MPH Magazine 6/05: 10 Most Overrated Sports Cars
#16
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I don't have personal experience with 5, 8, or 9. Otherwise I do, and in some cases extensive. Of course the comments are right. Just like women, sometimes the ones that evoke the most emotion also have the biggest flaws. On balance, the downsides often outweigh the problems. But overall, he is right. But unfortunately whoever put the list together probably has little experience with any of them beyond magazine articles, auto and television shows. Calling a hemi Cuda a sports car is just one of them. To mention the big block Corvetter overheating without mentioning the E Type is very uninformed. Both overheat, there was a big price to pay back then for those small grill openings, but the E Type made the Corvette look like something from Lexus in the overheating department. And it came with Lucas electricals. I loved my E Type but it had a lot of flaws when compared to modern cars. Would I rather have an E Type or a Prius? You figure that one out for yourself.
Do the points raised make these the ten most overrated? That I don't know, I think I would have put together a somewhat different list for that. But the points are well taken. Once you get out of high school, there is more to a car than what you doodle of it. There hasn't been a car made that is perfect. Never will be. We make a lot of comments here about bimmer, merc, audi, et. al. and we do defend Lexus and dump on many others. We know that Lexus are not perfect but they are the vehicles we have chosen. And quite a few of us have made that choice because on balance, there are a lot more pluses to the Lexus models than the equivalents. Still doesn't mean they are perfect.
Do the points raised make these the ten most overrated? That I don't know, I think I would have put together a somewhat different list for that. But the points are well taken. Once you get out of high school, there is more to a car than what you doodle of it. There hasn't been a car made that is perfect. Never will be. We make a lot of comments here about bimmer, merc, audi, et. al. and we do defend Lexus and dump on many others. We know that Lexus are not perfect but they are the vehicles we have chosen. And quite a few of us have made that choice because on balance, there are a lot more pluses to the Lexus models than the equivalents. Still doesn't mean they are perfect.
#17
Super Moderator
The Esprit stands out there. My father had friends get these things and just not a bargain sports car at all, though at least a few of them have boosted them up
#21
repost but still a classic:
":Nissan never sent us the GT-R because out of the 12 people in America who'd actually spend 911 Turbo money on an outdated-looking Japanese coupe, six are in jail at any given time."
":Nissan never sent us the GT-R because out of the 12 people in America who'd actually spend 911 Turbo money on an outdated-looking Japanese coupe, six are in jail at any given time."
#22
Lexus Champion
Originally Posted by TwiBlueG35
Who wrote this? Idiot.
The truth is, he is (by and large) absolutely right about every one of these cars.
I grew up around 289 and 427 Cobras. My uncle owned a '63 289, a '65 427 and a '65 427 SC. Great cars when they were running right. Fast as heck in a straight line, but they didn't do anything else with much dignity. I mostly liked how they looked and sounded. One day I will build myself a SuperFormance Cobra- probably superior to the original in every way.
The 60s Corvettes - a friend has a '67 427 Convertible. You would think the car would be faster with all that dispacement - I think this particular engine was rebuilt by an ape. Don't ask the thing to turn or stop with those bias-ply tires. Scary stuff!
And seriously, by todays standards most kit cars are made better than the old Countach. In the town I grew up in, one of our neighbors (Will Nix, a crazt car dealership owner) got so frustrated with his Countach that he had his mechanics rip out the Lambo V12 and install a built 350. It was probably quicker and definitely more reliable than the V12.
The Skyline... everybody here in the US thinks it great because it's rare and we basically can't get them (I have three friends that own/have owned them). I hav driven two Skylines and I wasn't blown away by them. As far as oure driving FUN is concerned, I'd rather drive my old MR2 any day. The Skylines ARE powerful, but they are also are heavy. Shifting with your left hand takes some adjustment...
The E-type. My uncle (the same one with the Cobras) looked at these back in the day. I never cared for them, personally. The wheels are completely lost in the fenders, and the overhangs are too long- so long, in fact, that you have to lift the front of the car to fully get the hood open. And with the Jag, if you drive it often, the hood will be open often.
The Esprit. Never cared for this car. Apparently the designer was equipped only with a ruler and a pencil. The flat angles and lines made it looked as if it was constructed out of plywood. Thrashy four cylinder right behind your back, with turbocharger ready to blow-up at any second. No thanks.
Funny thing is, all of the cars on the list gets tons of attention at auto auctions. Aren't cars fun?
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