There’s a lot of bold concepts, pioneering engineering projects, quirky designs and attempts to rock the boat in the annals of automotive history. However, not all projects are exactly as the creators envisioned. Some cars don’t get any sales because of strange styling or poor mechanical design, others are delayed in production because of financial problems, limited sales or other reasons with little to do with the quality of the car itself. These tales continue to be intriguing, demonstrating the unpredictable nature of the auto industry. 

Vehicles cited here exemplify various forms of developing a unique product in the area of sports cars and supercars. Some were constructed on an unusual chassis, some on a very large engine, some on a very special bodywork or some on high expectations for their performance. Some seemed to be the high dollar version of the performance car but weren’t as fast. Others really had brilliant engineering but were not able to deal with the financial and commercial issues involved in their development. 

If you’ll look at these 10 vehicles, you will find that a great car does not always make a good car. Sometimes, horsepower and styling aren’t the most crucial factors, and production numbers, pricing, reliability, corporate stability, and market expectations can all play a role. Each example has its own tale of promise, disappointment, and/or peculiar conditions, from rare six-wheeler to ambitious hypercars and lost European sports cars. When combined, it’s a glimpse at some of the most interesting misfires and curios in automotive history.

1. 2009 Covini C6W

The 2009 Covini C6W is a car that can grab the attention of people. The six-wheeled layout is its first distinguishing feature from virtually all other sports car designs, having four wheels on the front and two on the rear. The strange configuration wasn’t just to create a “gimmick” for the photo. The concept focused on the notion of adding extra front wheels to give better grip during turn-in and on braking with 6 active braking assemblies. That was quite an unusual approach to the concept of how a high-performance road car could relate to the road.

Unique Design and Engineering:

• Six-Wheeled Sports Car Configuration
• Four Front Wheels Provide Grip
• Six Active Braking Assemblies
• Naturally Aspirated V8 Power
• Six-Speed Manual Transmission

It was powered by a naturally aspirated 4.2-liter V8 that made approximately 500 horsepower, and sat behind the exotic body. The 4.2-liter V8 naturally aspirated engine producing about 500 hp was housed behind the unusual body. The engine was mated to a six-speed manual transmission, making the car’s mechanical layout all but an exotic performance car. In theory, the powertrain was in a position to bring a lot of credibility to the C6W, though the six-wheel configuration was still its most iconic aspect. The exotic body style and the large naturally aspirated V8 was an interesting engineering experiment.

Its exorbitant cost was the main drawback for prospective buyers. The price of the C6W was about $400,000 when it was originally introduced, and it was still very much a rarity. The rarity and the unconventional engineering placed it in a special niche and in the history of cars, but also rendered it hard to achieve success in the mainstream. Rather than its success, the C6W is memorable because it dared to go against the grain when it came to car design.

2. 2020 Devel Sixteen

The Devel Sixteen was an extremely bold foray into the world of hypercars that could deliver numbers well outside the norm. The project’s attention was drawn by its massive engine and towering claims, which were based in Dubai. It was touted as a car that could compete with iconic hypercars and the production figure of a 12.3-liter quad turbocharged V16 engine was said to be capable of 5,000 horsepower. The numbers make for serious extreme auto dreaming.

Extreme Performance and Development:

• Extraordinary Hypercar Performance Claims
• Massive 12.3-Liter V16 Engine
• Quad-Turbocharged Engine Configuration
• Reported 5,000-Horsepower Output
• Ambitious Production Vehicle Plans

This was a good idea in theory, but not very easy to make a dependable production car. The project had been delayed after its initial announcement was made in 2013, due to engine reliability and development issues. But making a good engine to promote was not enough, a production car must be able to perform reliably and accurately. One of the main issues of the Devel Sixteen was that spectacular promises were made but the actual engineering was found wanting.

Despite late 2019 reports of continued development, the project failed to progress smoothly from an “outrageous” concept to a vetted production car. It was estimated to cost around $1,800,000 and its worth was just as big. The Devel Sixteen was thus a showcase of the challenges involved in taking supercharged claims to the road. The extent to which it was going to come into being remains interesting, and the way toward it was much less certain.

3. 2007 Mitsuoka Orochi

Unlike the 2007 Mitsuoka Orochi, however, the current version decided to stand out from the car crowd, in an entirely different way. The Japanese sports car was named for a mythical 8-headed dragon and had an extremely eccentric design that was based on the Honda NSX. It looked odd enough to make it instantly recognizable and the car was marketed as “Japan’s entry into the world of exotic European sports cars like Ferrari. The Orochi was obviously seeking attention and also, they managed to make it look like no ordinary coupe.

Styling, Components and Performance:

• Eccentric Eight-Headed Dragon Design
• Honda NSX Inspired Bodywork
• Honda and Lexus Mechanical Components
• Naturally Aspirated Lexus V6
• Modest 231-Horsepower Output

But behind the dramatic exterior, the Orochi was built with Honda and Lexus parts. This method resulted in good construction and mechanical soundness, but also in a significant mismatch between vehicle external appearance and mechanical performance. The vehicle was certainly a supercar, but it had fairly conservative mechanical parts. That difference was one of the biggest features of the Orochi.

The power was provided by a 3.3-liter naturally aspirated Lexus V6 that only generated 231 hp. The car was also quite slow, manageable at best, with a 0-60 time of around 7.0 seconds not quite what one would expect from so much attitude. The Orochi was thus an interesting example of a car that had a very strong car image but delivered a very weak powertrain. Slow and yet eccentric, it appealed to the crowds but was no match in terms of performance to the true exotics.

4. 1986 Hofstetter Turbo

The Hofstetter Turbo came out of a specific auto scenario in Brazil during the ’80s. The car was developed by Mario Hofstetter and to some degree as a reaction to the government’s limitations on the importation of cars. Instead of just another standard car, Hofstetter produced an outlandish-looking mid-engine kit car that would meet the demand for something exciting. Being light in weight and with gull-wing doors, it appeared to be much more costly than it was an exotic machine.

Exotic Styling and Modest Power:

• Brazilian Mid-Engine Kit Car
• Lightweight Fiberglass Body Construction
• Dramatic Gull-Wing Door Design
• Volkswagen-Sourced Engine Options
• Limited Performance Despite Styling

Its styling certainly was one of its most appealing features. The gull-wing doors and low, mid-engine set up gave rise to the dramatic styling that became synonymous with European supercars. But the mechanical installation under the body did not entirely correspond to that. The early models were powered by a 140-horsepower engine from a Volkswagen Passat, but later models had a 210-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter Volkswagen Santana inline-four engine.

Their difference between styling and performance restricted their effect. It took the Hofstetter Turbo just a little over eight seconds to reach 60 mph which was not necessarily enough to make it a serious performance contender, given its exterior appearance. There was very little production, a total of 18 units sold from 1986 to 1991. The Hofstetter Turbo was thus a unique novelty item: an appearance of the car that was so out of the ordinary that it took a lot of imagination to create, even if it wasn’t matched in performance.

5. 1977 Panther 6

The 1977 Panther 6 came before the era of the six-wheeled supercar that is commonplace in today’s automotive landscape. The Panther 6 was manufactured in Britain, and, having four wheels on the front axle, it was immediately distinguished from conventional sports cars. The unusual layout was meant to be a bold vision of the direction that automotive design could be going in. The outcome was a machine that resembled more of an experiment from the future than a regular production sports car.

Radical Six-Wheel Performance Concept:

• Four-Wheel Front Axle Layout
• Dramatic Multi-Axle Configuration
• Massive 8.2-Liter Cadillac V8
• Twin-Turbocharged Engine Technology
• More Than 600 Horsepower

Its specifications were also astounding mechanically. Under the unusual chassis was a massive 8.2-liter twin-turbocharged Cadillac V8 pushing out over 600 hp. The Panther 6’s extreme visual identity was the one this engine could help with. The Panther 6 wasn’t the type of vehicle that is usually seen on the road whose design was far superior than the mechanical performance, for the Panther 6 had an impressive engine package to match its extreme looks.

But this dramatic styling and significant engine size didn’t generate any significant response from the market or the automotive world in general. But only two examples were ever built. The production of this was so low that it was a rarity and not a successful sports car. The Panther 6 is important because it showed how far one could go with the traditional rules of designing an exotic car.

6. 1991 MTX Tatra

Designed by the hands of Vaclav Kral, the 1991 MTX Tatra was a bold Czech performance car that was the product of a collaboration between MTX and the Czech automaker Tatra. At the time, it was considered to be the quickest car in the Czech Republic. The car’s front-wheel-drive chassis and light weight construction offered the potential for an exotic performance car and its air-cooled 3.9-liter V8 had about 302 horsepower.

Czech Performance and Production:

• Czech Performance Car Collaboration
• Lightweight Rear-Wheel-Drive Construction
• Air-Cooled 3.9-Liter V8
• Approximately 302-Horsepower Output
• Extremely Limited Production Numbers

The MTX Tatra on paper had so many of the ingredients required to make it a viable performance car. Power output was respectable and the light weight could have enabled the car to utilise its power effectively. The project also had the advantage of being a rather uncommon chapter in Czech car design. It wasn’t just another sports car from a well-known, established supercar company.

Unfortunately, its progress was brought to a sudden halt due to circumstances out of the control of the engineering of the vehicle. The company had expected to hit its production target of over 200 cars but this was ruined by a devastating fire in the production facility. Out of all these vehicles, four made it off the factory. The MTX Tatra was thus a case of a successful automotive idea being lost due to production related issues, not the poor quality of the concept itself.

7. 1991 Cizeta-Moroder V16T

The Cizeta-Moroder V16T was a blend of automotive and entertainment superstars. Former Ferrari employee Claudio Zampolli joined forces with music producer Giorgio Moroder with the goal of creating an extraordinary Italian hypercar. Marcello Gandini, the former Lamborghini designer, was recruited to design the body, creating a design that took on many of the visual traits of various Lamborghini cars like the Diablo and Testarossa. In the end, the car was definitely a piece of exotic.

Italian Design and V16 Power:

• Collaboration Between Automotive Experts
• Marcello Gandini Designed Bodywork
• Massive 6.0-Liter V16 Engine
• Approximately 560-Horsepower Output
• High-Performance 8,000-Rpm Engine

Its mechanical specification was equally lofty. The V16T was powered by a giant V16 engine with a natural induction capacity of around 600 hp at a furious 8,000 rpm. This engine provided a distinctive character to the car that just could not be denied. Dramatic styling, an extremely unique engine and a well respected group of personalities behind the project provided a great deal of potential for the car to become an important name in the exotic-car world.

Commercial realities were much tougher to conquer, though. The cost of the Cizeta-Moroder V16T was in the neighborhood of $300,000, as opposed to the Lamborghini Diablo that it was seeking to outpace. The price tag only exacerbated the problem, as this was already an exclusive model. It eventually went bankrupt after making just 19 examples, and despite having all the ingredients for an iconic supercar it was unable to overcome the financial issues.

8. 1978 BMW M1

While the original BMW M1 is deserving of recognition for its contribution to the development of the renowned BMW M division, its business life was far from successful, as the vehicle’s success and longevity would suggest. The M1 was intended as a collaboration between BMW and Lamborghini, and was conceived to be capable of racing. Unfortunately, Lamborghini ran into financial difficulties, declared bankruptcy, and the project did not get off the ground in time.

Motorsport Ambition and Commercial Struggles:

• BMW and Lamborghini Joint Project
• Mid-Engine Performance Car Development
• 273-Horsepower 3.5-Liter Powertrain
• High Price Limited Buyer Interest
• Only 455 Examples Produced

The trouble created that made the M1 hard to market the way they had planned. It was a quite expensive vehicle at the time, valued at about 100,000 DM, $60,000 or so. This cost put it in the expensive range, and there was not enough demand for it to continue manufacturing. The production of the BMW finally ended with a total of 455 units.

The M1 was also not as popular as the motorsport success had been hoped for, from its original purpose. The technical development of its 273-HP 3.5L power unit and mid-engine architecture were significant, but the race versions were just not the big winners envisioned by the project. The M1 thus turned out to be an involved story in the annals of BMW: significant and historic, but not quite successful in the commercial arena as it was hoped.

9. 1985 Mosler Consulier GTP

This year’s Mosler Consulier GTP appeared to be a viable track car and its low weight did provide an interesting bonus. The application of carbon fiber and Kevlar was considerable, to keep weight below 1,000 kilograms. The car’s light footprint enabled it to reach 60 mph in about five seconds, which is perhaps sufficient to make the car sound respectable as a performer, despite its quirky mechanical nature.

Lightweight Construction and Performance:

• Carbon Fiber And Kevlar Construction
• Vehicle Weight Below 1,000 Kilograms
• Approximately Five-Second Acceleration
• Turbocharged 2.2-Liter Inline-Four
• Chrysler Minivan-Sourced Engine

The most unexpected thing about the Consulier GTP was its engine. Instead of a high performance exotic powerplant, the car was powered with a 2.2-liter turbocharged Chrysler minivan engine. With such a powerful looking car, the engine output was about 190 hp, which wasn’t that much. The difference between such advanced lightweight materials and the mundane looking powertrain was one of the car’s most striking features.

The Consulier GTP offered a unique combination in the performance-car market with a base price in the vicinity of $49,900. It wasn’t as exotic as its chassis technology made it appear, but it did have the advantage of being light. The mix has enabled the car to become a quirky collectible curiosity. The Consulier GTP didn’t win the way the supercars were supposed to win in many ways but in others, it was the very unconventional engineering decisions that made it a vehicle that will be remembered long after it’s off the road.

10. 1986 Venturi Atlantique

One of the less favorable examples on this list, the Venturi Atlantique had some real performance potential! This French boutique sports car might not be widely known among many French car enthusiasts, but it had solid engineering. The Atlantique’s 307-horsepower 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine catapulted the car to a high-performance niche, and the price tag was in the high ($70,000) yet competitive category.

Performance Strength and Business Challenges:

• French Boutique Sports Car
• Twin-Turbocharged 3.0-Liter V6
• Approximately 307-Horsepower Output
• Praised For Strong Performance
• Limited Production And Bankruptcy

The car was also well-received for its capabilities. Jerry Clarkson once said that it’s a ‘supercar slayer that’s underrated’, pointing out that, despite its low-level status, the Atlantique had substance to its design. But its weakest points were not always the engineering or performance, as several others in this class were. Rather, the focus was on the surrounding company which was unable to achieve stability necessary to make it work in the long run.

The Atlantique’s history was cut short when Venturi went through several ownership changes and eventually declared bankruptcy. Less than 700 examples were sold worldwide and the French coupe remains a little-known performance car. Its track record shows that engineering is not enough to ensure commercialization. The Atlantique could have been a contender, but business conditions got in the way of him getting recognition.