Some cars are a dream to buy because of their beauty and a nightmare because of their unreliability. We asked you to share your automotive blindspots to create this list of ten nightmare cars you can't resist.


This is Answers of the Day - where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's "Question Of The Day". It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers.


If you want to see this post in one long page click here.

Ten Nightmare Cars You Can't Resist Some cars are a dream to buy because of their beauty and a nightmare because of their… Read more

10.) Porsche 944 Turbo S

Suggested by: Dravs

Why It's a Nightmare: On average I see about four 944s daily and originally, there were 163,192 944s produced in total, meaning that chances of owning one are high. Good luck finding one though because only 40% of all 944s are still on the road today. It's even harder to find a decent Turbo S variant, so prepare to shell out a good amount of cash. Why wouldn't one want a Porsche that weighs less than 3000 lbs? The problem is that owners loved their cars too, so a lot of examples have high mileage, are falling apart, or just don't run. On top of that, expect to remove your left arm and leg because that's what maintenance costs. But the Turbo S's 247 HP and damn good looks make all the pain and drained bank accounts worth it.


Photo Credit: Martyn


9.) Mazda FD RX-7

Suggested by: sinikl

Why It's a Nightmare: The third and, for now, last generation of Mazda's RX-7 has become an enthusiast's dream. This car, along with Nissan and Toyota's mid to late 90s flagships, can still be had today for the price of a new car. You wouldn't think to shell out 25k for a 15 year old Japanese car, but that's the only way you can get your hammy mits on it. The RX-7's 13B rotary came with sequential turbos and revved like Jesus. All this power and engine choice comes at a high price: terrible, terrible gas mileage and rotor seal failure. The rotary is normally reliable, but once the apex seals go there is a loss of pressure in the housing chamber and the engine dies. Although the RX-7 is great fun and a legendary car, the maintenance and repair, not including the purchase price, are sky high.


8.) VW Corrado VR6

Suggested by: Bonhomme7h

Why It's a Nightmare: Here's some fun trivia: The mirrors on the Bugatti EB110, the McLaren F1, and the TVR Tuscan all come from the VW Corrado. The VR6 engine was introduced in the Corrado in the U.S. and was marketed as the Corrado SLC. It had a spoiler that raised at speed and the VR6 engine produced 180 HP, making it quicker than a 944. Few were sold so the nightmare here is trying to find one and then trying to keep it running without losing your house.


Photo Credit: Tomasz Wagner


7.) BMW E24 M6

Suggested by: Krautwagen

Why It's a Nightmare: Here in the U.S. the E24 M6 produced 30 HP less than in Europe, but we treasure all those 256 catalyzed HP coming from the S38 inline-six. If you want an M6, your only other option is to pick up the current E63 M6, but why would you want that massive whale? It all sounds great and looks amazing, but you didn't consider the cost of maintenance. Now this is a 20+ year old car and BMW's upkeep already costs a first born child. But all will fade away when you're blasting down the road in this German coupe.


Photo Credit: miklosn


6.) Citroën SM

Suggested by: Bazza, Delta Blues Man

Why It's a Nightmare: Quirky French styling? Check. Maserati power? Check. Sportiness and luxury? Check. Six headlights? Check, check, check. The SM is a spectacular looking vehicle, and that's not all show. It featured an extremely low 0.26 coefficient of drag. But it's not without its gremlins. The power assisted steering meant that it was extremely difficult to steer the car at speed and the car's engine was famously unreliable. On top of that, a Citroën specialist was needed to work on the SM and if the engine wasn't maintained, there would certainly be epic engine failure.


Photo Credit: Oliver Wagemann


5.) MG MGB

Suggested by: robertfoster

Why It's a Nightmare: There were many, many MGB roadsters and GTs produced throughout the world, so attaining one of these small, British cars is pretty easy. They're light, nimble, and can be a lot of fun on backcountry roads. However, like many British Leyland produced vehicles, they were not the most reliable cars. You may spend 6 months of the year working on your MGB, preparing to drive it in the summer. In fact, you'll spend more time working on this car after it breaks down than you do driving it. CURSE YOU LUCAS!


Photo Credit: kenjonbro


4.) Jaguar XJS

Suggested by: Baby Benz, or B²

Why It's a Nightmare: The XJS is the successor to the famous, phallic E-type. There are literally hundreds of thousands of these because it was produced for 21 years. Throughout its production run there were several options for engines, but the V12 is what we're looking for. The problem with this coupe is that the V12's electronics were designed by sadists. Drunk sadists. I just need to utter one word: Lucas.


Photo Credit: icebone


3.) Subaru Alcyone SVX

Suggested by: Canuck Chinaman

Why It's a Nightmare: The SVX was Subaru's first attempt at a high-performance car. It came with a 3.3 liter flat-six that could sound like a Porsche and had unusual airplane-inspired styling. But some here believe the SVX is bad luck because it never runs! How often have you seen an SVX driving? In addition to this, the SVX only came in a 4-speed automatic because there was no gearbox at the time to support the SVX's "copious" amounts of power. On top of this, finding parts for the SVX are becoming more and more difficult as the years go by, meaning that maintaining this car is becoming harder and much more expensive.


Photo Credit: AB12


2.) Alfa Romeo GTV6

Suggested by: Jackie

Why It's a Nightmare: There used to be a silver Alfa Romeo GTV6 parked near my apartment. I would see it and pine for it daily. Just look at it! The problem here though is like many of the cars on the list, the cost of maintenance, infamous unreliability, and because it's Italian, it'll probably catch fire.


Photo Credit: David Yan


1.) Lamborghini Miura

Suggested by: stuntdriver

Why It's a Nightmare: This Italian Exotic will definitely catch fire. One of Lamborghini's iconic cars, the Miura is both beautiful and deadly. Mid-engined, V12, and up to 385 HP, the Miura isn't cheap and neither is the car's maintenance. Like many Italian exotics, the car must be serviced very frequently and on time by a Lamborghini specialist. The real nightmares come when you start to smell smoke coming from the rear, so always carry a fire extinguisher because you won't get another Miura from Lamborghini if it catches fire. If you do own a Miura, chances are that none of this worries you because you're too filthy rich to care.

Advertisement