Automakers don’t always get it right. Even being in this business, you don’t need to be a professional to tell when an automaker has phoned it in. Some cars are just not good. Sometimes, though, engineers or designers with the right frame of mind who want to do something special will get past the bean counters and get something approved that turns a turd of a car into something memorable.
Take the Dodge Spirit. It was a midsize sedan riding on a variation of Chrysler’s business-saving K-Car platform. Made from 1989 to 1995, the Spirit wasn’t anything special; you got it because it was cheap, fuel efficient and could hold six people. And with power ranging from 100 to 150 horsepower from a naturally aspirated inline-4, a turbocharged inline-4 or a 3.0-liter V6, this thing wasn’t winning any stoplight races, either.
Then, in 1991, Dodge introduced the Spirit R/T, which had a turbocharged 2.2-liter engine with a Lotus-designed head that produced 224 horsepower. Paired with a five-speed manual, this forgettable midsize sedan became the fastest American-made sedan and one of the fastest sedans under $40,000 at the time; independent testing showed it could hit 60 mph in just under six seconds. Chrysler even had the gall to say it was better performing than the BMW M5 at the time.
Now we ask you, Jalopnik reader. Reach down into your deep knowledge of automotive history and think, what’s the best version of a bad car? Let us know in the comments.