What Car Never Delivered On Your Expectations?

Photo: Toyota

When the Toyota Supra returned for its fifth generation, the Supra fandom split like Pangea. Factions broke off along fault lines, with some hailing the return as a watershed moment for the mythical Toyota and others saying the Japanese sports car was little more than a rebadged BMW Z4. It’s been four years since the GR Supra was unveiled, believe it or not, but it’s still shunned by those who felt let down by the A90, and, later, by the A91. I want to know what other cars never delivered on your expectations?

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I’m thinking of models that may have represented something new and hopeful for faithful fans, only to fall short of expectations in some way. Think of models like the latest Land Rover Defender, which was an attempt to refine the SUV, when, really, it didn’t seem like stalwart fans had ever asked for the rough and tumble rover to play dress up. Or models like the C8 Corvette, which has been the subject of much debate over where it ranks among the best or worst ’Vettes.

To be clear, I’m firmly on the side of the GR Supra. In fact, the Supra might be one of the few cars in the world I would seriously consider owning or (GASP) even selling off my beloved BMW for. To me, the GR Supra seems like the best of both worlds: the soul of a BMW and the reliability of a Toyota. What more can I ask for than a glorious inline-six in the engine bay of a car that will last? Well, at least, without requiring me to resort to arcane rituals or subjecting me to hand scars from wrestling with flimsy door panels and broken regulators.

Try as it might, Toyota just couldn’t win over all fans of the Supra. It’s not for lack of trying; Toyota has updated the GR Supra since release, even adding the one thing enthusiast’s clamored for: a manual transmission. And, yet, the fifth-generation Supra hasn’t been the watershed moment that, say, the latest Lexus GX seems to be. That is, the GR Supra hasn’t been widely hailed as living up to and exceeding the expectations of its fanbase. What other car just never seemed able to deliver on those expectations?