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These Vehicles Are The Worst Sports Cars Ever Made

Vukasin Herbez November 9, 2022

Datsun Fairlady Roadster

Everybody knows Japanese manufacturers started as downsized copies of European and American cars. One of the most attractive Japanese copies of European cars was a cute and compact Datsun Fairlady Roadster built from 1959 to 1970, also known as Datsun Sports (via Nissan USA).

Japanese carmakers borrowed the design, technology, and feel from British roadsters, especially Triumph and MG. However, Datsun did more than copy the British. It gave the little roadster significant power with the 2.0-liter engine, better handling, and driving dynamics. Most importantly, it guaranteed the quality of the cars, which is something that British examples had difficulties with. Datsun made over 40,000 of those nifty little cars over an 11-year production period, with most of them sold in the USA, of course, with left-hand drive.

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Opel GT

In the late ’60s, the German brand Opel was one of Europe’s most popular economy car manufacturers. Since General Motors owned it, the design of all Opel’s models was approved or even styled by GM’s design department, which meant that Opel models looked like scaled-down versions of Chevrolets or Buicks. This was precisely the case with Opel GT, a sporty affordable coupe presented in 1968 (via Net Car Show).

Opel needed a sports car based on its entry-level model – the Kadett, and in the mid-1960s, it got approval from GM to introduce such a vehicle. The design was heavily influenced by Corvette and GM’s concepts from the mid-1960s. Of course, with 1.3 and 1.9-liter four-cylinder engines, Opel GT didn’t have any of the Corvette’s power or performance, but it had the looks. Opel sold it in America through the Buick dealership network; interestingly, it sold well. More Opel GTs were sold in the US than in Europe during its five-year production run.

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Triumph GT6

The GT6 project started in the mid-’60s when Triumph realized they needed a coupe version of their popular roadster. However, just putting the roof on Spitfire wouldn’t do the trick. They needed to extensively re-engineer the car and add a more powerful engine for the chassis to cope with the added weight of the coupe body style. So Triumph engineers installed a 2.0-liter six-cylinder engine with 106 HP, providing the GT6 with more power and performance than the similar Spitfire (via Auto Express).

The GT6 was officially presented in 1966 and discontinued in 1973 after around 45,000 examples. The GT6 was never as popular as the Spitfire, but it was arguably a better car and a cool-looking alternative to all other sports coupes on the market.

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Porsche - Volkswagen Group — Photo Credit: Pinterest

Porsche 914

Porsche 914 was built from 1969 to 1976 as an entry-level model. It was a product of cooperation with Volkswagen and is sometimes called VW-Porsche 914. Behind the driver is a Volkswagen-derived flat-four engine with around 100 HP (via Porsche).

It doesn’t sound like much and this Porsche wasn’t truly a sports car despite its low weight. The 914 looked like one made by a notable sports car company. It had the engine in the back, but unfortunately, you could beat it with a V8 family sedan.

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Honda CRX

Japanese brands almost entirely dominated the market for affordable performance models in the early ’80s. The Honda CRX is the perfect example of one of the most memorable cars from that era. Built from 1983 to 1991, the CRX used the Civic with a lower and sportier body and only two seats. It was light, nimble, and with precise steering, although with front-wheel drive and up to 140 HP (via Road and Track).

This model’s most significant selling points were a highly light body, as the whole car weighed 1,800 pounds and a high-revving four-cylinder engine. Drivers couldn’t expect any real performance, but it did deliver some driving feel.

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Mitsubishi Starion

The Starion is a forgotten JDM legend from the early ’80s. It featured a turbocharged engine and cool period styling with mandatory pop-up lights. It had rear-wheel drive and composed handling and was Mitsubishi’s answer to Mazda RX7 and Nissan 300 ZX (via Gauk Motors).

Buyers could choose between 2.0 and 2.6-liter engines with the same power level, but the 2.6-liter had more torque. On the American market, the Starion was the Chrysler Conquest.

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These Vehicles Are The Worst Sports Cars Ever Made

Datsun Fairlady Roadster

Opel GT

Triumph GT6

Porsche 914

Honda CRX

Mitsubishi Starion

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