13 Cars That Were Nearly Perfect
Over the years, very few cars were considered ‘perfect’. Cars like the McLaren F1, Bugatti Veyron, Porsche Carrera GT, and Ferrari 458 are considered the best of the best.
These cars combine design, innovation, performance, and soul like no other. That said, countless vehicles come close to being perfect. More often than not, these near-perfect cars fall short on the most minor details.
Although these 13 cars are beyond incredible, and remain beloved automotive icons, they had the potential of being perfect.
BMW i8
On paper, the BMW i8 sounded revolutionary. A mainstream automotive brand, BMW, built a plug-in hybrid sports car with a mid-mounted engine, butterfly doors, and supercar styling. However, the gasoline engine mated to the electric motor was a minuscule naturally-aspirated 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine from a base model Mini Cooper.
BMW claims a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.2 seconds. Although it’s not sluggish, you’d expect more from a car that looks like it was conceived in space. Fans wanted the BMW i8 to have an inline-six – like the S55 from the F80 M3 or the N55 from the 340i. In turn, this would make the i8 sound like a proper performance car and perform like one.
Alfa Romeo 4C
The Alfa Romeo 4C is a budget-friendly exotic sports car. Its mid-mounted turbocharged 1.75-liter four-cylinder engine makes 237 hp. In turn, this tiny Italian sports car with carbon fiber-infused blood that weighs less than 2,500 lbs handles like a borderline racecar.
Despite some owners needing more practicality and interior amenities, most understood the 4C was meant to be a bare-boned sports car. The only thing that kept the carbon-infused 4C from perfection was its lack of power steering.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
The tenth-generation Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution ticked all the boxes of a great sports sedan. It was all-wheel-drive, had a manual transmission, a compact body, a stunning design, and a mighty engine. However, the hardcore Evo fans weren’t satisfied with the engine used.
From the first generation Lancer Evo to the ninth generation, all of these Japanese sports sedans had the legendary turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, called the 4G63, under its hood. But with the tenth generation, the Lancer Evo adopted a new turbo-four called the 4B11T. Since then, there has not been a new Lancer Evo.
BMW M6 (E63)
In the 2000s, European carmakers were pushing the boundaries of what a road car can be. One of the most famous creations was the BWM E63 M6. Like the E60 M5, the M6 had a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V10 engine that generated 500 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque.
This allowed the M6 to soar past 190 mph and keep up with supercars. The only downside to these models is the V10 engine’s lack of reliability. Called the S85, the V10 engine suffered from numerous reliability concerns, especially regarding the rod bearings.
DeLorean DMC-12
The DeLorean DMC-12 had everyone believing it was one of the fastest cars at the time. The Back To The Future Films made us think the DeLorean is as quick as the speed of light, and its supercar design language did the same. Meanwhile, the DeLorean had the same V6 used by numerous Volvos in the ‘80s.
The DeLorean DMC-12 featured a whimsical 2.85-liter V6 with just 130 hp on tap. 0 to 60 mph took nearly 9 seconds, meaning the DeLorean was as quick as a new Honda Civic.
Toyota GR Supra
Hardcore JDM fanboys consider the new Supra sacrilege since it shares its engine, and numerous other parts with BMW models. These fans wanted the new Supra to have an in-house built engine and unique interior – not one identical to that of a BMW Z4 M40i.
Apart from that nitpick, the Mk 5 Toyota Supra is arguably one of the best sports cars of the century. With an MSRP of $56,250, finding a new car that outclasses the 2024 GR Supra isn’t easy. Not to mention, it’s one of the very last sports cars you can buy with a manual transmission.
Lexus IS F
Despite not being known for their performance cars, Lexus has had a few smash-hit sports cars. Vehicles like the LFA, LC, and RC F immediately come to mind. However, Lexus also built a performance version of their IS sports sedan in the 2000s. It sounded great, looked the part, and proved to be reliable. The competition was just too much to bear.
Going toe-to-toe with the W204 Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG and E92 BMW M3, the IS F held its own but wasn’t unique enough. It had a 5.0-liter V8 underneath its hood that put out 416 hp and 371 lb-ft of torque and only came with an 8-speed automatic transmission. It couldn’t match the AMG’s power, and was less engaging than the M3.
Ferrari F8 Tributo
There is no denying that the Ferrari F8 Tributo is one of the fastest Ferraris of all time. Its mid-mounted twin-turbocharged 3.9-liter V8 emits 710 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque. However, it lacks some of the exclusivity of other Ferrari models.
The Ferrari 458 had the Speciale, and the 488 had the Pista. These models were predecessors to the F8, and both received limited editions with subtle upgrades differentiating them from the standard 458 and 488. Ferrari discontinued the F8 in 2023, leaving us with a near-perfect Ferrari.
Mercedes-AMG E 63 S (W213)
Everyone loves a four-door sedan that’s way too powerful for its good. The W213 E 63 S is the perfect example thereof. This generation of E 63 had up to 603 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, which allowed it to reach 60 mph from a stop in 3 seconds flat and reach a top speed of 186 mph.
The only reason the W213 E 63 S could be a better car is the BMW M5 CS. After BMW showcased a stripped-down version of the F90 M5 with slightly more power, the world lost its marbles. To this day, AMG lovers demand that the E 63 gets the same treatment via a Black Series model.
Toyota MR2 Spyder
The Toyota MR2 Spyder from the 2000s had some gigantic shoes to fill. Its predecessor was a hit among the crowd and gave the Miata a run for its money. In all fairness, the MR2 Spyder was an excellent topless sports car that proved equally popular among enthusiasts with its naturally aspirated engine and quirky styling.
That said, this MR2 generation did not have a turbocharged version. Its predecessor did; even its rival, the Mazda Miata, had turbocharged variants. While it wasn’t detrimental, it hindered the MR2 Spyder from being a perfect sports car, like those who came before it.
Subaru WRX
There are a few reasons why the public wasn’t thrilled about the current-generation Subaru WRX. But the consensus was that no one was happy that Subaru wasn’t making an STi version of the latest WRX.
The WRX is quick and capable offroad, but the lack of an STi model leaves fans with a sour taste. Fortunately, rumors are floating around about Subaru changing its action plan; maybe it’s just a matter of time before we see a new WRX STi.
BMW M5 (G90)
While people differ on whether the new G90 M5 is an attractive sports sedan, it’s unanimously agreed that its weight is a deal breaker for many. Like many other automakers, BMW morphed the new M5 into a plug-in hybrid while retaining the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8.
As a result, the new M5 has 717 hp available. However, because of its hefty curb weight of 5,390 lbs, BMW claims a 0 to 60 mph time of 3.4 seconds. In other words, the new M5 weighs more than a Maybach S-Class and may be slower than the outgoing F90 M5.
Cadillac XLR
Based on the C6 Corvette platform, the XLR was meant to be a more luxurious Corvette. However, because it used GM’s 4.6-liter Northstar V8 with 320 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, it was weaker than the base model Corvette, which had 400 hp squeezed from its LS2. Unfortunately, the top-of-the-range Cadillac XLR-V also fell short of the Z06 Corvette.
The XLR-V also had a Northstar V8, but only this one was supercharged and produced 443 hp and 414 lb-ft of torque. On the other hand, the Z06 has a naturally aspirated LS7 that churned out 505 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. If the XLR had mightier engine options, like the Corvette, the world would have been much different.
Could have made the list:
Mazda MX-5 Miata (NC)
On paper, the third-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata breaks all the rules of being a Miata. It offered an electronically retractable hardtop roof and a more refined interior and grew significantly in size. As a result, the NC was safer and continued to sell remarkably well.
Plymouth Prowler
The Plymouth Prowler had all the potential to become a cult classic with its hotrod-inspired design. Unfortunately, it had no hotrod elements. The Prowler had no manual transmission, no V8 engine option, and unflattering black bumpers that distorted its hotrod styling.
Nissan GT-R (R35 Facelift)
The Nissan GT-R is an exceptionally fast supercar, but it has been on the market for 15 years. When Nissan revealed its so-called facelift that made no significant upgrades, it made us want more.
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is already perfect and always has been. As the saying goes, ‘if it’s not broke, don’t fix it’. As a result, Porsche has made minor changes between the different 911 generations because they know changing a perfect car will only ruin it.
Audi’s New Design Language
The recently revealed Audi A5, A6, and Q5 are all stunning vehicles and should perform exceptionally well. However, even the base model Audi vehicles get a red crest next to their model designation – a crest only put on S and RS cars in the past. In turn, this makes it even more difficult to distinguish performance models from one another.
