

There are plenty of cars out there whose appearances write checks their powertrains can’t cash—too many for just one Top Ten list, as I discovered reading the comments left on the first list. Some notable examples failed to make the first round; hence, a Part II was needed. Now, there are some criteria for this list that should be made clear: the cars on this list both need to look fast or have a reputation for being fast, and also lack any significant performance to back up said looks and/or reputation. This means, for example, no Mazda Miatas or Plymouth Prowlers: neither car looks fast, and with the right engine the latter is in fact a quick car.
But the rest of the cars on this list? Not so much.

Hyundai Tiburon
, There is no arguing that the Hyundai Tiburon is a handsome car. Its styling is vaguely reminiscent of the Pontiac GTO, and it was Hyundai’s first attempt at a legitimate sports car. Their effort was not met with success, however, as the Tiburon was far from a fast car. The Tiburon GT as pictured did 0-60 in 7.1 seconds, which is a low bar to set for a , Bloomberg via Getty Images
Lamborghini Jalpa
, That’s right, a Lamborghini is down here with all the other washouts. Before the V10-V12 hierarchy established by the Gallardo and Murcielago in the 2000s, continued by the Huracan and Aventador, Lamborghini had the Jalpa and Countach produced in tandem. The Countach is still a quick car by today’s standards, and will never fail to look exotic, though the Jalpa has not fared as well. Its 3.5 liter V8 is only good for a 7.2 second 0-60 time., Heritage Images of Hulton Archive via Getty Images
BMW 850i
, A line-topping GT performance coupe with a V12 is not what you would expect to show up on this list. The BMW 850i is all of these things, not to mention slow… and unreliable. Fun fact: the V12 engine in this car had two ECUs, one for each bank of cylinders. Some rumors claim the cancelled M8 variant was the original source of the McLaren F1’s V12, but these are false, as special versions of BMW’s S70 V12 were developed for that car. While there are faster versions of this car, the 850Ci and 850CSi, over 90% of the 8-series produced were the 850i and slower 840Ci variants. The 850i as pictured does 0-60 in a pitiful 7.3 seconds. It probably sounds great as it crawls up to 60, though., Heritage Images of Hulton Archive via Getty Images
Mercury Cougar
, The Mercury Cougar was a continuation of a storied, yet tired model in the personal luxury car segment. A looker of a car, though Tiburon-esque both in appearance and performance, the car failed to impress, its Contour-based platform and 2.5 liter Duratec V6 delivering a 0-60 time of 7.7 seconds., Matt Campbell via Getty Images
Bricklin SV-1
, The Bricklin SV-1 is a rare oddball of a car, and you will be lucky to ever run across one of these rare machines. Malcolm Bricklin, who founded Subaru of North America, had 2,854 of these cars produced before his company folded. Its name is an acronym for , Doug Griffin of Toronto Star via Getty Images
BMW Z3
, Get ready for the second BMW on the list. The Z3 was the successor to the bizarre BMW Z1, a roadster whose doors were swallowed up by the floor. It followed in the footsteps of the Mazda Miata in the new world of small, reliable, mass-market roadsters, and some of its lower trims were meant to compete with the Miata. Cars shipped with an automatic transmission lacked any attentiveness to throttle inputs, with an automatic version being slammed on BBC’s Top Gear by James May. The Z3 was available with a total of nine different engines, from 1.8 to 3.2 liters, though the most common engine was the 1.9, of which 77,965 were produced. The 1.9 is good for a 7.8 second 0-60 time., Heritage Images via Getty Images
Mazda RX-7 (FC3S)
, The second generation Mazda RX-7, known to some by its chassis name FC3S, was another generation of Mazda’s Wankel rotary-powered RX-series sports cars. The unique engine has been humorously dubbed a , David Cooper of Toronto Star via Getty Images
Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (P71)
, Blame The Blues Brothers for this one. All that talk of , Scott Olson of Getty Images News
DeLorean DMC-12
, The DeLorean DMC-12 is among the most well-known slow cars that look like they ought not be. It has a mid-rear mounted engine, as is seen with high performance Le Mans and Formula One race cars, as well as supercar makers like Ferrari and Lamborghini. The powertrain was cursed with the infamous PRV V6, and the frame was derived from that of the Lotus Esprit. The bodywork was heavy stainless steel, and the available transmissions included a 3-speed automatic or 5-speed manual. The automatic version was tested by Road & Track and clocked at a painful 10.5 seconds to reach 60 from a dig. It is questionable whether McFly would have ever made the car hit 88 on a short main street., Heritage Images via Getty Images
Ford Mustang II
, The Ford Mustang II shared a platform with the Pinto, and was launched without the V8 that made the original Mustang a performance icon. Customers didn’t even get the option of a V8 until almost half way through the car’s production run, in 1975, when the 302 Windsor was finally offered, though it was received with lukewarm reception. When the 302 did at last become available, it was still a sluggish car, with the best recorded 0-60 time being 11.2 seconds, and automatic cars taking as long as 15.5 second to hit 60., Ford Media