Many supercars have been launched in recent years, like the Ferrari 488 GTB and the Audi R8 that are future classics. These cars are brilliant and are improved with the knowledge of previous cars that were produced before them. Classic supercars like the Aston Martin Vantage and the Honda NSX are renowned for their performance, speed, and driving levels and can command ridiculous prices for collectors.
However, there are plenty of classic supercars that are quite underrated, especially against better-known and more popular models. This list shows how some of the best supercars are fairly underrated compared to others, with them maybe not being as popular, but they definitely deserve recognition.
10 Lamborghini Espada
The Lamborghini Espada was manufactured from 1968 with the name ‘Espada’ means ‘sword’ in Spanish. Visually, the car is good-looking, and is equipped with a V12 engine makes the Espada quite a powerful car boasting 325 bhp. Even so, with these key proponents, one would expect the Espada to be more popular than it is.
The car has had some problems with rust, and the vehicle isn’t exactly economical in terms of fuel. Also, as the car ages, there have been problems with repair costs being highly expensive. The main issue is that it lived in the shadow of the Miura and could never escape. Lamborghini made plenty of changes to the car during its long tenure, staying in production for a decade. The Espada was a brilliant car, and it should be remembered for its performance and looks, even now.
9 Lamborghini Jalpa
The Lamborghini Jalpa was launched in 1981 boasting an excellent V8 engine. The Jalpa is widely underrated as it sat underneath the iconic Countach. Still, the Jalpa was great to drive and is well worth the Lamborghini badge on the bonnet.
At the same time, the Jalpa isn’t the fastest car in the Lamborghini collection. Even so, the car looks fantastic with styling by Bertone. Billed as the affordable Lamborghini, it will never be the most collectible of supercars but will still command more money than the average person can afford.
8 Ferrari 308 Dino
Ferrari’s 308 Dino was the baby Ferrari that replaced the original Dino. The 308 was released in 1973 and was equipped with 4 whilst also having a mid-mounted V8. Enthusiasts generally enjoyed the car for its good power and decent power.
The car is a good drive and was great at what it could do. Even so, the car is really quite underrated by many. The car’s design is what really let the car’s popularity down, with buyers not being so sure about the wedgy looks and 2+2 layout. There was also the more conventional 308 which was better looking, faster, and had Magnum P.I which made it far more collectible than the Dino.
7 Maserati Merak
The Maserati Merak was launched in 1972. The car was equipped with a V6 engine and was designed similarly to the Bora. The car was made to revival the Porsche 911. There was a later S version that enhanced the horsepower output of the car taking it from being 190 to being over 200.
The Merak just couldn’t live up to its competitors though. Brands like Ferrari and Porsche were doing similar vehicles, but they were doing better. Due to this, the car was never as successful as the competitors, but this doesn’t mean that the car wasn’t a good supercar that can really be enjoyed for what it is. The Merak is underrated, it has a good amount of power and looks brilliant.
6 Lotus Esprit Turbo
The Lotus Esprit Turbo was a great car, known for its acceleration. Also known for its good handling, many enjoyed the Esprit Turbo when it was launched in the 1980s. The 264 bhp was great too, for those who were enthusiastic about the brand, the Turbo edition established something new and fresh. The car was reliable too, and it remains as such today (with proper care).
Yet the car is underrated. Launched around the same time as the Ferrari 308 and later the 348, the price of the Ferrari’s has rocketed in value, but the Esprit has remained fairly cheap simply because it lacks a more premium badge. The car is highly affordable for what it is, with the Esprit remaining to be one of the last affordable supercars.
5 Porsche 911 Turbo (930) – 3.0-liter model
The Porsche 930 was launched in 1975. The car was one of the best produced in the 911 family and was the fastest car in Germany at the time of its launch. The performance of the 930 was brilliant too, which made the car immensely popular among enthusiasts even with its infamous turbo lag. The 930 was also fairly practical and offered a move from the Lamborghini vehicle that was a squeeze to fit in.
The 3.0-liter model however was the least popular version of the 930. The 3.3-liter model offered a bigger and more powerful engine. However, the car is hugely underrated here because the 3.0-liter engine offers more precise handling of the car. The Porsche is a great car in either variant, and the 3.0-liter model deserves to be recognized as being as good as it is.
4 Dome Zero
The Dome Zero was a concept car made by Dome Co. Ltd. The car was never approved by regulators, so remained a singular prototype. Dome created the car to be homologated for LeMans and generally, people loved the car had it been available for purchase.
Its appearance borrowed from the 1970s wedgy looked established by Lamborghini, and the car had competent power capabilities too especially in relation to its weightiness. The car is underrated because sadly the funding just wasn’t there for the car to be made, nor was it able to be produced for racing either.
3 Isdera Imperator
The Isdera Imperator was launched in 1984. The Imperator looks very futuristic and space-like and was equipped with a Mercedes 5-liter V8 engine. The car is not well known, but the car had great levels of performance despite not having a great top speed.
The Imperator is also very rare, as the vehicle was actually born out of an idea by Mercedes but the brand did not want to build the car. So Eberhard Shchulz went on to produce the car himself with a new company named Isdera. Sadly, the car was no match for the competing Lamborghini Countach. In short, the reason this car is underrated is that nobody knows it exists.
2 MVS Venturi
The MVS Venturi was launched in the 1980s, representing France’s attempt at a supercar. The MVS 200 was complete with a V6 engine that reached a mere 200 bhp. The car’s interior was plush and the outside was attractive. At the same time, the MVS was great in terms of weight and agility, even if it wasn’t great in a straight line.
Performance in the MVS may not have been the best, yet the car provides brilliant fun and a great drive for enthusiasts. Despite it not being in the same leagues as Ferrari and other Italian supercar brands, the MVS by Venturi was a fun car that didn’t look too bad either. Again, this car is a great car spoiled by little public knowledge of it.
1 Lister Storm
The Storm, produced by Lister in 1993, was homologated for racing and used a massive 7.0-liter V12 (Jaguar) engine. The Storm was very fast too, with it being one of the fastest cars of the 1990s, this is reflected in the price of the car. In fact, the car could reach 208 mph, a crazy figure for the 1990s.
Sadly though, the Storm wasn’t great in racing. Yes, the handling was good on normal roads, but ultimately, in racing, it wasn’t the competitor that it was planned to be. The racing capabilities of the Storm may not be brilliant, but the car is definitely underrated with its power on the roads. Only three remain on the roads today, which is disappointing for such a brilliant car.
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