Top 10 Worst Facelifts and Redesigns

Many cars get redesigned, but not always in a good way.
Hey crowd, I’m Styp and welcome to TopCars TV where I list 10 cars with the worst facelifts ever done.

For this list, I name the worst offenders of the metal surgery. Design updates that ruined perfectly good cars, new regulations that saved our lives but left us blind, and corporate faces we would rather face away, it’s all in here. So let’s go!

10 - McLaren 650S

Let’s be real here, the 650S is not a different model, it’s just a dramatically updated MP4-12C. It is faster, more emotional, easier to pronounce, and… uglier. As if the old and boring looking car, had an inbred baby with its bigger mental brother, the P1.

The front end was stretched up and down like a chewing gum you had in your mouth during the sleep. The rear bumper is supposed to be multi-layered play with negative spaces like on P1, but it wasn’t negative at all, just painted black at places, and the whole thing is out of sync with the rest of the lines. It looks ‘tarded.

There is a reason why incest is illegal.

9 - Honda NSX

2002 redesigned NSX is not bad looking by any standards, I mean, it is still an NSX which I think is the prettiest Japanese car ever made; sorry Toyota GT2000. However, these few changes that were done definitively knackered its perfection.

Gone are the fan favorite, pedestrian gutting, pop-up headlights, for the safe and modern, somewhat bug-eyed ones. They pulled the focus too far up from its sharp nose.

And together with a new and chunky bumper, the sharpness was all but gone. The old one used to continue lines down from the hood and had a bit of shark angle to it while stretching a lot of horizontal lines that made it look lower and wider. This new one…. looks like mayonnaise.

8 - Lamborghini Gallardo

Gallardo was at its time - the best-selling Lamborghini EVER! OKAY?! 14.000 units sold! That’s no small feat, so Lambo really took their time preparing its successor – the Huracan. So much time in fact that they had to keep the buyers interested with a gazillion limited special editions that no one has asked for. In its later years, Gallardo was trying so hard to stay relevant, it reminded me of Britney Spears.

Everyone just wanted the new Huracan, and then when it seemed that the wait was over – we got yet another redesign of vanilla Gallardo, this time inspired by the prismatic Aventador.

It was unnecessary, not as pretty as the regular LP560, and it made us wait for yet another year. Buy me baby one more time… NO!

7 - Skoda Octavia

Skoda Octavia is the most boring car in the world. Looks alone have put more children to sleep than a freaking lullaby! Just look at it: it’s like they used a traffic sign for inspiration.

There is absolutely nothing exciting about it – which is great if you are the sort of person who doesn’t want to stand out or simply wants to go unnoticed. You know: smart criminals, spies, businessmen, Matthew Perry… those guys…

But the cover was all blown when Skoda introduced a redesign with the split headlights. They looked good on Kodiaq, not on this.

All of a sudden, its ugliness started attracting attention. There is no way this Chernobyl will pass you by unnoticed, and that spelled doom for their owners. Wait wait, is that… Chandler?? Ewwww

6 - MG MGB

MGB is a quintessential British sports car. Light, small, badly built and covered in chrome details. If you cut its roof of it’s even worthy of an MI6 spy. Pretty little thing for sure.

However, with the introduction of the American safety bumper law, it all went wrong. In a rush to comply with it, they simply stuck two huge rubber blocks to the front, which earned it a nickname Sabrina; because… Boobs.

But for the next year, it was ready: a full-on, thoroughly redesigned MGB with what I can only describe as that fetish gag ball strapped into its mouth.

These new bumpers were oversized, badly fitted and just plain hideous. Also, unsafe! Because of their massive weight, they made the cornering worse, which made you lose it in the corners and die. Safety rules and regulations my ass.

5 - Fiat Multipla

Ah, the Fiat Multipla. Possibly the ugliest car ever made, which weirdly comes from the land of infinite beauty – Italy. Forgive them father their sins…

Still, it sold well, simply because there are many weirdos out there in the world. Those family guys who didn’t lose their sense of humor, but possibly lost the ability to see. Guys who wear sandals over socks, fart in public, are general oddities and are proud of it. More power to them!

Sadly, Fiat caved to the vocal masses who called it ugly and redesigned it to look like any other boring MPV. Without its personality, it just faded into obscurity. And before you call me on that Octavia from a minute ago, remember that “it’s better being remembered, even for your ugliness than being forgotten, as if you never existed” - Confucius, to his wife

4 - Hyundai Tiburon / Coupe

There was nothing really wrong with the Hyundai’s first attempt at making a sporty couple. It wasn’t going to steal your heart or your screen’s background, but the combination of the price, power and driving dynamics made it a very compelling package still.

Three years into its life and Hyundai thought they could make it even better by drawing some more interesting lines. Well, interesting if you are the sort of person who sees a maggot infected roadkill and thinks: ‘hmmm what’s that?’

Look at its face! There are enough headlights to give you the arachnophobia. Intakes have been needlessly enlarged, new ones created, fog lights sort of jammed in there and voila: a perfectly good car, ruined! And you can’t kill even it with a roll of newspaper. Believe me, I tried.

3 - Chevrolet Camaro

Because of its design alone, Camaro was my favorite modern muscle car. It looked like a concept-car, and over the years it just got even sharper and more aggressive. That’s good!

But then… possibly after many many drugs, they did… this. Oh, God…

To begin with, they pulled the headlight as far up as possible, leaving some huge gaps beneath them, and giving it, essentially, the eye bags. Then they’ve completely cut off its nose, for that decomposing Michael Jackson look, and then finished it off with the ‘why so serious’ cuts in its cheeks. Not even a mother would love that face!

However, they did improve the taillights, although they would fit the design better if those were more angular and less like four glowing sphincters. But maybe that’s just me.

2 - Pontiac Sunfire

Oooh, this one is bad. It was bad to begin with when it started its life as a Chevy Cavalier, which if you aren’t very familiar with, is about as exciting as a Jeb Bush speech.

Pontiac then gave it to their expert team of 10-year-old designers thinking it would appeal to the younger audience. It didn’t! Not in sedan, or coupe or convertible form. They all looked more like a hyena and less like a car. Plus, that tiny hanging ass with a spoiler in the wrong place just added to the image.

But the 2003 redesign really finished it off. Pontiac simply threw some leftover parts, and then, whatever was stuck was the new Sunfire. It didn’t help the sales, and so, two years later, the abomination was finally dead. Good riddance!

1 - Ferrari F512M

Ferrari Testarossa may be the most recognizable Ferrari ever. Who could ever forget those iconic 80s side blades and the wedge-shaped body? I know I never will because… It. Was. Magnificent.

When the 90s came along, it wasn’t just the hairstyles that changed, the car design did a 180 as well. However, Ferrari wasn’t yet ready with the successor, so they just updated my beloved Testie for this next, much rounder decade.

Gone were the pop-up headlights and bladed taillights, the wheels were shit, and that sharp nose was swapped for this… mess… made of pizza dough. Honestly, I’ve seen more order in Steve Buscemi’s front teeth than it this front end.

And looking how far has it fallen, from the most iconic to a dental nightmare, it really is the worst facelift ever!

Agree with the picks? Let me know in the comments!

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