5 of the Most Grossly Underrated Sports Cars From the 2000s

Designed with an emphasis on performance, sports cars have been delivering an exciting driving experience to those passionate about driving ever since the early days of the automobile.

As decades passed, these kinds of cars kept getting better and better, enhancing the driving experience and transforming countless people into lifelong car enthusiasts.

The first decade of the 21st century continued on the same path as manufacturers introduced more sophisticated sports cars that, in some cases, blurred the lines between a thoroughbred racing machine and a street-legal model.

But while models like the Bugatti Veyron, Porsche Carrera GT, Enzo Ferrari (yes, that was the car's official name), Lamborghini Murciélago, or Ford GT became legends, a large number of terrific yet less exotic sports were conceived during that decade.

Of those, some continued to be grossly underrated, and in this article, we're going to focus on five that were a lot better than people perceived them.

2000–2007 Toyota MR2

When one thinks of a terrific Toyota sports car from the 2000s, the A80 Supra springs to mind. While there's no question that the fourth-generation Supra, produced until 2003, was a legend, it was not the only great sports car that the Japanese carmaker developed during the 2000s.

After the 1999 model year ended, the second generation of Toyota's small, mid-engine MR2 was discontinued and replaced with a comprehensively redesigned version.

Codenamed W30, the new MR2 caused a debate with its new styling. While its predecessor was dubbed "Baby Ferrari", the latest iteration was deemed a cheap Porsche Boxster rip-off by some enthusiasts.

Design controversy aside, the small mid-engine convertible proved to be far better than it looked.

Powered by a 1.8-liter inline-four rated at 138 hp, the 2,195-pound (996 kg) RWD two-seater was by no means fast, but it handled impeccably well thanks to its suspension tuning and a mid-mounted engine.

Many owners opted to swap the stock engine for the Celica's 180 hp+ 2ZZ-GE, which had a much higher tunning potential and turned the MR2 into a veritable giant slayer.

1999-2006 Toyota Celica

Apart from the A8 Supra and W30 MR2, Toyota's sports car lineup in the 2000s also featured the T230 Celica.

Unlike most of its rally-bred predecessors, the seventh-gen version of the Japanese brand's legendary model was not available with a 4WD system, which is a major reason why it never got the credit it deserves.

A four-seat coupe with a far more pleasing design than the MR2, the FWD sports car was available worldwide with two main engines.

The first was the economical, yet underpowered 1.8-liter 1ZZ-FE that was shared with the W30 MR2, while the second, more performance-oriented inline-four was the famed 2ZZ-GE, which was developed in collaboration with Yamaha.

Though it made between 180 and 200 hp, depending on the model version and market, this bombproof 1.8-liter gave the Celica the required power to deliver an exciting driving experience.

Furthermore, it handled very well, it was tuner-friendly, and its internals could accommodate a supercharger, which was easy to install.

2004 Vauxhall VXR220

For the 2001 model year, GM Europe teamed up with Lotus to create a mid-engine two-seater that was marketed as Opel Speedster in mainland Europe and Vauxhall VX200 in the UK.

A fiberglass-bodied roadster that weighed 1,918 pounds (870 kg), the Speedster/V220 was built by Lotus on an advanced aluminum chassis borrowed from its Series 2 Elise.

While it gained praise for its design and near-flawless handling, the model fell short in terms of performance since it was initially powered by a 2.2-liter Ecotec Z22SE inline-four that made a modest 145 hp.

Thankfully, GM addressed this issue in 2003 by adding a turbocharged Z20LET four that made 200 hp.

Nevertheless, the most spectacular version of the roadster came in 2004 when the limited-edition, track-focused Vauxhall VXR220 was introduced.

Available only in Calypso Red with black accents, the VXR220 received several upgrades, including a 220-hp version of the turbo engine, better brakes, and firmer Bilstein coilovers.

Able to sprint from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in 4.2 seconds, the limited-edition model was fast but also extremely nimble, delivering a pure, analog driving experience, like the Lotus it was underneath the Vauxhall body.

Unfortunately, the VXR220 was only produced in 65 units, all sold in the UK, which is why many sports car enthusiasts have never heard about it.

2005-2006 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6

During the first years of the 2000s, Chrysler was owned by Mercedes-Benz, with which it formed the DaimlerChrysler.

During those years, several Chrysler models benefited from Mercedes hardware, and one of the most interesting examples was the Crossfire.

Built on the backbones of the R170 SLK, the two-seat coupe or roadster roadster featured a different (and uglier) body, but it was built in Germany and was powered by a Mercedes 215-hp M112 naturally aspirated V6.

The German Chrysler wasn't particularly successful and only lasted on the market from 2004–2008, but that didn't mean it wasn't a great sports car.

In fact, it was a terrific one, particularly in SRT-6 guise. Available only during the 2005 and 2006 model years, the high-performance SRT-6 received several visual and mechanical upgrades, including a supercharged version of the engine.

Originally built by AMG for the SLK 32 AMG, the supercharged 3.2-liter developed 330 hp and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque, allowing the car to accelerate to 60 mph (97 kph) from a standstill in 4.8 seconds.

2004-2006 Pontiac GTO

For muscle car enthusiasts, the GTO moniker is synonymous with the iconic model that kicked off the horsepower wars in 1964.

Until the era of muscle drew to an end, the first two generations of the GTO were among the greatest high-performance intermediates ever built.

After becoming an underwhelming Chevy Nova-based compact in 1974, the GTO was discontinued, and although fans were hoping it would make a comeback, that didn't happen until 2004.

However, GTO fans were initially disappointed that, rather than getting a modern American-built muscle car, they got a re-badged version of the third-generation Holden Monaro from Down Under.

Assembled in Australia alongside the Monaro, the 21st-century GTO thankfully didn't come with its sibling's standard V6, which was a good sign. Instead, it was initially powered by a 5.7-liter LS1 that made a GTO-worthy 350 hp.

Things got even better a year later when the LS1 was replaced by the new 6.0-liter LS2, which upped performance to 400 hp and allowed the GTO to run the quarter mile in the mid-13-second range.

While straight-line performance was worthy of the legendary nameplate, the modern reincarnation did something that its muscle car ancestors couldn't do: handle surprisingly well through tight corners.