3. Studebaker Avanti R2
Most people know about the cool-looking Avanti they introduced in the early ’60s. But despite its looks and elegance, it never fulfilled the driver’s expectations. However, Studebaker also offered the Avanti with the R2 package. The R2 version couldn’t be had with an automatic transmission. It was only available with a close ratio manual gearbox, but air conditioning was not available.
Besides that, they included lots of performance upgrades, turning the Avanti into a fast machine and a true early muscle car. In fact, the R2 model even broke 28 world speed records, achieving a top speed of 170 mph, And that was a big deal in 1963. The acceleration numbers were also good. The R2 could sprint to 60 mph in just 7.3 seconds.