1980s supercars

Jaguar’s sports cars have all been a bit bland-looking since the E-type, IMO. Love the XJ saloons though.

I can’t think of anything more 80s…

Looks very, very ’70s to me, but I guess these things are subjective.

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

Probably because Jaguar made the original post war supercar, followed by the E-Type in the 60s – a supercar that one could (almost) afford.

The XJS may have been a bit paunchy-middle-aged-TV-detective by the 1980s, but the XJR-S was a pretty handy GT car capable of almost 160mph. Even though I am probably the biggest sceptic of the XJ220 on this thread, there’s no denying that it was an actual, bona-fide supercar.

The people at Ferrari have a history of liking jags,
Enzo Ferrari said the e type was the most beautiful car ever made, and he made some crackers.

Thanks @chip.

Not forgetting the wonderful Pinninfarina Jaguar Kensington of 1990, which was hugely influential, just look at a Lexus GS300…

Great thread this. Am I the only one who never really got Porsches? I mean, they’re very nice and all, but they just didn’t do it for me.

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

See, I’d have preferred the third gen:

Ah a Corvette. Didn’t they have a fibreglass-balsa wood composite floor?

And a live rear axle?

Please correct me if I’m wrong.

Probably because Jaguar made the original post war supercar, followed by the E-Type in the 60s – a supercar that one could (almost) afford.

Jag made the 300SL ? 😉

PJM1974 – Member

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

Well he started it.

Cougar – Moderator

Great thread this. Am I the only one who never really got Porsches? I mean, they’re very nice and all, but they just didn’t do it for me.

Never was a fan, but as old age looms I find myself more and more attracted to the idea of them.

See, I’d have preferred the third gen:

If it could speak and had a “Turbo Boost” button then maybe … 🙂

CaptainFlashheart – Member
You stay classy

Clearly hit a nerve there eh CFH.

Don’t tell me how to behave, thanks.

I don’t doubt that that may have been influential when I was 10, aye.

😆

chip – Member
The people at Ferrari have a history of liking jags,
Enzo Ferrari said the e type was the most beautiful car ever made, and he made some crackers

Yerbutt, that was a myth. The sarcasm was lost in translation. 😆

Don’t tell me how to behave, thanks.

If it’s casual homophobic comments like that, I will.

Genuine lol at P-Jay!

If we’re talking Porsche, then surely the 959 is very high in everyone’s wish list? Paris-Dakar pedigree, climate control, 4wd, ABS, TCS and 197mph (in Sport trim).

Asides from the horrendous maintenance costs associated with suspension hydraulics (they need frequent running apparently and don’t take well to being left as garage ornaments), it’s a super car that you could live with.

Also, I watched the Evo vid featuring the McLaren F1 XP5 prototype. At time of filming (2013), it had a staggering 98k on the odometer. Seriously. That’s twice as many miles as my diesel Alfa 159!

I’d argue that the MR2 is a kind of supercar, in-that it brought technology, fun and real mid engine driving skill/reward* to the masses.

Here’s a MK1.b

*The reward may be the casual thrill of exiting through a hedge backwards.

You know what? I agree re the MR2.

Sublime chassis, superbly built.

I’d argue that the MR2 is a kind of supercar, in that it brought technology, fun and real driving skill/reward to the masses

Valid points, but did anyone ever had one on their bedroom wall as a child? Surely that’s a key criteria for inclusion in the super car category.

Ah, but quite a few people had posters featuring that god-awful 1930s reproduction monstrosity.

Genuine question: Ducktail Sierra Cosworth; supercar or uncouth upstart?

gofasterstripes – Member

I’d argue that the MR2 is a kind of supercar

PJM1974 – Member

You know what? I agree re the MR2.

No need to argue that it’s a supercar, sports car is what it is.

Genuine question: Ducktail Sierra Cosworth; supercar or uncouth upstart?

I always liked the Sierra. I remember when it came out, it looked like it’d just landed from the future.

Would I have had a photo of it on my bedroom wall though? I somewhat doubt it.

I doubt it.

CaptainFlashheart – Member
If it’s casual homophobic comments like that, I will.

Stay classy.

kit car or not?[/url]

muddyground – Member

kit car or not?

The reg would tell us, but otherwise you wouldn’t necessarily be able to tell from the outside. The fact that it’s being towed on a car trailer behind a Mondeo probably says enough. Google Prova Countach.

Interestingly, the earlier Countach models (1974 – 1980) seem to fetch close £1million, whereas the be-winged later versions are about 1/3rd of that.

Does a Lotus Esprit Turbo count as a supercar? That’s what I remember lusting after – that or an RS200 (yeah I know it’s a Ford and it never won anything important, but it looks so much better than any of its competition).

Though this is what I had a pic of on my wall:

The Mondeo may well have been worth more, true. Point being my neighbours ropey Herald / Etype kit car gets more looks, and that’s a shed. EType trumps Countach. That Prova thing looks great.

The LP400 – it does look much better without the wing IMHO, and of course that’s the original version, so not really surprising.

I was massively into cars in the 80’s and was totally blown away by the Countach…nothing else had the drama!

A few cars have jogged my memory on this thread as big faves at the time. In no particular order:
Corvette Stingray
Lotus Esprit spy who loved me
911 turbo black
Ferrari 328S magnum
Audi Quattro

Never owned any of em! 🙁

Sod your Lambo toys. Lambos were when fast cars stopped being racing derived and started to become gaudy baubles for idiots.

Now THIS is a car. Peasants.

Road legal 962

I’m reliably informed that a showroom spec XFR will hit 200mph by only changing one parameter in the software. The one that tells it how fast it’s allowed to go.

^^^^^ one of our directors has a road legal and “in use” 962. He’s brought it to work twice in the 15 years i’ve been here. It’s the only private car thats been allowed on site since about 1980.

PJM1974 – Member
Ah a Corvette. Didn’t they have a fibreglass-balsa wood composite floor?

And a live rear axle?

Please correct me if I’m wrong.
That would be a Pontiac Firebird.
Corvettes have always been made of fibreglass since 53 & have had IRS since 63.

Thanks for the clarification, I stand corrected.

The MG earlier has suspiciously close lines when compared to a Honda NSX…

America has yet to make anything that comes close.

Ford GT40

Vector W8

Shelby Cobra

Boss Mustang

Corvette ZR1

Never was a fan, but as old age looms I find myself more and more attracted to the idea of them.

I’ve often said that the older you get, the more you hanker after a Porsche.

America has yet to make anything that comes close.

The GT40, America’s greatest car, was designed and built in Britain by the British. 8)

I had a mate (my boss) that had an original SWB Quattro. He was dying of cancer and as his daughters were going to be well looked after in the event of his death, he said I could have it as he knew I’d look after it.
He planned to meet his solicitor on the Friday to amend his will to bequeath me the Audi.
Bastard died on the Thursday!
The Quattro had just come out of the garage after having the interior renewed.
He was running an absolutely mint and original Renault 5 GT Turbo whilst the Quattro was in the garage.
I liked that bloke.
RIP Bob!

The GT40, America’s greatest car, was designed and built in Britain by the British.

AFAIK, the engines were all American. Later models, like the one in the picture above, were built in U.S.

Don’t think you can call The Shelby Cobra American, Shelby slotted a big US engine in a British car

MR2s are cool (they must be, I owned one 😉 ) the Mid-Engined, RWD thing made them pretty unique in the 80s but a super car they are not – but if you want to feel how a really well balanced, RWD drivers they’re a great find to find out for real world money.

Was always the F40 for me on my wall. Loved it then and still love it now

However my taste has modified ‘slightly’ in that the F40 LM is the one i’d buy if I won the lottery 🙂

Sound very much required for this one!

Oh alright then. At least I tried 😉

*Goes to collect his “new” MR2 MK3*