Sports car interiors should never make buyers regret spending so much money on a car, but these manufacturers never got that memo.
Automakers are making more conscious efforts on improving the aesthetics of their cars every day. Modern cars come with tons of high-quality interior accessories and technologies, with manufacturers paying attention to the tiniest details. But now and then, you may come across cars where the cabin is more or less like an afterthought to the manufacturer. Some sports carmakers tend to sacrifice comfort for performance, which is quite understandable, but it wouldn't hurt if customers can have both.
Related: Ranking The Ugliest Sports Car Interiors Of The '90s
To reduce the curb weight of sports cars, automakers may discard everything that seems dispensable, such as the padding in the door panels and headliners. This results in a fast car that's could be annoying to drive. The interior design of a car is as equally important as the exterior because as long as you are driving you will be inside the car. In this piece, we travel back to the 2000s to bring you a list of those sports cars wherein manufacturers prioritized everything else above interior design.
The Qvale Mangusta has the body of an Italian sports car and the soul of America's Ford Mustang. When it comes to power, speed, and looks, Qvale got it right with the Mangusta, which has a retractable hardtop body style. The 320-HP 4.6-liter DOHC V8 works with a 5-speed manual transmission.
On the inside, the Mangusta needed a little more work, especially in areas like the side glass, which doesn't go all the way down—a really poor design for a convertible. Also, slipping in and out of the Mangusta can be tricky, with the narrow space between the door, steering, brake, and driver's seat. While the Mangusta promises high performance, it's not so practical.
The Aston Martin DB7 runs on a modified Jaguar XJS platform and is available in coupe and convertible forms. Just like BMW's M cars, Aston Martin's "Vantage" moniker represents the most powerful and fastest model in the British automaker's lineup.
For the interior, the sumptuous Connolly leather and walnut wood trim deserve some credit, but Aston Martin kind of cheapens the luxury grand tourer with Ford-sourced switchgear. The cramped front seats make the DB7 Vantage not ideal for over 6-feet-tall drivers and passengers. What's more, only children can sit comfortably in the rear seats.
The Prowler began life as a Plymouth in 1997, producing 8,532 units before it was phased out in 2000, and re-emerged the following year as Chrysler. Not many people know the Chrysler-branded examples of the Prowler and that might be due to the release of only 3,170 units from 2001 to 2002.
The 2002 Chrysler Prowler offers limited suspension travel, which results in a harsh ride when it encounters large bumps. The narrow doorways and “bathtub” seating position tell you that the '02 Prowler is not very comfortable. There's barely even any cargo room to accommodate a briefcase, so the two-door roadster is not exactly ideal for extended trips.
Related: 10 Things Most People Forgot About The Plymouth Prowler
The Nissan 350Z was introduced in 2002 as a replacement for the 300ZX and comes as a two-seat coupe or roadster. The 350Z's performance is strong, putting out 287 hp and 274 lb-ft of torque from the 3.5-liter V6 engine. But the interior is not exactly comfortable for weekend trips.
Owners of the 2003 Nissan 350Z have expressed worries about several interior accessories like the driver seat, which shifts when cornering. Also, the navigation system cover might get stuck sometimes. The cramped interior would be quite uncomfortable for occupants well over six feet.
Even though the Grand Prix came fully redesigned for 2004, it was still a mediocre car. Owners not only have to grapple with interior accessory problems but also with parts like the engine, body, and exhaust. No one wants a sedan with stiff ride quality and a cramped interior, but that's what the '04 Grand Prix offers.
Owners of the Grand Prix have filed complaints about insufficient headroom/legroom, intermittent door locks, radio/speaker malfunction, worn-out seats, and a cracked dashboard.
Related: The Best And Worst Pontiac Grand Prix' Ever Made
The Porsche 911 has become a poster child for performance and one of the most loved sports cars on the planet. But regardless of its illustrious history, one generation of the 911 has been widely considered subpar and that's the 996 generation, which was produced from 1997 to 2004.
Although fantastic to drive, the 996 generation suffered from some cheap interior components, such as the power window switches, the dash vents and the illuminated visor mirrors. Another thing you might find off-putting is the somewhat rubbery feel of the gear selector. Also, with no traction control or safety control, you need to be vigilant as the Porsche 996 GT3 is very quick.
The Dodge Viper is a head-turner on the streets and a monster on the track. Despite the refinements Dodge gave the Viper, it still had virtually no manners. The Viper is that car you get out of after driving for less than 30 minutes, feeling as if you had just ridden an uncooperative horse.
The Viper's dash looks and feels especially low-grade with its abundance of hard plastic and a set of climate controls that look as if they were borrowed from a Neon. If you live in a hot region, we must warn you that the door sills can get really heated up and burn you if you are not very careful. Also, there's no storage of any kind behind the seats.
Related: 2003-2006 Dodge Viper: Costs, Facts, And Figures
The TVR Sagaris is a rare British sports car loved particularly for its punchy Tuscan inline-6 engine that puts out 400 horsepower. While the exterior grabs your attention immediately, the interior doesn't exactly scream "come inside!".
For a sports car that hits 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, driving the '05 TVR Sagaris, which has no airbag, traction control or ABS is a test of courage. The TVR Sagaris is not exactly intuitive, as there are no knobs or switches on the doors and the position of the lights and heater controls might take a while to get used to.
Peter Akpejeluh is a content writer with years of experience in the automotive industry. His love for cars makes crafting colorful stories around them quite effortless. When Peter is not developing automotive content, you can find him taking one of his favorite cars for a spin.