1986 Mercury Cougar XR7 Turbo
In the 1980s, it wasn’t so much about big V8 power as much as it was about turbocharging an engine. Ford was among the leaders in turbo technology and sold an array of different cars utilizing this setup. Perhaps the most confusing of these turbo-powered sports cars was the Cougar XR7 Turbo. The Cougar was already a popular two-door coupe and shared a platform with the Ford Thunderbird (via Barn Finds).
The 2.3-liter turbo-fed engine wasn’t the most powerful thing on the market and the styling of the XR7 was downright ugly. Nevertheless, Ford pushed ahead with the lackluster design and performance of the car. The Cougar XR7 Turbo was one of the most lackluster and critically panned performance cars of the 1980s.