Top 10 Supercars from the 1980s

This post is a followup to our Top 10 supercars from the 1970s.

1980s saw a financial boom around the world, which was excellent for every supercar maker as the demand was usually higher than production numbers.

Group B racing class had also a very big part on future supercars. To compete in that class at least 200 road going cars had to be completed. Without Group B racing class we probably would not have seen cars like Ferrari 288 GTO and Porsche 959 which both set new standards for future supercars.

10. DeLorean DMC-12

Rear engined 2.8-liter V6 develops 130 horsepower(US spec). Top speed: 109 mph (175.4 km/h), 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 10.5 seconds. Weight: 1288 kg / 2840 lbs.

DeLorean DMC-12 was created by legendary John Z. DeLorean and is the only model that the company ever produced. Production of the DMC-12 was set up in Ireland and in 1981 and 1982 a total of 8582 units were built. After that the company went bankrupt because the car was overpriced($25,000 USD), quite heavy and underpowered (2.8-liter Peugeot V6 was a very bad choice).

DMC-12 was not bad looking. Its wedge shape futuristic design was done by Giorgetto Giugiaro. Engine was rear-mounted like on Porsche 911 and it featured gullwing doors like the classic Mercedes 300SL.

As the chassis was engineered by Lotus and body structure was glass-fiber with unpainted stainless steel outer panels, it had all the components for a supercar, except the engine and a very bad weight distribution( 35:65 front-to-rear).

9. Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato

Front engined 5.4-liter V8 develops 430 horsepower. Top speed: 186 mph (300 km/h), 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 4.9 seconds. Weight: 1590 kg / 3505 lbs.

This powerful and luxurious GT car was first shown at the the 1986 Geneva Motor Show. Even though Aston Martin only showed there few drawings, orders were quickly taken and in total all 52 coupes were sold out very fast at the height of the supercar speculation market.

Later on 37 convertibles were also built, which were even more desirable.

The V8 Vatange Zagato was based on the Aston Martin V8, but the body was designed by Zagato coachbuilder. Coupe versions were priced at $156,600, but by the end of 80s were going for over $400,000 on the market.

8. Ford RS200 Evolution

Mid-engined 2.1-liter straight-4 develops 580 horsepower. Top speed: 142 mph (228 km/h), 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 3 seconds. Weight: 1180 kg (2601 lbs).

RS200 was built for the Group B class rally racing. In order to compete in this class it was required that a minimum of 200 road-certified examples are made to meet homologation requirements.

RS200 features a plastic/fiberglass composite body designed by Ghia, a mid-mounted turbocharged engine and four-wheel drive. In total 200 cars were made between 1984 and 1986 to meet homologation requirements. In road going trim the 1.8-liter engine produced 250 horsepower and with little tweaking output was easily over 300 horsepower.

24 of these cars were later converted into Evolution status. RS200 Evolution models got a 2.1-liter engine with a huge turbo that with low boost produced 420 horsepower and with maximum boost remarkable 580 horsepower. These cars did not have a very impressive top speed, but 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) took just 3 seconds which made this goofy looking car the world’s fastest accelerating car for year’s. Guinness world record time of 3.07 seconds stood for 12 years.

7. Lotus Esprit Turbo SE

Mid-mounted turbocharged 2.2-liter 4-Cylinder engine develops 280 horsepower. Top speed: over 160 mph (260 km/h), 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 4.7 seconds. Weight: 1329 kg (2930 lbs).

Turbocharged Esprit was first introduced as an entirely new car called Turbo Esprit in 1980 with 210 horsepower and revised suspension. It is one of the very few non Italian exotics that had the same supercar appeal as Countach or F40.

Esprit was barely 40-inches high (little over one meter) and with mid-mounted engine, superb horsepower-to-weight ratio and its performance characteristics was a true supercar.

In 1988 Lotus introduced a revised Esprit with new body and interior. Top of the line model in 1989 got a turbocharged 2.2-liter engine with 280 horsepower and was called Esprit Turbo SE. In total 10,675 Esprits were built between 1976 and 2004.

6. Ferrari Testarossa

Mid-engined 4.9-liter V12 engine develops 390 horsepower. Top speed: 180 mph (290 km/h), 0-60 mph(0-96 km/h) in 5.3 seconds. Weight: 1.506 kg (3,320 lbs).

Pininfarina designed Testarossa was produced between 1984-1991, total of 7,177 units were built. In 1992 two model revisions named 512 TR and F512 were introduced.

In 1989 Testarossa was priced at $181,000 in the US. Testarossa is one of the few Ferrari’s that did not appear on race tracks. It was purely for the road.

One of the reasons why the car was just a success is an iconic TV series Miami Vice where Don Johnson drove a white Testarossa.

5. 1985 Lamborghini Countach 5000QV

Mid engined 5.2-liter V12 engine develops 448 horsepower. Top speed: 182 mph (293 km/h), 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 5.2 seconds. Weight: 1490 kg / 3285 lbs

5000QV was the fourth modification of the Countach. Problem with the Countach was still its weight. It had all the power, but its weight made it slower than other supercars with same power from that era.

5000QV was also the first Countach produced in US specification. To meet US federal standards it got bulky bumpers that really ruined the smooth lines of the car. A total of 676 5000QV’s were produced. Base price in the US was $99,500. Two optional extras were available: a $5,500 aerodynamic spoiler and a $7,500 sound system.

4. Ruf CTR (Yellowbird)

Rear engined 3.4-liter twin turbocharged flat-6 engine develops 469 horsepower. Top speed: 211 mph (339 km/h), 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 3.9 seconds. Weight: 1170 kg ( 2580 lbs).

Ruf CTR was introduced end of 1987, and was based on the Porsche 911. It featured enlarged and tuned version of Porsche’s 3.2-liter engine, lightened body panels, integrated roll cage, uprated suspension and brakes, custom-designed 5-speed transmission that could handle the turbocharged engine’s high output.

Ruf CTR was priced from $223 000 USD and was produced in very limited numbers (29 were made from chassis bought from Porsche and some more were converted from existing customer’s Carreras).

It gained attention from a Road & Track article which called it the ‘Fastest car in the world!’. In 1987 Road & Track was testing various cars in Northern Germany and RUF CTR stunned everyone by achieving 211 mph at Volkswagen‘s Ehra-Lessien track. For several years the CTR also held the lap record at the Nurburgring-Nordschleife track.

3. Ferrari 288 GTO

Mid-engined 2.8-liter turbocharged V8 develops 400 horsepower. Top speed: 190 mph (306 km/h), 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 5.0 seconds. Weight 1160 kg (2557 lbs).

288 GTO was based on the mid-engined, rear wheel drive 308 GTB. Its introduction in 1984 started a new era for supercars, by setting new performance and price standards for future hypercars like Porsche 959, Ferrari F40, Jaguar XJ220 and McLaren F1.

288 GTO was styled by Pininfarina and was one of the very first road cars to use composite materials developed for racing. It had a lightweight rust free GRP body and was the first turbocharged Ferrari road car available outside of Italy.

Only 273 cars were built making it one of the rarest and sought after classic supercars in the world.

2. Porsche 959

Rear engined 2.8-liter twin turbocharged flat-6 engine develops 444 horsepower. Top speed 197 mph (317 km/h), 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 3.6 seconds. Weight 1450 kg (3200 lbs).

Between 1986-1989 337 units were produced(including 37 prototypes and preproduction models). 959 was priced at $225,000 USD, which was half what it cost Porsche to build each car. During its short life 959 won both the Paris-Dakar Rally and its class at 24 hours of Le Mans. In race trim with sequential turbochargers it developed up to 600 hp.

The 959 was the most hi-tech road car of its time, showing the way for future top end Porsches. It featured the most advanced all-wheel-drive system in a production car. This system dynamically changed the torque distribution between the rear and front wheels in both normal and slip conditions.

Later in 1992/93 Porsche built eight more units from spare parts. These cars are the most wanted 959’s and at the time cost almost twice what the earlier units did.

One of the most known 959 owners is Bill Gates who bought his car in 1987. As the 959 was not approved by United States Department of Transportation‎ and United States Environmental Protection Agency‎ it was stored for 13 years by the US Customs at the Port of Seattle, until regulations were changed allowing rare cars to be to be imported with severe limitations.

1. Ferrari F40

Mid, longitudinally mounted 2.9-liter twin-turbo V8 develops 472 horsepower. Top speed 201 mph (324 km/h), 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 3.5 seconds. Weight: 1100 kg (2425 lbs).

Officially Ferrari F40 was built to celebrate the marque’s 40th anniversary, it was a designed by Pininfarina and was a development of the 288 GTO. Between 1987-1992 a total of 1,315 cars were produced. At first Ferrari planned to produce less than 950 units, but due to high demand decided to produce more.

Unofficially it was built as revenge for Porsche’s 959, which was the only real competitor at that time. F40 was a bit faster thanks to a lower weight, 959 was heavier because of the complicated all wheel drive system.

Ferrari F40 was the first road legal production car to break the 200 mph (322 km/h) barrier. In 1987 Ruf CTR (Yellowbird) hit a top speed of 211 miles per hour (340 km/h).