1980s supercars

I’m quite lost at the definition of “production car” TBH.

Homologation, surely?

PJM1974 – Member

I’m quite lost at the definition of “production car” TBH.

Homologation, surely?

I’m pretty sure the definition will hinge somewhere around the production figures of the F40. 😆

squirrelking – Member

Or a twin turbo Delorean.

There’s a DMC12 that lives just down the road from me- you see it out occasionally on a sunny day. And even without the BTTF geekery it’s still an amazing looking thing to see out and about on a british street.

OTOH I’m pretty sure it’s got the original engine in so it’ll be slower than my diesel mondeo.

Just look at that, a thing of beauty from any angle, and most importantly instantly recognisable as a Jag.

It’s no wonder that Sergio “designer of the F40” Pininfarina’s favourite car was a Jaguar.

😀

Northwind – Member

There’s a DMC12 that lives just down the road from me

Can’t remember where but I drove past what I assume was a DMC-12 owner’s club meeting down the road from my mate’s house. About half a dozen parked up, quite a sight.

sbob – Member

Not production cars

Depends on your definition.[/quote]

Well they made 1300 F40s which is considerably more than the 29 RUF CTR or the 6 homologation 959’s or the five Ferrari 288 Evoluzione’s which had 650bhp and did 225mph.

An Italian magazine timed the car at 202.6 mph

‘Course they did, and my Mum tells me I’m handsome. [/quote]

So you can only trust British magazines? Do you think it’s impossible that some determined journalists managed to get a car which had consistently done 199mph in tests to do 202 mph in a test???

How extensively can you race eight cars?

They made over 30 LM and Competiziones. An unknown number of road cars were also adapted for racing.

Just look at that, a thing of beauty from any angle, and most importantly instantly recognisable as a Jag.

Are you trolling in the character of some kind of myopic British patriot?

Graet thread, although it 80s and 90s supercars, as some of them bridged the two or crept into the latter

Graet thread, although it 80s and 90s supercars, as some of them bridged the two or crept into the latter

And I agree with whoever said the Lambo Countach is arguably a 1970s motor.

The original styling is iconic ’70s to my eye. It did look very ’80s with all the spoilers and skirts they later stuck on it – but not in a good way.

instantly recognisable as a Jag

If I’d not laid eyes on one before i’d probably have said Toyota or Mazda. Lotus at a push.

Was it Coogan, Elton or Mr Bean that interfaced one with a tree?

Which do people prefer then?

Exhibit A…

Exhibit B…

A to own.
B for top trumps.

It’s a bit like 911’s, the superfast/GT3 ones take the accolades – but i’d have a 60s/70s brown or green & chrome trimmed beauty all day long.

Blatantly the one with the spoiler!

It looks like what an 8 year old boy would come up with if you gave him a crayon and said ‘draw a cool car’.

And that’s why it’s the best 😀

chakaping – Member

Which do people prefer then?

Exhibit A…

Exhibit B…

Exhibit C….

Exhibit D….

I’m pretty sure the definition will hinge somewhere around the production figures of the F40.

😐

jimjam – Member

Well they made 1300 F40s

Bingo!

6 homologation 959’s

They made almost 300? 😕

So you can only trust British magazines?

And French, and German, just not the Italians.

a car which had consistently done 199mph in tests

That isn’t true.

Are you trolling in the character of some kind of myopic British patriot?

Look, I’m no car designer, but Sergio “Lead designer of the F40” Pininfarina was, and his favourite car was a Jag.

I’m not in any position to argue with the world’s most famous car designer, YMMV… 🙂

doris5000 – Member

Blatantly the one with the spoiler!

It looks like what an 8 year old boy would come up with if you gave him a crayon and said ‘draw a cool car’.

And that’s why it’s the best

Looks like they crossed the original with a fighter jet.
Big wing for the win! 😀

Beauty is always in the eye of Beer-holder of course, but to my eye.

Just look at that, a thing of beauty from any angle

It’s looks massive, far bigger than it actually is, even though it’s actually pretty big.

The overhangs are massive, the wheels don’t fill the arches either in hight or width. The panel gaps are big enough to wonder “how big are those panel gaps?!” from that photo never mind in the flesh.

The design lacks any real detail, supposedly to keep it smooth and aerodynamic, but to cut costs they left the wipers well above the bonnet line and fitted £2 black ugly plastic door locks from a 90s Ford Escort

and most importantly instantly recognisable as a Jag.

Apart from the oval grill, I don’t think it looks much like a Jag at all, in fact a lot of its shapes are very Ford Probe.

It’s no wonder that Sergio “designer of the F40” Pininfarina’s favourite car was a Jaguar.

But not that one.

sbob – Member

6 homologation 959’s

They made almost 300? [/quote]

300 production cars. 337 mechanically identical road cars for sale. They also made a variety of homologation specials and prototypes for group b rally and experimental class circuit racing.

Not a production car.

…not a production car

..not a production car

also not a production car

Exhibit C everytime*!

the original 70s Countachs always looked a bit unfinished and like somone had plopped a big body on a small chassis.

The later and last versions had too many skirts and wings and bumpers and were into the realm of 90s plastic tat.

Round bellied, but with proper sized wheels and flared arches it’s where it’s at 🙂

XJ220 was awesome in a lot of of ways and I had a massive little-boy-car-crush on it at the time, F40 was always impressive but a bit dull to me, yes it was good, yes it was fast, and whatnot but it’s *just* another Ferrari…Countach on the other hand? Bonkers and at the time Lambo hadn’t made that many well known cars and it was just outrageously ‘Supercar!!!!!!!’ to look at.

Porsches always ace, and if I had to actually own one and use it that’s the way I’d go, but although they are supercars, they just don’t look bonkers enough. Refined and improved, polished to excellence yes, but bonkers? not really, even with a whale-tail bolted on the back doesn’t look bonkers, it just looks like you’ve stuck a massive wing on a 911, oh, because that’s exactly what it is…

*Well, unless a Pantera is an option, but then they both have similar overall shape and stance.

Was it Coogan, Elton or Mr Bean that interfaced one with a tree?

Atkinson wrapped his McLaren F1 round a couple of trees. Aviva insured it, they tried to write it off but he wouldn’t let them. It cost £600k to repair IIRC, it was (and might still be) the most expensive own damage insurance claim in the UK ever.

Good effort sucking the fun out of the thread folks!

Is this silly and 80s enough?

Is this silly and 80s enough?

Nice from that angle. This is a bit classier though…

Exhibit A…

obvs, look at it…It looks like a blinking spaceship!!

Exhibit C for me …. but with farah fawcett climbing out of it … wearing a shinny jump suit with its front zip at half mast.

Exhibit C for me …. but with farah fawcett climbing out of it … wearing a shinny jump suit with its front zip at half mast.

Adrienne Barbeau. Not Farah.

P-Jay – Member

It’s looks massive, far bigger than it actually is, even though it’s actually pretty big.

The overhangs are massive

It is a big car but then the size and shape gives it stability at high speeds.
Remember that it is a true 200mph+ supercar, not some ropey 199mph pretender.

the wheels don’t fill the arches either in height or width

We must be looking at different cars.

The panel gaps are big enough to wonder “how big are those panel gaps?!” from that photo never mind in the flesh.

They’re massive, like this woman’s carrier bag:
[/url]

But not that one.

Sshhhh!!! 😆

C is very nice, but could almost be a modern car. I honestly prefer the more vintage look of A.

with farah fawcett climbing out of it … wearing a shinny jump suit with its front zip at half mast.

😆
Close enough?

Nah … the cars a heap … 🙂

Which bring us to …

No not a supercar … but still up there for an 8 year old, who didnt know better, in the early 80s

I do love how an 1980s supercar thread has a bunch of adults arguing like the big kids that we all are. Superb!

If I had to pick a Lamborghini, then it would be C. I’m not a fan of the wing, even though it was a prerequisite, but the understated black works well with gold wheels (I’m guessing that was a circa 1980 car?). I’m also pretty sure that the white Lambo with a spoiler is a QV (four valves per cylinder and fuel injection, circa 1985?). The final Lambo is of course a 25th Anniversary, with unique skirts and no spoiler. It also has the US specific rear lights in place of the trapezoidal lights that we all know and love. Also, the fit of the skirts and bumper isn’t the greatest.

[edit] A is an LP400 with a slow cut out of the roof so that you could see something in the rear view mirror, referred to a “periscope” I believe. It’s a clean looking car, but those tall 1970s tyres on 14″ wheels don’t quite work for me.

It also has the US specific rear lights in place of the trapezoidal lights that we all know and love.

Rear lights can make a car, like the iconic twin rounds of the *Corvette, the three vertical lights of the Mustang, or the Rover 200 lights found on the XJ220.

*gets ’em wet, so I am reliably informed.

As mentioned above a few times, for me it has to be

Ghah! How did Faguar make it onto a page about “supercars”? Driven and owned by Fogies in M&S check shirts and green corduroys and 44yr old second hand brogues. Complete with dribble stains adorning mohair cardigans.. Christ on a Bike, they’ve no place being anywhere in a thread about supercars. 🙄

Some of the choices here have been well considered, a few would probably make a hit list top ten on a kids bedroom wall.. but for the most part anything with the word Ferrari on it would win, certainly if it was red.

I’m a 70’s US Muscle Car fanbouy, MOPARs FTW in my world (except the Porker I posted earlier) so I’m about to post a Dodge Charger form that era, it has been revamped and semi customised but to me back in the 70’s in the US it was the car to own if you were just entering puberty.. or maybe looked like this..

The overhangs are massive

Is that what they’re called these days?

Its cars like these that were responsible for my first car, I was torn between a choice of 2, and it came down to whether I most wanted Gull-wing doors, or a T-bar roof…

While I opted for a car with a t-bar roof it’s fair to say that my Nissan 100nx didn’t quite have the glamour of the Firebird… Again, the gull-wing doors weren’t on a supercar, but on a Toyota Sera instead…

Ho-hum…

if you were just entering pubity

Old enough to go to the pub?

I am off to the Pub tonight yes, a well deserved Guinness.

bikebouy – Member

Ghah! How did Faguar make it onto a page about “supercars”?

Probably because they made the fastest car in the world, at a guess.

Originally penned in 75, but spanned into the 80s, I can’t think of anything more 80s…

bikebouy – Member
Ghah! How did Faguar make it onto a page about “supercars”?

You stay classy.

Besides, XJ220, XJR15 in the era, and earlier XK120/140/150, E and even the SS100. All supercars of their day. America has yet to make anything that comes close.

Guinness, the drink of hip young cats, obviously. 😆