Get Hotcars Premium. Start your free trial today

These highly revered Italian sports cars aren’t completely as amazing as they're portrayed.

Italians and sports cars. A dream combination that conjures images of awesome performance and stunningly beautiful good looks.

Unfortunately, not all of them are good. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, and no doubt countless others have at least one black mark against their names they would prefer gearheads had forgotten. First up, Ferrari and the famous prancing horse logo adorning the nose of every Maranello creation since Enzo Ferrari set-up shop in 1939. The mere mention of Ferrari 400s, 348s, or the Mondial is enough to make Italians weep into their cappuccinos.

Moving on to Maserati, any gearhead old to remember the original Bi-Turbo from 1981 will recount the countless tales of woe surrounding poor build and reliability. Maserati at the time strapped for cash, chose to ignore the issues and continued churning out more of the same, thereby tarnishing the Trident logo's heritage.

It's fair to say Italy produces awesome sports cars. Some, however, aren't as good as gearheads think.

Related: 10 Cheap Cars That Produce A Ton Of Horsepower

Ferraris premium production model in the '80s. The Testarossa found fame on screen, in TV shows, movies, and even at the hands of gamers. At the time, Ferrari reserved its V12 engines for its wealthiest clients and premium models. Initially shipped with a 365 hp 4.9-liter flat-twelve, the Ferrari didn't disappoint.

As impressive as these numbers are, the Testarossa was a one trick pony. Too heavy and bulky to be anything other than a straight line speed machine, when faced with a bend or two, it's bloated mass quickly revealed its flaws.

The Countach, another '80s icon that promised more than it could deliver. For sheer drama nothing came close to Bertones razor sharp wedge styling, in its earliest form devoid of wings. However, Lamborghini couldn't resist turning up the wow factor, adding wings, vents and ducts that made the Countach draggier and slower over time.

In a heartbeat, any gearhead would buy one on looks alone. Sadly, the driving experience isn't as enjoyable. Despite space-age styling and a sonorous mid-mounted V12 engine, the Countach is more agricultural than you'd think. Heavy controls including steering, brakes, clutch, and gearshifts make this one a dream car to avoid.

RELATED: 1974-1990 Lamborghini Countach: Coats, Facts, And Figures

World Rally star turned road going rocket, the Lancia Stratos was near unbeatable on any surface. A large part of the Stratos success came down to a short wheelbase bestowing the two-seater sports car with lightning-fast handling. It was quick too, reaching 60 mph in six seconds, thanks to Ferraris Dino 2.4-liter V6 putting down 190 hp.

Designed for competition use with professional drivers in mind is where the Stratos begins to unravel. Any gearhead with less than cat-like reflexes in tricky driving conditions could easily find themselves pointing in the wrong direction. Throw into the mix the odd misaligned driving position and the Stratos looks a lot less attractive.

Multi-award winning, the Alfa Romeo 4C is a modern classic in the making. Designed in house and revealed to the press at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, Alfa Romeos return to sports car production looked assured for the future. However, seven years and 9117 cars later, Alfa Romeo ended production.

A lack of sales success wasn't due to any design or engineering shortcoming. Alfa designers using the latest in carbon fiber construction techniques paired with a turbocharged engine and rear drive platform. The problem for Alfa Romeo came down to how the 4C felt. Sure, it was fast and agile, but a little too bland to be taken seriously.

The Maserati name is often associated with gorgeous sports cars, if not always for the right reasons. In 2007, Maserati gave gearheads the GranTurismo, a proper sports car worthy of the Trident badge. Under the curvaceous elongated hood Ferrari/Maserati co-developed V8 engines kicked out 399 hp powering the GranTursimo 178 mph.

Evocative looks and performance aside, the GranTurismo is not a sports car worth taking a risk on. Maserati is a regular among the least reliable car brands on sale today. The GranTursimo is known for its brake, clutch, suspension, and electrical issues.

RELATED: Maserati GranTurismo: Costs, Facts, And Figures

The Guara is one of two De Tomasos that failed to deliver. Launched in 1994, the Guara appeared in Roadster, Coupe, and Barchetta body styles, amounting to 52 cars in total. Taking heed of earlier lessons learned in construction techniques, De Tomaso chose a mixture of aluminum for the chassis topped with a mix of Kevlar and fiberglass.

Keeping the Guara planted was a modern independent suspension set-up inspired by F1 technology. Originally planned for Ford power the Guara instead made use of BMWs M60 4-liter V8 putting down 280 hp. However, in place of modern brakes and steering, De Tomaso specified weight-saving unassisted items making the Guara a tiresome driving experience.

Taking aim at Lamborghinis Diablo and not quite succeeding the Cizeta Moroder is a prime example of more is not always better. As the name suggests, the Moroder packs a V16 engine or more accurately, two Lamborghini V8s joined on a common crank-shaft. Already the Cizeta seems like overkill compared to a Diablo.

Overkill in the engine bay didn't yield superior performance. At best, with an additional 60 hp on tap, the Cizeta would edge the Diablo by five tenths to 60 mph. Unsurprisingly, the V16T never came close to selling in large numbers. The Diablo was just as quick and cost half the price.

The Jalpa joins the ranks of other, cheaper, more user-friendly Lamborghinis. Smaller, lighter, and cheaper, the Jalpa should have been a huge success if it had not been for gearheads infatuation with its bigger V12-engined Countach sibling. Unfortunately, Lamborghini got its sums all wrong: by fitting the Jalpa with an underpowered 3.5-liter V8 engine.

However, it's the subdued Bertone styling that disappoints most. Scaled down and softened, the Jalpa lacks Lamborghinis famed wow factor that the Raging Bull had become famous for. The Jalpa understandably didn't survive. Production ended in 1988 with numbers sold totaling 410 cars.

RELATED: This Is Why Lamborghini Jalpa Is the Most Forgotten Sports Car Of the '80s

The Pantera is one of several American V8-powered European sports cars from the '70s. Designed by Tom Tjaarda (Ghia) and Marcello Gandini the Pantera was De Tomasos first steel monocoque based sports car. The switch to a steel monocoque chassis wasn't without its problems with corrosion and cracks plaguing production.

If structural problems aren't enough to dissuade gearheads, the Panteras other common trait might be. Tucked away behind the cockpit with little in the way of cooling, Fords otherwise dependable Cleveland V8 more often than not would overheat. Understandably Ford pulled the Pantera from its Lincoln-Mercury dealers in 1975.

The Ferrari F40 is sure to be a controversial inclusion here. Launched in response to Porsche's 959 supercar, Enzo Ferrari himself signed off on what was at the time Ferraris most powerful and expensive model at the time. The F40s sole purpose was to outshine Porsche's 959 in terms of both speed and power.

More powerful with a 2.9-liter V8 twin-turbocharged V8 kicking out a laggy 479 hp, the F40 set a maximum speed record of 201 mph. But world-beating performance with or without bucket loads of turbo lag came with another compromise. Pared back to the minimum, the F40 did away with anything remotely luxurious on the inside in order to save weight.

Raised in a car-obsessed environment from an early age ensured a keen interest in anything car-related. first and foremost an F1 fan, but also an avid follower of other motorsports. Professional background working closely with a well established UK based Supercar manufacturer in recent years.