30 Pricey Sports Cars That Fail To Justify Their Cost

What began its life as the last Scion sports car has morphed into a Toyota. Sadly, the 86 hasn’t seen a real update in years. The only Toyota sportscar to share its sheet metal with a Subaru, the 86 left enthusiasts with high expectations. The car is satisfying to drive and it offers exceptional rear-wheel-drive performance. Designwise, though, the 86 is showing its age, with not much being changed from the Scion version of the car. The interior is cramped like you’d expect and the infotainment center is outdated as many of the current Toyota models.

The 86 commands a premium price tag for something that is quickly becoming outclassed. Toyota has not announced a redesign of the 86 yet as the Supra has already been on the market. Likewise, the Supra has been critically panned as well. Still, if you must have a Toyota sports car, the 86 will have a loyal fanbase of Toyota enthusiasts.

The M3 sits high on the hog like many BMW sports coupes, with a loyal following that enjoys driving the legendary “beamers”. Sadly, though, the M3 needs an update just like much of the BMW lineup. The current M3 has been in one form or another since 2006, although the body has been updated from time to time. The performance of the M3 is still fun, but it falls short of exhilarating. To justify the high price tag BMW builds a lot on the reputation of the brand, but the M3 leaves a lot to be desired.

Fast and fun German cars are getting more scarce as the industry turns toward crossover vehicles. The M3 is one of the last holdouts. But the car needs a redesign quite badly. In terms of driving characteristics and the overall experience, the M3 is falling behind the competition. For the high price tag, there are comparable vehicles on the road.

A BRZ is a lot like the Toyota that it shares its sheet metal with. The design has become outdated in the last couple of years. Minimal updates have made the car more of an enthusiast thing above all else. The benefit of the BRZ over the 86 is that you get the AWD powertrain whereas the Toyota is RWD. BRZ owners are treated to the usual Subaru interior treatment. BRZ is targeting a different audience than say an Outback, but the car is still nicely appointed. Yet the price tag is still high for what you get, and the engine is outdated at best.

The BRZ was a great concept since Subaru hasn’t had its own sports car since the 90s. But with a lack of serious updates, the BRZ is not in-line with the current crop of sports cars. Features are everything in today’s well-appointed vehicles and the BRZ needs an upgrade. The car has lost a lot of its initial buzz.

The MX-5 Miata has been on the market for a long time, and in its current form for almost a decade now. Mazdas philosophy with the MX-5 is if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. Mazda had a hit on its hands when the company originally launched the Miata. The car was fun to drive and lightweight, offering a pleasant mixture of features for the price. There has been a constant flow of enthusiasts who have followed every generation of the Miata. But the current model has become dated and in need of an upgrade. Granted, the Miata is one of the few cars like it in the class, there are more updated options on the road now.

The marketplace for these lightweight roadsters is very slim, which might be why the Miata hasn’t seen an update in a good period. Still, the car could use a refresh as more buyers are coming to the forefront and looking for fun to drive cars. The MX-5 will continue to be a historical part of the automotive community, but a redesign is to help keep the car competitive.

The GTI has followed pretty much the same formula for success as it did some 30 years ago when the car was launched. Offering a pleasant mixture of turbocharged power and lightweight design, the coolest thing about the GTI has always been that it was a hatchback. In-terms of unique design the GTI stands alone and that’s okay. But Volkswagen has left the GTI largely untouched for the last couple of years. A refresh is due for the compact hot-hatch so that it can remain competitive. Volkswagen relies a lot on the reputation of the GTI line, but in reality, the car needs to be updated as well.

The interior has aged and there are other aspects to the car that make it worth an update. Although there are a lot of fun automobiles on the market, the GTI is one of the most original. But without a major overhaul, the vehicle is going to continue to become an aged feeling. There have been talks that Volkswagen is working on an all-electric version of the GTI, and we have to wonder how well it would perform.