25 Once-Popular Sports Cars Auto Fans Forgot About

Cameron Eittreim November 27, 2020

2000 Dodge Neon - Dodge Neon SRT-4 — via: Chrysler

4: Neon SRT-4

There was a time when the Neon SRT-4 was one of the surprise hits of the decade. The car was a barebones sports car with extreme performance, and it did just what enthusiasts wanted. This was a poor man’s Lancer Evo, and that’s okay because the SRT-4 was different. Even today this car performs among the best in its class. The engine is easy to work on and the interior had a no-frills design that was easy to maintain.

2000 Dodge Neon - 2001 Dodge Neon — via: Chrysler

The SRT-4 is perhaps one of the most interesting cars on the market for a number of reasons. These Dodge models were quite unique at the time and there were only a few exterior colors to choose from. Either way, the SRT-4 is definitely one of the most unique tuner cars for the new millennium.

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3: PT Cruiser GT

Even the PT Cruiser had an exciting model during the early 2000s, and it had a turbocharged engine. While the PT Cruiser might not be the first car that you pull up to a stoplight race in, the car was fun to drive. The styling was a bit different from your run-of-the-mill PT Cruiser and there were a lot of interesting features. Another standout feature about it was the rare convertible version.

2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser - 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser — via: Chrysler

Before you start to cry don’t fret, this was actually a great-looking car. Because the car sold poorly there are very few of them around, and if you find one you are in for a treat. The PT Cruiser GT was one of the most fun-to-drive cars from this decade and you’d never expect it to be.

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2008 MazdaSpeed3 - 2007 MazdaSpeed3 — via: Mazda

2: Mazda Speed 3

The Mazda Speed 3 is credited as being one of the cars that saved Mazda. The brand was on the verge of obscurity and the Mazda 3 just clicked with young buyers. The Speed 3 is noted by its bright red paint job and special edition upgrades. When you drive a Mazda, you expect excitement and this was provided it. The list of standard features was more than you got with a Civic or Corolla, and the manual transmission made this car fun to drive.

2008 MazdaSpeed3 - 2008 Mazda3 — via: Mazda

Nevertheless, the Mazda Speed 3 is not your average sports car. This was a sedan and a five-door hatchback, and it wasn’t a true sports car. But if you wanted to have a fun driving experience that was still practical the Mazda Speed 3 is it.

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2008 Chrysler Crossfire - 2004 Chrysler Crossfire — via: Chrysler

1: Chrysler Crossfire

The Crossfire never gets the credit that it deserves. To the day it is one of the rarest Chrysler sports cars around. The design was based on the SLK, which is also shared parts with. This was a good thing because you can get a Mercedes driving experience for thousands less, and this is what Chrysler was banking on. There was also a limited-edition SRT version of the Crossfire which is quite rare.

2007 Chrysler Crossfire - Chrysler — via: Chrysler

In addition to that, there is a limited production convertible version of the car as well. Most in the automotive community couldn’t get over the oval styling of the car. But if you can get over that, the Crossfire is one of the most surprisingly fun to drive sports cars on the road. You also can’t go wrong with the added luxury features.

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25 Once-Popular Sports Cars Auto Fans Forgot About

4: Neon SRT-4

3: PT Cruiser GT

2: Mazda Speed 3

1: Chrysler Crossfire

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