Beloved but Doomed: Sporty Cars That Couldn't Stay in Production

Yahoo

3 days ago

Countless car manufacturers have thrown their hat into the ring to develop sporty two-door cars. Some have been loved, some have been hated, and some have been cared for by niche groups of enthusiasts.
While most have been discontinued and several were forgotten over time, there were also sports cars that enthusiasts loved, but the market didn't, and the sales figures couldn't support continued production. That said, if you want one, these cars are still available on the used car market.
The purpose of this article is to highlight cars that were once fan favorites but had their production canceled due to changes in consumer demands.
For the purpose of this article, we are focusing on sports cars from the 2000s to the modern era that offer enthusiasts performance, style, and, to some, nostalgia. Each of these vehicles has its fan base and value, but was canceled due to declining sales (even if a lack of sales was only a portion of the formula that led to the cars' end of production).
Whereas the 370Z coupe soldiered on, Nissan killed off the 370Z Roadster in 2019. While the hardtop got updates and something of a cult following, the convertible didn't see the same love. Nissan cited declining demand for roadsters as the reason, and let's be honest, most buyers looking for drop-top thrills were leaning toward the Miata or Mustang.
Still, the 370Z Roadster offered a naturally aspirated V6 and a manual option, which should've made it more popular than it was. Nissan hasn't brought a convertible back since, leaving this Z variant a sunset chapter in the lineup.
I'm an adamant believer that the Toyota MR2 deserved more love than it got. A mid-engine, rear-wheel drive platform with an affordable to maintain drivetrain sounds like an absolute dream, but perhaps it was too far ahead of its time — after all, everyone loved it when the Corvette went mid-engine.
Toyota states it survived for three generations, but the MR2 was eventually discontinued in the States in 2005, with the major reason being shrinking sales.
Fiat's attempt to revive the 124 Spider on the Mazda ND Miata platform was a solid idea in theory. It offered a turbocharged engine and Italian styling. In practice, however, it never outsold the Miata, and its quirky branding couldn't overcome Fiat's shaky rep in the U.S.
After introducing the 124 Spider for the 2017 model year, it lasted just four years on the market before FCA pulled the plug in 2020. That's a shame, because the 124 Abarth version had a lot going for it, and it still turns heads today.
The Dodge Viper has been discontinued not once, but twice, with the second — at least most recent — time being in 2017. Like the MR2, multiple factors contributed to the Viper's end, including dwindling sales despite its strong fan base.
According to Eli Shayotovich on Slashgear, one of the other aspects that contributed to the Viper's discontinuation included stricter safety requirements for side airbags, and Dodge wasn't willing to invest in it. Will the Dodge Viper come back once again? We can only hope.
Hyundai surprised everyone with the Genesis Coupe in 2009. With rear-wheel drive, manual transmission, and a turbocharged 2.0 four-cylinder or naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V6, it was a tuner's dream from a brand no one expected it from. After a refresh in 2013, it lost its early momentum, and Hyundai quietly discontinued it in 2016.
The Genesis brand was spun off as a luxury arm, and the sporty coupe was left behind. It may not have had the finesse of a 370Z or Mustang, but it earned its stripes in the enthusiast community.
The BMW i8 was the German car manufacturer's flagship hybrid, and while its spaceship-like design was eye-catching, many, including Car and Driver, felt it lacked performance. Sitting halfway between a luxury car and a supercar, the i8 didn't quite fit any one category well, and even though it is pretty cool, BMW axed it in 2020 after a 6-year production run.
Of course, the company looked at multiple factors when stopping production of this hybrid, including COVID's effect on the market, causing them to focus on models with a broader market appeal.
The seventh-generation Celica ended production in 2006 after nearly 35 years of nameplate history. The sporty front-wheel-drive coupe with high-revving engines and funky styling just didn't fit in a market moving toward more powerful RWD sports machines and SUVs.
Toyota didn't replace it, which left a hole in its lineup until the GT86 arrived years later. It's a fan favorite now, and clean GT-S models are becoming increasingly rare (and expensive). According to MotorTrend, Toyota does have what could be a new Celica in the works.
With an elongated front end, manual transmission, and a feature in the Fast and Furious movie saga, the Honda S2000 was, and still is, a beloved car to many. Honda officially broke hearts in 2009 when it announced the end of the two-door sports car's 10 years of production, with approximately 110,000 units produced in that time, making it a relatively popular sports car.
To be clear, like every other vehicle on this list, people are still buying the Honda S2000 on the used car market; they just didn't keep up numbers enough to maintain production long-term. It wasn't all because of a lack of buyers either, as changing emissions standards also had a hand in it.
VW's hot hatch coupe wasn't sold in the U.S., but the MK3 Scirocco developed a massive following abroad during its time on the market between 2008 and 2017.
Built on the Golf GTI platform, it was sportier-looking, lower, and arguably more fun to drive. But emissions rules, tighter budgets, and an SUV-hungry market led VW to drop it in 2017. The decision still stings European enthusiasts who'd take this over another Tiguan any day.
The Alfa Romeo 4C was never a super-popular car, but it was very cool and unique nonetheless. Unfortunately, it was discontinued in 2019 due to a combination of factors, including unenthusiastic sales numbers, according to Barnell Anderson at HotCars. Like the Toyota MR2, this fun, mid-engine sports car should, in theory, fit the bill for driving enthusiasts looking for something more affordable than a Porsche, but the 4C never became quite as popular as Alfa Romeo may have hoped.
With fewer than 10,000 produced throughout its run and a smattering of negative reviews online from owners and journalists, such as Chris Chilton at CarScoops. Perhaps the car's small stature and tight cabin made it too niche to be appreciated by the masses, and the Alfa Romeo 4C still holds the hearts of its small following.
Lotus finally pulled the Elise from the U.S. market in 2011, due to airbag regulations and diminishing demand. Lightweight, raw, and utterly mechanical, the Elise was the last word in analog purity. Unfortunately, it was also a tough sell to the average buyer.
Lotus continued selling the Elise overseas until 2021, when the model was finally retired. With a curb weight under 2,000 lbs and a cult following, it's a future collectible for those who appreciate less-is-more engineering.
Another car popularized by the Fast and Furious saga, the Mitsubishi Eclipse, was a hot and heavy item in the car scene in the early 2000s. It met its end in 2011 as consumers began to shift in the market, leaving the Eclipse with sales numbers that left a lot to be desired.
According to CarParts.com, the car also had some issues that deterred buyers, including issues with the manual transmission and faulty brake systems.
The RSX was Honda's U.S.-market replacement for the Integra, and while it wasn't quite as raw as its Type R predecessor, the Type-S variant delivered with a high-revving K-series engine and tight chassis.
Acura discontinued the RSX Type S in 2006, opting to pivot toward luxury in a move that alienated some of its core fans. Today, clean RSX Type-S models are getting hard to find, and their values are creeping upward for good reason.
The Pontiac Solstice wasn't just an end for the sports car model when it was pulled from production; it marked the end of Pontiac itself. A car manufacturer that was once a performance car icon, Pontiac's time has come and gone. The Solstice was nonetheless a cool, sporty two-door that perhaps deserved more credit.
As per RepairPal, the Pontiac Solstice has its issues, but it still has fans who've been mourning the loss of the car ever since. Part of that is probably because vehicle-specific parts like headlights are becoming increasingly harder to find.
Built on the same chassis as the Pontiac Solstice, the Saturn Sky is another 2000s sports car with two doors and the option for a convertible top. MotorTrend reports that during its three years of production, more than 34,000 were built and sold.
MotorTrend also says that the Solstice and Sky were Hail Mary attempts to save dying brands. If it isn't obvious by the lack of them on the road, these sporty roadsters weren't enough to save Pontiac and Saturn, leading to not only the end of production for these vehicles but the end of an era for these once-popular automotive brands.
The SLK was always stylish, but the R171 and R172-generation SLK 55 AMG was a sleeper V8 monster in a small roadster shell.
Hand-built AMG power in such a compact package was a certified recipe for fun, but not for mass sales. As convertibles fell out of fashion and emissions rules tightened, Mercedes moved on. The later SLC was a softer send-off, but the SLK 55 remains the enthusiast's pick.
Mazda discontinued the rotary-powered RX-8 in 2012 due to declining sales. This sports car was rather unique due to its engine and drivetrain, rear-hinged rear doors, and near-perfect 50-50 weight distribution. While it did have some great qualities, it was relatively expensive, and it eventually failed to meet emissions standards in the European market, further reducing sales as it was pulled from regional markets.
While the rotary engines provided a unique drivetrain, they did have some problems with the apex seals and, because of the rarity, left many repair and maintenance shops unable to work on them — or, at least, unwilling to. Still, Hagerty believes it's a future classic, and the high-revving Japanese sports car still has plenty of fans.
A forgotten gem, the Smart Roadster was sold in Europe from 2003 to 2006. This tiny, rear-engine sports car had a manual-mode gearbox, go-kart handling, and styling reminiscent of an exotic concept car.
Unfortunately, it was also plagued by quality issues and a high price tag. It flopped commercially, despite a small but loyal fan base. Smart pulled the plug just three years in, and it became one of the quirkiest 'what-ifs' of the modern era.
Perhaps it was the drastic styling changes in the early 2000s that spelled the end for the once-great Pontiac GTO. Despite offering competitive performance from its V8 engine and the option for a manual transmission, CarBuzz reports only 40,000 units were sold in its short production run, leaving Pontiac — a company that already wasn't doing well — less than enthused.
The Pontiac GTO still has a loyal fan group to this day, but sales at the time weren't enough to keep the car on the market. Other factors, like pricing and airbag regulations, also played a factor when discontinuing the car.
Hagerty says the spunky little Chrysler Crossfire convertible was produced from 2003 to 2007 and offered a V6 engine with a choice of automatic or manual transmissions. Later years were upgraded with an SRT-6 option that offered a supercharger for added power. The Crossfire got, well, caught in the crossfire of both restructuring and low production numbers, leading to its end of production.
According to SlashGear, only 34,000 Crossfires were sold in the US market, and due to the partnership with Mercedes, it shared its platform with the aging SLK and unfortunately also the higher price point you'd expect from the German brand.
This list of cars shows just a handful of options that are fan favorites from the 2000s that didn't sell well enough to continue production, but there are plenty more out there.
Want to give us your input on your favorite sports car that was discontinued from the market? Leave us a comment and let us know!