Volkswagen SP2
When the SP2 came out, the biggest car company in Brazil was Volkswagen. The combination of air-cooled quality, usability, and low price tags made Volkswagens the most popular cars in Brazil by far. However, Volkswagen didn’t have any performance credentials or a sports model. So in the early ’70s, Volkswagen wanted to get in the muscle/performance car market. They took the Beetle floor pan, a 1.7-liter flat-four engine, and tuned it to 75 hp. This wasn’t much but it was far more than stock (via Silodrome).
The finished product was called the SP2 and it debuted in 1972. It had modern looks with a long front end, low profile, and sporty silhouette. The car cost more than any other Volkswagen. It did have some performance but failed to meet the expectations of performance-oriented car fans. The SP2 was in production for four years until 1976. During that time, Volkswagen made over 11,000 examples.