There is nothing better than being behind the wheel of an outstanding performance car—the power that can be harnessed with the slight push of a pedal, the G-force corners that can press the most eager driver into the door. The best is watching the competition fade into the distance through the rearview mirror. Nothing compares to the adrenaline rush of a fast, performance-oriented car.
There are a ton of these cars on the market today. As each year ticks off, new rides are flaunted in front of us. It is easy to forget about some of the performance cars that have come and gone. Some of them were great, some of them just good, but the 2000s have had plenty of cool cars for everyone to enjoy, for a time, anyway…
Once we got behind the steering wheel of a newer version of a sports car, the older one faded into history. It is about time that some of them were reintroduced to us all, so here we go. And remember, these performance cars can still be found lying around if looked for.
10 Saab 9-5 Aero
The Saab 9-5 was designed to be a performance car that could satisfy our thirst for speed. The car came with many engine and drivetrain options, with the best being the V6 utilizing an asymmetrical low-pressure turbocharger. This car only came with an automatic transmission and can easily be distinguished from its siblings by the dual exhaust pipes coming out from the rear.
The 9-5 was an innovative car in many ways. The turbocharger mentioned above was the first of its kind. It was also the first production car to offer ventilated seats. Safety was also a big concern for the company. Saab introduced the SAHR system (Saab’s Active Head Restraint System), which would force the head restraints to move up and forward in the case of a crash. This system received the honor of being awarded technology and safety awards in many countries. This system was designed to decrease the number of whiplash cases that were involved during traffic accidents.
9 Pontiac Solstice GXP
The Pontiac Solstice GXP is one of those cars that was known about, or that had never been heard of. It is a convertible topped two-seat roadster that manages very well around the curves and twists. The turbo inline four-cylinder accelerates extremely well, putting up numbers such as 5.6 seconds to 60 mph from a standstill. The quarter-mile is pushed out within 14.2 seconds with a finishing speed of 98 mph.
As can be surmised by the type of car it is, the roadster handles exceptionally well on the highway. The performance car is rated at 20 mpg in the city and 28m pg on the highway, which gives an enjoyable ride without having to stop at every gas station passed. The 2.4L engine sounds like it struggles to get the car up to speed, but once it has gone through a few gears the motor sounds more capable. It is an uncomplicated design flaw that ended the life of this car prematurely.
8 Volkswagen R32
The Volkswagen R32 is a car that was produced for one year and is based on the GTI models that we all love to drive. The major difference with the R32, when compared to its siblings, is power. This car received 3.2-liter narrow-angle six-cylinder that can push out 240 horses when the RPM curve is at 6250. The high revolutions limit makes it possible for this car to scream down the road, which is accented by the twin exhausts spewing out the back.
The Haldex all-wheel-drive system makes this car one that is able to handle any type of terrain or weather. Many performance cars are not made for snow and ice, but this car can propel you down the road easily gripping the slick roads if the correct tires are installed. On dry pavement, the R32 can grip corners at high speeds and can accelerate to 60 from 0 in a matter of 4.6 seconds. Not bad for a hot hatch made in the early years of this century.
7 BMW M3 E46
Since 1986, every generation of the series 3 BMW has had an M3 version produced. The “M” badge signifies that the car is a top sports version of the generation, as track-ready as it possibly could be. The standard BMW S54 engine is installed under the hood, which is their state-of-the-art 3.2L V6. It can push out 343 hp and has 269 lb-ft of torque.
A new feature on the S54 engine is how the throttle bodies work. Most M series motors have a throttle body for each cylinder. The engine for this generation has an electronic throttle control for each of them, making the engine more responsive and better performing. The BMW M3 E46 can rocket down the quarter-mile track in 14 seconds with a speed ending at 113 mph. The 0 to 60 times varied depending on the trim and the driver, but it averaged around four and a half seconds, with an overall top speed of 174 mph. It is a fast performance car filled with all the luxuries that would be expected out of a BMW.
6 Honda S2000
The Honda S2000 is a two-door roadster that was designed and produced to celebrate Honda’s 50th anniversary. The sports car was unique at the time because it offered two horsepower per cubic inch, which gave it the honor of having the highest number of horses per cylinder for a production sports car that was naturally aspirated. The 2.0L inline four-cylinder was loud and not overly powerful…until the RPM reached 6000 and VTEC kicked in. From then, up to the redline point of 9000 RPM, the car shows why it is a sports car that deserves a second look.
In 2004 the S2000 went through some changes that improved the handling of the car, making it a sports car with a purpose. The suspension was improved upon, bigger wheels to help with oversteer problems, changes to the shocks to allow stabilizing during hard corners, and some cosmetic looks to make it look more appealing.
The engine and drivetrain stayed the same for another two years when it was upgraded to a 2.2L inline-four that offered 239 hp, but it dropped the redline limits down by 800 rpms. It made the engine-less noisy when on the low end of the rpm curve, but less responsive on the high end.
5 Dodge Neon SRT-4
Tom Gale, who was the current Vice President of Development and Design for Chrysler, went to a car show in ’98 and decided that they needed a model to compete with all the other small sports cars. A team was put on the task, but they ran into some complications along the way. It took two separate designing teams a total of four years to go from an idea to a concept car to a car that could be mass-produced at an acceptable cost.
The Dodge Neon SRT-4 ended up with a turbocharged 2.4L inline four-cylinder, which is identical to the engine used in the PT Cruiser. The small car was able to obtain a top speed of 153 mph and could shoot through the quarter-mile in under 14.2 seconds. The 0 to 60 times were just as impressive, reaching the mark in 5.6 seconds. It was marketed as a sports car in an entry-level price range, which it was, and still is. It appealed to the power tuners at the time but since has been lost during the overwhelming amounts of foreign cars brought into the country that has been designed for the same purpose.
4 Dodge Magnum SRT-8
Nobody would ever expect that a station wagon could be a performance car that could run with the big dog muscle cars from the past, but the Dodge Magnum SRT-8 could. The car came with a 6.1L Hemi that could pound out an impressive 425 horsepower. All in the guise of a station wagon that could comfortably hold five people and haul a load in the back.
What is so impressive about this wagon is that it could put up times on the track that could rival cars built solely for speed. It could achieve 60 mph from a dead stop in 5.1 seconds, and it could thunder down the quarter-mile strip in 13.6 seconds. Who would have thought that this style of vehicle would be able to keep up with a Porsche 911 produced in the same year? But it could. The times posted leave the Magnum just .1 second behind, so with the right driver, it could easily take the race.
3 Spyker C8
The Spyker C8 is a Dutch-made car that has variations that are street-legal versions of their race car. Depending on the year, the car came with a 4.0L or a 4.2L, both produced by Audi. The later year 4.2L had twin turbos or a supercharger added onto the already beefy engine. The unfortunate aspect of these sports cars is that not many were made, which makes it easy for gearheads to forget them.
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Once again depending upon the year, and the type, the engine could push the car from a dead stop to 60 mph in under 4.5 seconds, and the quarter-mile track could be eaten up in a matter of 14 seconds. These numbers are actually very conservative when checking around because some sites list these times as being much faster, as in the mid to low 3 seconds to reach 60 mph. No matter, though, what needs to be remembered is that this car is rare, but it is one that needs to be checked out whenever possible.
2 Cadillac XLR-V
The Cadillac XLR was another sports car that was designed with luxury in mind. It came out as a convertible roadster that would compete with the foreign cars flooding the market. It came from the Y platform manufactured by GM, making its roots right next to the Corvette of the time period. In 2004 the XLR was nominated for the North American Car of the Year award, being that it was a combination of power, handling, and luxury.
The V series of the Cadillac was the high-performance car version of the XLR. It came with a turbo-charged 4.4L Northstar V8 that could pound out 443hp. When put to the test on the track it was clocked at a top speed of 155mph, achieving 0 to 60 within 4.9 seconds. From a complete stop, the quarter-mile track could be driven through in 13 seconds, reaching up to 109 miles per hour in the process. The Cadillac XLR-V was put to bed in 2009, making this a performance car that needs to be re-introduced to consumers of all ages.
1 Saturn Sky
The Saturn Sky is a GM car that took off where the Solstice left off, but much more normal in design. The Sky also made some upgrades to the exhaust, making it quieter and more likened to a sports car. The suspension improvements allow the car to hold the road better throughout corners and decrease the impact of bumps found on all roads throughout the nation.
The base model Saturn Sky had decent acceleration and performance but paled in comparison to the Red Line version that was produced starting in 2006. The 2.0L engine was smaller than the standard version, but it produced substantially more power due to the turbocharger that was added to it. 260 horses left the engine, along with a ground-pounding torque of 260 lb-ft. When let loose on the track, it could rocket through the quarter-mile in 14.5 seconds and from 0 to 60 in under 5.2 seconds. It was a sports car built for handling and performance, which had its production cut short in 2010.
Final Thoughts
It is a shame that so many performance cars get lost in the past as newer, more fuel-efficient versions get pushed onto the market. There are so many generations that no longer get the attention that they deserve. True gearheads and enthusiasts will probably recognize many of the cars mentioned and may think that it is silly to say that any of them have been forgotten.
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The truth is, though, that they have become a slight thought in the back of most of our minds. The 2000s had some great cars that have either been replaced or discontinued because the trends in manufacturing have started shifting. Whether they have ever been heard of or not, it is about time that we all get reacquainted with all the great cars of the decade.
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