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Never judge a book by its cover. We've all heard that phrase spouted at some point in our lives, and at another point in our lives, we've all probably done the exact opposite. Still, sometimes you really shouldn't judge a car by the way it looks. Take the Pontiac Aztek as an example of a car defined by its appearance but actually ahead of its time.
We've seen countless examples of cars subverting expectations set by their design. Some cars have tricked us in the past by looking faster than they actually were, reaffirming the age-old adage: Don't judge a book by its cover.
For this list, we've selected cars that looked sportier than they actually were and had slow 0-60 mph sprint times. The cars have been arranged in descending order by their 0–60 mph times.
Pontiac Fiero
0-60 mph: 11.3 seconds
The Pontiac Fiero had the design of a bona fide sports car and is remembered as a failure. Technically, it was considered a sports car, and its design merely aligned with that categorization. It resembled, in some ways, the design of Toyota's MR2, and there are similarities between the Pontiac Fiero and Toyota MR2 that extend beyond their designs. Like the MR2, the Fiero employed a mid-mounted four-cylinder engine to power a compact, angular body.
Although a V6 engine eventually made its way into the Fiero's engine bay, the Fiero debuted with a 2.5-liter inline-four-cylinder engine as its only powerplant, producing 92 horsepower and 134 lb-ft of torque, good for an 11.3-second sprint from standstill to 60 mph.
1978 Ford Mustang King Cobra II
0-60 mph: 11 seconds
Muscle cars are still a fan favorite in many parts of the world, but the current state of the muscle car segment is a far cry from the golden age of the muscle car. The golden age of the muscle car began in the mid-1960s, and in the few years between then and the start of the 1970s, we saw many now-iconic muscle cars. By 1973, however, muscle cars were dying out due to the global oil crisis and changing emissions regulations. In the midst of this, we saw the final breath of the second-generation Ford Mustang in the form of the Ford Mustang King Cobra.
It wore a unique physique characterized by its bulging hood, exaggerated front fascia, and V8 engine. It was sportier than the rest of the second-generation Ford Mustang lineup. Still, the grunt of its V8 engine needed 11 seconds to reach 60 mph, while contemporaries like the Pontiac Trans Am with its 6.6-liter V8 engine required close to 7 seconds, which was still slower than the fastest muscle cars of the 1960s and 1970s.
Ferrari Mondial 8
0-60 mph: 9.3 seconds
The Ferrari Mondial 8 was Ferrari's replacement for the Ferrari 308 GT4 from the 1970s and was introduced to the world at the 1980 Geneva International Motor Show. The revered Italian automaker characterized it as a high-performance, mid-engine, 2+2 coupe that was slightly longer than the model that preceded it, yet more spacious.
While Ferrari praises it for its "class-leading high-performance engine," the Ferrari Mondial 8's real-world performance left much to be desired. Despite being called the first Ferrari with all-around appeal, the Ferrari Mondial 8 lacked inspiring performance. Powered by its 2.9-liter V8, the Ferrari Mondial 8 produced 214 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque, less than the Ferrari 308 GT4. The result of the V8's efforts was a slow sprint to 60 mph from a standstill, uncharacteristic for a car with the styling of the Ferrari Mondial 8. Today, it's remembered as one of the instances of Ferrari building less-than-ideal cars.
1981 DMC DeLorean
0-60 mph: 8.3 seconds
Blame film and television for the misconstrued image and reputation of the DMC DeLorean. We're looking at you, "Back To The Future". The DMC DeLorean was a boxy two-door sports car that was characterized by its exposed aluminum exterior, gullwing doors, and odd proportions. Contrary to what we saw in films, the DMC DeLorean was not quick enough to bend the fabric of space and time. Instead, its 2.85-liter naturally aspirated V6 engine barely managed to propel its 2,718-pound frame to 60 mph in under eight seconds.
Not only was it slow, but it was reportedly not that great to drive either. This was the same engine that was used by the Peugeot-Renault-Volvo alliance and employed in several models from the Peugeot 504 to the Volvo 760. The DMC DeLorean would suffer from poor build quality, which tarnished its reputation, as well as a handful of recalls.
1982 Chevrolet Corvette
0-60 mph: 7.8 seconds
The life of Chevrolet's third-generation Corvette was tumultuous to say the least. It was a stunning car, distinguished by its shapely physique, the product of the Mako Shark II concept car designed by Larry Shinoda. Its physique was expressive, featuring exaggerated wheel arches, a long hood, short overhangs, and a wedged front end. It was a distinct design, considering that many of Chevrolet's contemporaries were producing hauling, box-shaped cars at the time.
In its earliest years, the Chevrolet C3 Corvette was one of the fastest and quickest muscle cars of the segment's golden age. However, near the end of its life, the Chevrolet Corvette was neutered, and in its final model years, the C3 Corvette was powered by a meek V8 engine that needed nearly eight seconds to propel the sleek Corvette to 60 mph, whereas in its earlier years, the Corvette was able to reach the same speed in 5.3 seconds.
2004 Mazda RX-8
0-60 mph: 7.2 seconds
The Mazda RX-7 is undoubtedly an automotive icon. When its production ended in the early 2000s, Mazda's follow-up was the bigger, bulkier Mazda RX-8. Its design was far different compared to its predecessor, and although it wasn't as sleek as the Mazda RX-7, the Mazda RX-8 still wore its sporty aspirations on its sleeves. Although designs were vastly different, the RX-7 and RX-8 had one similarity: their engines. The Mazda RX-8 also employed a Wankel rotary engine; in fact, it used four distinct variations of the rotary engine.
While the Mazda RX-7's rotary engine was a focal point that significantly contributed to its appeal, the RX-8's was underwhelming. In earlier model years, the Renesis two-rotor engine produced just under 200 hp, which meant the Mazda RX-8 needed just over 7 seconds to reach 60 mph. In later years, the Mazda RX-8 would employ a more powerful version of the Renesis rotary engine, reducing the 0–60 mph time.
1997 Plymouth Prowler
0-60 mph: 7.2 seconds
Plymouth unveiled an eyebrow-raising vehicle in the late 1990s called the Plymouth Prowler, inspired by hot-rodding culture and unlike anything American manufacturers were producing at the time. However, its design was hindered by US road regulations that mandated a tacky front bumper on the Plymouth Prowler, muddying its distinct design. As for its mechanical underpinnings, a 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 was employed to power its 2,832-pound frame.
It might have seemed like an exciting feature on paper, but in reality, that engine wasn't as thrilling as its design. It produced 214 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque and was paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. Its glacial straight-line sprints were the result of its powertrain consisting of an engine meant for low-ranking sedans rather than a V6 built for performance, and a problematic automatic transmission. Later examples of the Plymouth Prowler had better performance, with 0-60 mph reduced to just under six seconds in models like the 2001 Plymouth Prowler.
2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo
0-60 mph: 7.1 seconds
Hyundai's first-generation Veloster was a mundane but divisive hatch, considering its reliability issues. The Hyundai Veloster Turbo was distinguished from the vanilla Hyundai Veloster by its sportier design and powertrain. It had more power than the standard Veloster, although the entry-level Veloster only commanded 138 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque, so the bar wasn't high. Hyundai's efforts resulted in the sportier turbocharged Veloster delivering 201 hp and nearly the same torque.
Despite adopting a design akin to that of a hot hatch and a noticeable increase in power, the Hyundai Veloster Turbo was still slower, needing just over seven seconds to move its nearly 3,000-pound body from a standstill to 60 mph. Still, on the used market, it might be worth a second look. Later renditions of the Hyundai Veloster outperformed the first-generation Hyundai Veloster Turbo, with variants like the Hyundai Veloster N finally pairing a powerful engine with its hot-hatch design.
2012 Fisker Karma
0-60 mph: 6.3 seconds
The Fisker Karma was a failed hybrid sports sedan that arrived a decade too soon and despite weighing nearly 1,000 lb-ft of torque, could only manage to reach 60 mph in just under six seconds. It was a muscular hybrid sedan with pronounced haunches and a mustache-esque grille design, which debuted at the 2008 North American Auto Show. This was the first car under the then-recently founded Fisker Automotive, and the first customer deliveries took place in 2011.
The Fisker Karma had the proportions of a bona fide sports sedan, and while it had roughly the same power output as the greater cars of the 2000s and early-2010s. The pairing of a turbocharged inline-four and two electric motors that produced just over 400 horsepower resulted in an underwhelming straight-line sprint. The reason for its underwhelming straight-line acceleration was its curb weight of 5,300 lbs.
2013 Subaru BRZ
0-60 mph: 6.2 seconds
For many, the Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86/ Scion FR-S was their first car, and today that remains true. The Subaru BRZ was a lightweight, compact, two-door, two-seater sports coupe, the product of a joint venture between Toyota and Subaru. Its front-engine, rear-wheel-drive configuration made it an ideal starter car for grassroots motorsports or a project car. While there was merit to the fervor surrounding it, the Subaru BRZ wasn't particularly quick in a straight line.
Subaru's first rear-wheel-drive model employed a 2.0-liter four-cylinder Boxer engine tucked into its engine bay, which produced 200 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque, which meant the vanilla Subaru BRZ could reach 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. Still, although its saving grace was its handling and driving dynamics, this wasn't as exciting as some of the other models in Subaru's performance catalog at the time.
Sources: Kelly Blue Book, Mazda, DMC, Hyundai, Subaru, Ford, General Motors, Chevrolet, Ferrari
