Break Studios Contributing Writer Curious about the 10 best '80s sports cars? When one thinks of the cars of the 1980s, it is not uncommon to think of the underpowered, heavily restricted cars that roamed the streets and highways of this great country. However, contrary to popular belief, there were actually a few gems that were produced during those years.
1. Dodge Shelby Charger. Throughout the early 1980s, Chrysler was having an identity crisis and needed a spark in design. In 1983, automotive legend Carroll Shelby was recruited to put his name and subtle touches to the Charger. With the advent of the Shelby Charger, the horsepower jumped 107 in 1983 and finished up with a whopping 174 horsepower twin turbo version in 1987.
2. Pontiac Fiero. Ranking the Fiero as one of the 10 best '80s sports cars was a difficult decision; however, it has earned a spot due to being the first mass produced mid-engine sports car manufactured by an American company.
3. Nissan 300 ZX. Improving upon the popular 280Z was no easy task for Nissan in the early '80s. By taking the spirit of the 280 and adding a V-6 engine and improving the aerodynamics, Nissan did just that. Using the horsepower and aerodynamics now available in the 300 ZX, Nissan had tremendous success in the racing world, making the 300 ZX one of the 10 best '80s sports cars.
4. Ford Mustang. Through the late '70s and into the early '80s, Ford was losing many customers to the more popular and better styled Camaros and Firebirds. Ford then came out with the fox body Mustang. Once they coupled their mighty 5.0 liter V-8 with the lighter body, a new muscle car was formed. For the first time in several years, the Camaros and Firebirds of the '80s had some stiff competition. The fox body Mustang of the 80's is still one of the most popular and easily recognizable cars on the road.
5. Chevrolet Camaro / Pontiac Firebird. The Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird became lighter and faster in the early '80s. These cars came with modern fuel injection and numerous performance levels, from the legendary Z-28, to the IROC Z along with the WS6 package from Pontiac. The Camaro became the car of choice for the International Race of Champions (IROC series) in the 1980s. These cars can be found on almost anyone's 10 best '80s sports cars list for good reason.
6. Porsche 944. As a revised version of the 924, the Porsche 944 was intended to continue production well into the 1990s. The 944 had significant improvements in aerodynamics and power from the 924.
7. Chevrolet Corvette. Rebounding from the gas struggles of the late 1970s, Chevrolet introduced a fourth generation Corvette with a more fuel efficient power plant. Even though the engine performed better in the mileage arena, it was still powerful enough to be called a Corvette.
8. Buick Grand National. Piggybacking on the success of the Buick, Monte Carlo and Grand Prix in the world of Nascar, Buick decided to one-up the competition. Placing a turbo charged 3.8 liter V-6 into the lightweight body of a Buick Regal, the Grand National paid tribute to the Grand National series in Nascar. The Grand National is one of the most coveted collector's cars of the 1980s, placing it highly as one of the 10 best '80s sports cars.
9. BMW M1. Being one of the rarest BMWs on the planet, along with being designed by Lamborghini, makes the BMW M1 one of the most sought after cars of the '80s.
10. Lamborghini Countach. The Countach began production in 1974, and wasn't discontinued until the end of the 1980s. With its edgy styling and powerful V-12 engine, the Lamborghini Countach has been a childhood dream for millions of children. Given even more exposure through its roles in classic films, the Countach is still one of the top cars in the world, as well as being one of the 10 best '80s sports cars. Posted on: Apr. 28, 2010
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08:38 AM
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daveg Member
Posts: 193 From: Barrie, Ontario, Canada Registered: May 2004
I am always amazed at how so many of these lists can essentially say "It was a terrible car, but we still included it in the 10 best list". They found something positive to say about every one of the cars except the Fiero.
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03:37 PM
Jfrost Member
Posts: 1092 From: Brookfield, IL Registered: Jul 2009
Not sure if the list is in order of importance or not. With that said the Grand National should not be behind the Fiero. IMO the Grand National is the best car from he 80's, and Fieros a close second. Still cool that Fieros get recognized!
Not sure if the list is in order of importance or not. With that said the Grand National should not be behind the Fiero. IMO the Grand National is the best car from he 80's, and Fieros a close second. Still cool that Fieros get recognized!
I'm not sure the list was in any type of order, but I do agree with you on the Grand National, it was the best car of the 80's IMHO. I would consider the Fox Body Mustangs #2. I think the MR2 belongs on the list, possibly the Honda Prelude, and the Monte Carlo SS.
The truth is it is difficult to put 10 best cars together on this list. As time has gone on we can now look back as see how messed up many of the 80's cars were. It may have been better than the mid to late 70's but quality and power were really lacking in hind sight.
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07:34 PM
Jfrost Member
Posts: 1092 From: Brookfield, IL Registered: Jul 2009
"Sports car" = 2 seat convertable. No hard roof, 4 seat cars should be in that list. The fiero was a commuter car, A dirt cheap one at that. A lot of the cars on that list are better "sports cars" than the real "sports cars". But a 5 pass 4000 pound buick sedan? A bad ass sedan, but still a boat.
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10:40 PM
Jun 12th, 2013
hyperv6 Member
Posts: 6192 From: Clinton, OH, USA Registered: Mar 2003
Originally posted by FFIEROFRED: "Sports car" = 2 seat convertable.
Since when has the definition of a sports cars been restricted solely to convertibles? Or two seaters?
There are many well established sports cars out there that are 2 + 2's such as the millions of Pony cars, as well as others that are only hard tops such as most pre-2000 Ferraris, Lambourghini's, Maserati's, etc, and many more that have both hard tops and are 2 + 2's.
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09:37 AM
hyperv6 Member
Posts: 6192 From: Clinton, OH, USA Registered: Mar 2003
it is in a dictionary. Now see if you can name 10 cars from the 80's that fit that restriction. 1. corvette 2. MB made one. thats 2.
my fiero is very modded, but it is not a sports car. It is a "HOTROD". I had a sunbeam and a vet. but both way older than the 80's. I had a 68 442 convertable in PR, but all the HP in the world wouldn't make it into a sports car.
Originally posted by FFIEROFRED: it is in a dictionary.
Not the ones I routinely use...
Merriam Webster Dictionary (m-w.com) Sports Car: a low small usually 2-passenger automobile designed for quick response, easy maneuverability, and high-speed driving;
Oxford Dictionary (oxforddictionaries.com) Sports Car: a low-built car designed for performance at high speeds.
Wikipedia (wikipedia.org) Sports Car: a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for spirited performance and nimble handling.[2] Sports cars may be spartan or luxurious but high maneuverability and minimum weight are requisite.
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09:17 PM
HoMiE_TeLeFrAgGeD Member
Posts: 1388 From: Elkhart, IN, USA Registered: Jan 2004
Break Studios Contributing Writer Curious about the 10 best '80s sports cars? When one thinks of the cars of the 1980s, it is not uncommon to think of the underpowered, heavily restricted cars that roamed the streets and highways of this great country. However, contrary to popular belief, there were actually a few gems that were produced during those years.
1. Dodge Shelby Charger. Throughout the early 1980s, Chrysler was having an identity crisis and needed a spark in design. In 1983, automotive legend Carroll Shelby was recruited to put his name and subtle touches to the Charger. With the advent of the Shelby Charger, the horsepower jumped 107 in 1983 and finished up with a whopping 174 horsepower twin turbo version in 1987.
2. Pontiac Fiero. Ranking the Fiero as one of the 10 best '80s sports cars was a difficult decision; however, it has earned a spot due to being the first mass produced mid-engine sports car manufactured by an American company.
3. Nissan 300 ZX. Improving upon the popular 280Z was no easy task for Nissan in the early '80s. By taking the spirit of the 280 and adding a V-6 engine and improving the aerodynamics, Nissan did just that. Using the horsepower and aerodynamics now available in the 300 ZX, Nissan had tremendous success in the racing world, making the 300 ZX one of the 10 best '80s sports cars.
4. Ford Mustang. Through the late '70s and into the early '80s, Ford was losing many customers to the more popular and better styled Camaros and Firebirds. Ford then came out with the fox body Mustang. Once they coupled their mighty 5.0 liter V-8 with the lighter body, a new muscle car was formed. For the first time in several years, the Camaros and Firebirds of the '80s had some stiff competition. The fox body Mustang of the 80's is still one of the most popular and easily recognizable cars on the road.
5. Chevrolet Camaro / Pontiac Firebird. The Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird became lighter and faster in the early '80s. These cars came with modern fuel injection and numerous performance levels, from the legendary Z-28, to the IROC Z along with the WS6 package from Pontiac. The Camaro became the car of choice for the International Race of Champions (IROC series) in the 1980s. These cars can be found on almost anyone's 10 best '80s sports cars list for good reason.
6. Porsche 944. As a revised version of the 924, the Porsche 944 was intended to continue production well into the 1990s. The 944 had significant improvements in aerodynamics and power from the 924.
7. Chevrolet Corvette. Rebounding from the gas struggles of the late 1970s, Chevrolet introduced a fourth generation Corvette with a more fuel efficient power plant. Even though the engine performed better in the mileage arena, it was still powerful enough to be called a Corvette.
8. Buick Grand National. Piggybacking on the success of the Buick, Monte Carlo and Grand Prix in the world of Nascar, Buick decided to one-up the competition. Placing a turbo charged 3.8 liter V-6 into the lightweight body of a Buick Regal, the Grand National paid tribute to the Grand National series in Nascar. The Grand National is one of the most coveted collector's cars of the 1980s, placing it highly as one of the 10 best '80s sports cars.
9. BMW M1. Being one of the rarest BMWs on the planet, along with being designed by Lamborghini, makes the BMW M1 one of the most sought after cars of the '80s.
10. Lamborghini Countach. The Countach began production in 1974, and wasn't discontinued until the end of the 1980s. With its edgy styling and powerful V-12 engine, the Lamborghini Countach has been a childhood dream for millions of children. Given even more exposure through its roles in classic films, the Countach is still one of the top cars in the world, as well as being one of the 10 best '80s sports cars. Posted on: Apr. 28, 2010
Ive owned...
1 # 7 - 1984 corvette from hell. 2 # 2s - 1 red 84 and 1 silver 85 (85 being my 1st car ever 2 # 8s - 85 GN with 87 motor/trans, and an 87 Turbo T 2 # 3s - both 84s 1 was a turbo 5speed the other a 50th AE Turbo Auto 1 # 5 - 83 Camaro Berlinetta with a factory 305 Auto...anything with 8 cylinders comes from hell in my life X_x
Ive driven #1, #4 and #6 but never owned personally. Id love a 944 Turbo though...neat cars
Nice to see the mustang on there. I have an 85 and get compliments all the time and of course a few people wanting to tell stories from their High School days about how they or a buddy of theirs had one.
