Countach Vs Cobra, Long, Funny
12-04-2008, 02:44 AM
#26
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Posts: 770
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
'93 RX-7, SLK55
Lot of good points and yes, the 80s brought a lot of tuners to our attention, including Ruf (now a manufacturer as well in Germany) and AMG (the Hammer 6.0L 32v DOHC), and gave us the M BMWs which helped pave the way for Mercedes AMGs.
But the best 300ZX, RX7, Supra, 3000GT, etc were all or almost all 1990s cars as was the best C4 Vette (the ZR1 you mention). A handful were introduced at the very end of the 80s, hardly an endorsement of the decade, which was mostly barren.
Another way of looking at it would be that the most innovation was coming out of Japan, with the Big 3, Italy, UK putting out mostly lame stock examples - apart from the notable (and mostly limited production) exceptions already mentioned such as the F40, 288, M1, 959, 928 and 911turbo, etc.
Big 3: stock Vettes, Stangs, Camaros, Firebirds, etc were pretty much well neutered throughout the decade. In 1988, a full 15 years after the oil embargo and the following smog restrictions, the best stock Mustang one could buy was a 225hp 5L v8.
Italy: apart from the race-inspired and limited producted models mentioned (F40, 288GTO, etc.), the rest were all dogs barely worthy of the prancing horse, bull or trident emblems shamelessly put on them. Testarossa, 348, Mondiale - all dogs (regardless of how many of us had TR posters back then). Alfa and Maserati - the pioneers of Italian racing heritage - had sunk to their lowest lows. Lambo - the Countach might be remembered as example of the wedged and winged shape of the 80s, the way fintail Caddys are remembered today, but I'm not sure its performance or styling will be remembered for anything else.
UK: Jaguar, RR and Bentley were all well on their way to the financial ruin that led to their takeovers by Ford, BMW and VW, respectively. The XJ220's pathetic transformation from concept wondercar to ho-hum was followed by the curious sight of deposit-holders running away in droves, and dealerships suing them to take delivery of their cars!
Germany: BMW gave us M, Porsche gave us the 959, 928 and Turbo, Audi brought out the Quattro, AMG the independent tuner brought out the Hammer, even VW gave us the GTI.
Ironically it was MB that kinda fell behind. After the W109 300SEL 6.3 (after which today's 6.2L AMGs are labeled "63") and the W116 450SEL 6.9, MB failed to bring out a similar super saloon or 'Q car', at least in the US. They did keep up their technological and safety innovations but somehow failed to adapt sufficiently to the US smog restrictions - the flagship 560SEL, SEC and SL could be had with 300hp in the rest of the world but ~230hp in the US.
But the best 300ZX, RX7, Supra, 3000GT, etc were all or almost all 1990s cars as was the best C4 Vette (the ZR1 you mention). A handful were introduced at the very end of the 80s, hardly an endorsement of the decade, which was mostly barren.
Another way of looking at it would be that the most innovation was coming out of Japan, with the Big 3, Italy, UK putting out mostly lame stock examples - apart from the notable (and mostly limited production) exceptions already mentioned such as the F40, 288, M1, 959, 928 and 911turbo, etc.
Big 3: stock Vettes, Stangs, Camaros, Firebirds, etc were pretty much well neutered throughout the decade. In 1988, a full 15 years after the oil embargo and the following smog restrictions, the best stock Mustang one could buy was a 225hp 5L v8.
Italy: apart from the race-inspired and limited producted models mentioned (F40, 288GTO, etc.), the rest were all dogs barely worthy of the prancing horse, bull or trident emblems shamelessly put on them. Testarossa, 348, Mondiale - all dogs (regardless of how many of us had TR posters back then). Alfa and Maserati - the pioneers of Italian racing heritage - had sunk to their lowest lows. Lambo - the Countach might be remembered as example of the wedged and winged shape of the 80s, the way fintail Caddys are remembered today, but I'm not sure its performance or styling will be remembered for anything else.
UK: Jaguar, RR and Bentley were all well on their way to the financial ruin that led to their takeovers by Ford, BMW and VW, respectively. The XJ220's pathetic transformation from concept wondercar to ho-hum was followed by the curious sight of deposit-holders running away in droves, and dealerships suing them to take delivery of their cars!
Germany: BMW gave us M, Porsche gave us the 959, 928 and Turbo, Audi brought out the Quattro, AMG the independent tuner brought out the Hammer, even VW gave us the GTI.
Ironically it was MB that kinda fell behind. After the W109 300SEL 6.3 (after which today's 6.2L AMGs are labeled "63") and the W116 450SEL 6.9, MB failed to bring out a similar super saloon or 'Q car', at least in the US. They did keep up their technological and safety innovations but somehow failed to adapt sufficiently to the US smog restrictions - the flagship 560SEL, SEC and SL could be had with 300hp in the rest of the world but ~230hp in the US.
The cars I mentioned just did not exist in the 70's (save the Lambo & 911 Turbo). The 80s brought about a huge numbers of sports & exotic cars - I'd argue that by the mid 90's, that decade's breadth of offering declined (saw the demise of the RX-7, the Supra, the 3000 GT, the 300ZX Turbo, the 968, 928,...even the domestic offering shrank...Chysler had the Viper - that was it).And Dude, the "stock" Mustang I bought in '86 was a fuel injected 200 Hp 5.0 GT & at the time, RAPED everything that was not a blue blood exotic. Today, 200 Hp is not much - 22 yrs ago relative to what pulled up next to you at a light....everything was cannon fodder. It was fukin' great!
So there ya have it. The decades prior to & after the 80s were "poorer" in the breadth of offering. Sure, the 90's had faster cars but there were fewer of them produced & those that did exist were largley fueled by the 80's success (IMO, the SUV & Mini Vans largely replaced sports car purchases....I figure the guys in the 80's got laid, had a familly, & needed something different than the 944 Turbo they had to cart their family's around - and they would not purchase a Station Wagon which was what they grew up in for fear of becoming their "parents"!
). No more Freud...I'm just screwin' around. Later!
-Matt
