturn Sky
Saturn’s Sky looked gorgeous! It had sharp lines, a low stance, and the vibe of a baby Corvette. Sadly, it didn’t back it up with real power. Base models were especially slow, and drivers were disappointed. It was all style and no substance.
Pontiac Solstice
People expected a zippy performance from the Pontiac Solstice. It looked like a roadster ready to tear up the road. Instead, it was heavy, underpowered, and awkward to drive. Not even good looks could make up for its poor performance.
1990s Dodge Avenger Coupe
The name Dodge conjures up images of a car ready for battle on the road. And the Avenger Coupe looked as bold as it sounded. But it came with weak engines and a boring performance. It wasn’t the hero everyone expected it to be.
Chevrolet Cavalier Z24
Chevrolet tried a little too hard to spice up the Cavalier with the Z24 trim. It had flashy body kits and sporty badges. But under all that flair, it was still a Cavalier - slow and underwhelming. Drivers didn’t get the budget sports car they thought they were getting.
Eagle Talon
Turbo Eagle Talons were unbelievably quick and fun. The non-turbo versions? Not so much! They looked sporty but had disappointingly weak engines that didn’t match the cool looks. Drivers got stuck with a car that looked fast but just crawled.
Honda CR-Z Hybrid
Honda’s CR-Z was marketed as a sporty hybrid. It almost brought back memories of the old CRX. But the hybrid system focused on fuel economy, and not power. It handled okay, but it was slow. It teased sports car dreams, then crushed them.
2000s Toyota Celica
The Celica had a reputation for being fun and fast. By the 2000s, however, the base versions were weak, and even sportier trims weren’t exciting. Drivers expected the wild rally-inspired Celica of the past and got a car that felt dull.
Subaru SVX
Subaru hyped the SVX as a performance grand tourer. But it was heavy and slow, with no real excitement. Sure, it had wild styling and cool window-in-window doors, but it wasn’t enough to keep drivers interested - especially when they expected speed.
Ford Probe GT
The Probe GT was supposed to be Ford’s modern sports car. We say ‘supposed to be’ because the performance of the car just didn’t match the styling. The engines were okay, but not thrilling. The handling also just felt average.
Dodge Stealth
With a name like “Stealth,” you’d expect this car to be fast. But, base models of the Dodge Stealth were anything but. They looked fast, but the engines were weak and boring. It felt more like a minivan than the rocket ship people thought they were getting.
Buick Reatta
Buick’s Reatta promised high-tech luxury with a sporty vibe. It had a digital dash and a cool design. But speed? Nowhere to be found. It was heavy, slow, and more of a cruiser than a sprint. People wanted something sporty, but ended up with yawns.
DeLorean DMC-12
The DeLorean looked like a car from the future, and people expected it to be fast. But under that shiny stainless steel body hid a weak V6 engine that could barely push it along. It was heavy, slow, and more about looks than speed.
Peugeot 505 Turbo
The "turbo" in the name led people to expect the Peugeot 505 Turbo to be quick. And it looked promising, especially with its European styling. But the performance was dull and far from sporty. Reliability also wasn’t great. It was just another slow sedan.
Renault Fuego
The Renault Fuego had a name that meant “fire.” But the only thing hot about it was the styling. Under the hood, it was weak and uninspiring. People who bought one ended up with a sluggish machine that felt like a spark going out.
