Stunning Cars With Less-Than-Pretty Performance
Style is a great thing to have, but not at the expense of substance! Many beautiful vehicles may not seem so impressive once you get behind the wheel, but they’re still nice to look at! Keep scrolling to discover some head-turning cars that struggled on the road.
Audi TT
Audis are known for being gorgeous but also notoriously temperamental on the road! The TT is an example of sophisticated minimalism, with a slick, rounded design and stylized hood and grille. It’s just a shame that it often suffers timing chain and ignition coil failures.
Lotus Esprit
If you like supercars, you’ll love the Lotus Esprit! It was stylish enough to appear in a James Bond movie, with an iconic, distinctive design and classy interior. But what Bond failed to mention is how problematic the gearbox and engine cooling system can be.
Aston Martin DB7
The Aston Martin DB7 is another car that wouldn’t look out of place in an action movie, thanks to its modern, sporty design, hallmark brand grille, and sleek exterior lines. Sadly, the engine has some serious issues, including a faulty timing chain and troublesome V12 coil packs.
Ford Edsel
The Ford Edsel may have been contentious in 1958, but it would certainly turn heads today! It’s well-built, vintage, and has a vertical “toilet-seat” grille that gives it unique character. Unfortunately, its performance lacked quality, with serious mechanical issues and unreliable push-button transmission.
Bricklin SV-1
You might not have heard of the Bricklin SV-1, but you’d absolutely stop to stare at it. It’s angular and sporty, with a two-seat cabin, absorbent bumpers, and iconic gull-wing doors. Despite its looks, the SV-1 was a poor seller due to its poor build quality and problematic battery.
Dodge Viper
The Dodge Viper is designed to be the ultimate speedster, with a low-set, aggressive build and high-traction wheels. But that amazing V10 engine often struggles on the road due to excessive oil consumption, leaking gaskets, and the vulnerability of its many specialist parts.
Morris Marina
The Morris Marina is a classic, vintage British car featuring a simple yet sophisticated design. It was designed to go up against the Ford Cortina, after all. But it lacked the Cortina’s substance and struggled on various types of terrain due to its weak suspension.
Lamborghini Countach
Futuristic cars aren’t for everybody, but we can’t deny how incredible the Lamborghini Countach is. It takes the “Italian wedge” design and turns it into a sharp, scissor-doored masterpiece. Sadly, the Countach has very poor suspension and heavy gear shifting during transit.
Cadillac Escalade
We all know the Cadillac Escalade! This modern luxury vehicle is hard to miss, with its aggressive SUV bulk, massive grille, and beautiful chrome design. But looks aren’t everything, as the Escalade’s temperamental transmission and common engine misfires have proven.
Triumph TR7
As far as British sports cars go, the Triumph TR7 is one of the most famous. Everybody knows and loves its stylish wedge design, pop-up headlights, and sharp hood. But its beauty was vulnerable, with several structural weaknesses and an engine that frequently overheats.
Nash Metropolitan
If you stumble across a Nash Metropolitan, count yourself lucky. Despite its vintage beauty and seamless blend of American and British influences, it’s a pretty rare car. But what disappoints us the most is its poor performance, which was due to excessive revving and an outdated engine.
Chevrolet Vega
The Chevrolet Vega is a ‘70s icon styled after the Camaro, with long, sleek lines and several distinctive trim options. But as well as its beauty, the Vega is known for being a bit of a nightmare to drive. The engine overheated, warped, and lacked reliability.
Alfa Romeo Giulietta QV
The Alfa Romeo Giulietta QV has a high-performance design with aggressive low suspension, stunning alloys, and a glossy finish. However, its actual performance was temperamental because the turbocharger often struggled, as did the twin-clutch transmission, braking system, and wheel rubbers.
AMC Gremlin
Despite its name, the AMC Gremlin was surprisingly stylish! It took the distinctive Italian-wedge design and combined it with classic American styling. Sadly, the Gremlin was widely panned for its unengaging driving experience, flawed mechanical construction, and overall boring performance.
Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato
We’ve never seen an ugly Lambo, but the Huracan Sterrato is certainly one of the most beautiful. It looks like it belongs on a race track, with a rugged yet sporty design that promises power. But outside of speed, it struggled, especially when tackling non-smooth terrain.
Cadillac XT5
Who doesn’t love a luxurious crossover vehicle? The Cadillac XT5 is a modern car with plenty of style and exciting new features. But as for substance, it often fails to follow through. Many owners struggle with rough transmission and an engine that sometimes stalls out or lacks power.
Rolls-Royce Wraith
Roll-Royce is one of the best-known luxury brands, and that style is evident in the 2013 Wraith’s natural-grain leather interior, sleek, bulky exterior, and rear-hinged suicide doors. But it is liable to struggle if its BMW-source valve seals or problematic fuel pump fail while driving.
Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
Pontiac delivered one of the most gorgeous muscle cars ever when it released the Firebird Trans Am, which took a classic racing body and gave it the sophisticated pony car treatment. However, several generations of the Firebird suffered various engine leaks, differential wear, and temperamental transmission.
BMW E65
The BMW 7-Series was one of the brand’s most innovative designs yet, changing up the signature BMW style without losing its elegant refinement. That’s why we hate to point out the E65’s flaws, which include its unreliable iDrive system and problematic engine and powertrain.
Ferrari Mondial
Ferrari has made many F1 dreams come true, so when the brand added the Mondial to the family, it was another race-ready, sporty grand tourer that most people would kill to drive. But if they did, they’d find themselves struggling to reach the top speeds that Ferrari is known for.
AMC Pacer
The AMC Pacer was ahead of its time, and it still looks great now! We particularly love its aerodynamic shape and almost-wrap-around glass area. But we have to admit that it was style before substance, with especially difficult handling and a very weak engine.
Buick Grand National
We’d recognize the Buick Grand National anywhere! This stunning all-black car is effortlessly chic, with unique flared wheel arches and a head-turning design. But its weight is one of its drawbacks, making it hard to build power, especially with a turbocharger that’s known to fail.
Triumph Stag
Looking at it, you’d expect to fly down the roads in the Triumph Stag, which was designed to be a lightweight sports tourer for every budding adventurer. The issue was its mechanical problems, which included frequent head gasket failures and a worn-out timing chain.
Dodge Charger 440
Dodge is known for its high-performing vehicles, so what went wrong with the Charger 440? Like the classic Charger, the 440 was remarkably beautiful. However, it was pretty unreliable on the road, with jerky shifting, weak alternators, and unreliable safety features.
Maserati GranTurismo
The Maserati GranTurismo roared to life in just nine months, and it’s clear that the manufacturer put plenty of thought into its sleek, Italian grand tourer design. But they apparently overlooked several important components, including the clutch, which quickly wears out and sticks.
Chevrolet Camaro
Any car that went bumper-to-bumper against the Ford Mustang must be stunning, and the Camaro certainly doesn’t disappoint. It’s sleek for a muscle car, with a standout long hood and sporty aesthetic. If only it didn’t have such problematic transmission and distracting electrical faults.
Toyota GT86
Toyota knocked it out of the park with the agile, glossy GT86, setting the sports car market on fire. But what about its substance? Sadly, many found it lacking, with several models even being recalled due to valve spring issues in the engine, as well as rough idling.
Ferrari 458 Italia
Any car with “Italia” in its name must be a work of art, and that’s exactly how we view the Ferrari 458. It looks fit for the race track, with a strikingly modern design and smooth finish. But it lacked the substance that most art has, particularly in its crankshaft and transmission.
Lamborghini Gallardo
The Lamborghini Gallardo is yet another angular sports car with rudded contouring that we’ll never tire of looking at. But we’d hesitate to get in the driving seat because the clutch is known to struggle, making it hard to enjoy the full extent of the Gallardo’s potential.
Oldsmobile 442
The 442 is one of Oldsmobile's best legacy cars, with an iconic muscular design and an exciting four-barrel carburetor. But that doesn’t mean it’s without faults. In fact, the 442 was known for having a dodgy engine, and age has only made it more likely to struggle.
Porsche 718 Boxster S
Porsche pulled out all the stops to turn the 718 Boxster S into one of the most worthy sports cars of all time. But its incredible silhouette hides a multitude of sins. Namely, issues with the engine cooling system and cylinder liners, both of which negatively impact performance.
Jaguar I-Pace
The Jaguar I-Pace is a modern icon in terms of its style, which features an aerodynamic build and supercar-inspired grille and finish. But what it doesn’t have is reliability, which is far more important than looks, and many drivers have reported battery and brake issues.
Chrysler Crossfire
We understand why collectors are keen to get their hands on a Chrysler Crossfire. This model is beautiful, with one of the most elegant, sporty designs we’ve ever seen. But it failed to meet expectations in other essential areas, resulting in an unengaging driving experience.
McLaren 720S
We could list every stylish feature of the McLaren 720S, but we’d be here all day! It’s sharp, lightweight, and features phenomenal twin-hinged butterfly doors. That’s why we hate to criticize its reliability issues, which could cause serious problems for less experienced drivers.
Tesla Cybertruck
Finally, we have the Tesla Cybertruck. It may look like something out of a sci-fi movie, but its sharp, futuristic steel design is something truly unmatched. But style isn’t everything, and we’re more concerned about its dangerous loose panels and sudden power cutouts.
