From BMW to luxury McLaren: top 5 cars that lasted only a year on the market

Even giants and unquestioned authorities fail. And who better to know about this than car manufacturers.

Almost every brand has a model in its history that lasted barely a year on sale. And this has happened even with quite successful models. Autocar magazine has written about the latest models that failed to gain a foothold in the American market. However, not all of them were really unsuccessful.

BMW 1M (2011)

The BMW 1 Series M Coupe, or 1M for short, was both a special and ingenious idea. As the M3 became bigger and more prestigious, the brand had the opportunity to create a more affordable, nimble car from the M division. The development was equipped with a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine with 335 horsepower, mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The M1 accelerated to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, and its top speed was 250 km/h. Sporting alloy wheels from the M3 CSL and wheel arches tailored to the body size, the model exuded aggression and determination. The car instantly became a modern classic, but disappeared from car dealerships as quickly as it entered them.

Coda EV (2012)

Investors blindly threw hundreds of millions of dollars at California-based car startup Coda to help it build a mass-market electric car. However, those who funded the creation of the "Tesla killer" were sorely disappointed. The first car of the Coda brand, which was never given a name, was based on the Chinese Hafei Saibao, which, in turn, was based on the architecture of the Mitsubishi Lancer of the late 1990s. Coda began selling cars in California in March 2012, and in May 2013, it declared bankruptcy. During its short existence, it managed to sell 117 cars. Each of them had to have its airbag replaced at the manufacturer's expense.

BMW M3 CS (2018)

Sales of the BMW M3 CS, based on the F80 generation of the powerful German sedan, lasted for about a year in the United States. That's because the brand built only 1200 of these cars. What made the CS so special compared to the standard M3 sedan was the engine, which was boosted to 453 hp and 600 newton meters of torque. The maximum speed of the car was 280 km/h and it accelerated to "hundreds" in 3.9 seconds. The body was lightened by 45 kg due to carbon fiber parts and thinner door glass. And yet the M3 CS remained a practical everyday four-door sedan with a good trunk. It is clear that such a treasure was sold out of showrooms almost instantly.

Volkswagen Passat GT (2018)

In the late decades, Volkswagen tried to spice up the mundane Passat lineup by introducing a GT model at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show. The GT designation indicated the presence of a VR6 engine under the hood, body kits and styling elements that brought the mid-range car closer to the GTI sports version. These elements include, for example, red accents on the grille. And in the 2019 model year, Volkswagen decided to simplify the Passat lineup. For example, the brand has abandoned the six-cylinder engine in the Passat.

McLaren Elva (2021)

Elva was a limited edition supercar from the British sports car brand McLaren. This is the fifth iteration of the iconic model, which complements the lineup of such legendary supercars as F1, P1, Senna, and Speedtail. The 2021 Elva resembled a racing car as much as possible. In the basic configuration (if it can be called that), it did not even have a windshield, but it could be added later. The car's character was provided by a 4.0-liter V8 with an output of 815 hp - essentially the same unit as the Senna and Speedtail. The $1.7 million model was available in the United States for only one model year.

Subscribe to the OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events.