What's The Most Style-Over-Substance Car?

Photo: Hyundai

There are some damn pretty cars out there in the world. Datsun Zs, Toyota 2000GTs, FD Mazda RX-7s — the list goes on and on. But these cars all backed up their looks with performance, combining style with power, handling, and racing prowess. They looked fast, but they also were fast.

Today, we’re talking about the cars that aren’t. All show and no go, the cars that couldn’t back up their looks with any actual capability — on the track, the drag strip, or in the dunes. What’s the most style-over-substance car?

Photo: Hyundai

The obvious answer here is the DeLorean DMC-12, but that’s too easy. For my recommendation, I’m going one step weirder — to the original Giugiaro concept that inspired the DeLorean. The Hyundai Pony Coupe Concept is my pick for a car that’s all style, no substance.

First off, it’s hard for a car to have substance at all when it remained just an auto show concept. The three-door Pony that actually saw the light of day as a production car was so different in appearance from this concept that it almost doesn’t count. Even if it has gone to production exactly as Giugiaro had designed, though, it was still a Hyundai Pony — equipped with a four-cylinder more focused on fuel economy than raw power.

The Pony would never have been a performer, even if it had hit dealers exactly as it hit the auto show floor. But that’s just one example — surely you’ve got another car that comes to mind when you think style over substance. Leave your best recommendations in the comments, and we’ll collect our favorites in a few days. Bonus points for cars that were heroes you met, only to be disappointed.