8. Saturn Sky Red Line
American manufacturers don’t do roadsters. Apart from the first-generation Ford Thunderbird, Corvette, or Viper convertible, there were no small, two-seat open-top models ever produced. That’s why GM’s decision to introduce a small, turbocharged roadster in 2005 in form of the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky was strange. Those models were basically U.S. versions of the Opel GT from Europe.
But GM thought having a cool, little two-seater roadster could help bring back Pontiac sales and help Saturn’s image. Unfortunately, it didn’t do any of those things even though the Solstice and Sky were powerful, exciting cars to drive.
Compared to the BMW Z4 or Mercedes SLK, for example, GM’s roadster had a much lower price. It also delivered up to 290 HP in the Pontiac Solstice GXP version, offering great performance and handling. After a few years on the market, the sales numbers were not impressive because car buyers didn’t understand this model, making it one of several significant flops. GM stopped production and a few years after, there were no new Pontiacs or Saturns on the market, either.