There’s certainly no shortage of performance cars nowadays. However, there also are lots of models that should have sportier variants, but don’t.
Many automakers have vehicles in their lineups that look great, have plenty of standard equipment and have decent power outputs, and likely would require only a little tuning to make them really exciting. But in many cases, they never get the TLC they deserve.
We made a list of five sedans and hatchbacks that we would love to see performance-oriented versions of:
Hyundai Veloster
Photo via Hyundai
The base model Veloster is one of the sportier-looking cars you’ll find without climbing up the price ladder. Unfortunately, though, with just 132 horsepower it doesn’t pack much of a punch. Even the Veloster Turbo’s power output only gets a moderate increase to 201 horsepower.
To compete with the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Ford Focus ST, a performance Veloster ideally would produce around 250 horsepower. Thankfully there’s hope for such a car, as Hyundai’s new N division reportedly is working on one, though we’re not sure if it will come to the United States.
Toyota Corolla iM
Photo via Toyota
We’re still not crazy about the iM’s front end, but it is growing on us. A sportier model likely would make us like it even more, as it would have a larger front grille to take in more air. But chances are Toyota won’t make a hot iM, and if it does, we probably won’t see it stateside.
Nissan Altima
Photo via Nissan
Nissan has improved the Altima’s appearance with each generation, and the current version essentially looks like the previous-generation Maxima. Plus, the Midnight Edition (pictured) already looks like it should be sportier than it is. The good news is, with Nissan pledging to make a lot more NISMO models, this could become a reality.
Mazda 3
Photo via Mazda
When Mazda launched the current generation 3, it point-blank said it won’t make a Mazdaspeed 3 like it did with the previous version. We frankly can’t understand why, considering this is the same manufacturer whose tagline is “zoom, zoom, zoom.”
Volkswagen Passat
Photo via Volkswagen
Volkswagen got us all excited when it said it was considering putting the Passat GT concept (pictured) into production to help rebuild the company’s image. We haven’t heard anything about the car since, though, which is a shame, as we know from the Golf GTI that VW knows how to make a fun front-wheel-drive vehicle.
Thumbnail photo via Nissan
