The '80s represent a memorable period for the automobile industry. Among other things, It marked the beginning of the muscle car revival after the 'doom and gloom' of the 1970s. Fully formed performance cars were beginning to spring up again and not just in America. Who can forget that this was the era that gave us forever icons like the Ferrari F40 or the Lamborghini Countach? Then there was the technological marvel in the form of the Porsche 959, a car that rivaled the F40 for the title of the 200-mph king.

Apart from these mainstream vehicles, many incredible '80s sports cars have mostly slipped away into the history books today. That's a real shame because some of them, such as the following ten, were pretty amazing.

10 Buick Grand National GNX

Buick-Grand-National-GNX
via americanmusclecarmuseum

These days Buick is mostly known for sedate sedans and SUVs, cars that go about their business with little fuss. However, in the not-too-distant past, they had a feisty monster in the form of the Buick Grand National GNX. The car debuted in 1987 and was the result of a successful collaboration with McLaren.

Buick-Grand-National-GNX
via americanmusclecarmuseum

The car's production run was limited to 547 units with each one powered by a turbocharged V6 that was officially rated at 276 hp and 360 lb-ft of torque. The car could rocket to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds making it one of the fastest production cars in America at the time.

9 1987 RUF CTR

1987-RUF-CTR
via youtube

RUF is a German automobile manufacturer that specializes in the development of high-performance cars using mostly unmarked Porsche chassis. In 1987, they came up with a punchy sports car called the RUF CTR 'Yellowbird'. It was based on the '87 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 to take advantage of the car's lightweight and low drag coefficient.

1987-RUF-CTR
via topcarrating

The bright yellow car was capable of hitting a top speed in excess of 210 mph; an incredible number for that period. That performance came courtesy of a twin-turbocharged flat-6 that cranked out 463 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque, considerable power for a car that weighed only about 2,500 pounds.

Related: 10 Things Everyone Forgot About The RUF Yellowbird

8 Lamborghini Jalpa

Lamborghini-Jalpa
via mecum

The Jalpa is hardly ever mentioned these days; a real shame because the car did have its good points. It debuted in 1981 alongside the LM001 concept off-road vehicle that ultimately spawned the first production Lamborghini SUV. The sports car was aimed at enticing people who couldn't afford Lamborghini's premium offerings like the Countach.

Lamborghini-Jalpa
via classic

Instead of a pounding V12, the Jalpa got a V8 that made 255 hp and 225 lb-ft of torque. That power was mated to a 5-speed manual and could get the car to a top speed of 155 mph. It had a 7-year production run, a period during which only 410 units were made. The public never really warmed to the idea of a V8 Lambo and the Jalpa was killed off.

7 Ford Mustang SVO

Ford-Mustang-SVO
via mecum

This 1984 Mustang was the first production car from Ford's Special Vehicle Operations team and was meant to challenge European high-performance cars like the BMW 3-Series. Almost 10,000 units were built during a limited production period that spanned 1984 to 1986.

Ford-Mustang-SVO
via mecum

The car relied on a turbocharged inline-4 engine that made up to 200 hp at its peak. The Mustang SVO showcased Ford's racing experiences with a completely reworked suspension, aggressive front and rear anti-roll bars, a beefy steering rack, and 4-wheel disc brakes.

6 Audi Quattro

Audi-Quattro
via goodwood

In 1980, Audi introduced this road and rally sports car at the Geneva Auto Show with an innovative permanent all-wheel-drive system. It was not long before the car community started to notice the car on the racing circuit as it racked up one victory after another.

Audi-Quattro
via hagerty

That 'Quattro' system was a huge competitive advantage as the car-dominated with supreme grip and precise handling. Power to all four wheels came from a 2.1-liter inline-5 engine that made 200 hp. That number had gone up to 220 hp by 1987, leading to an even more impressive performance.

5 Toyota Supra MKIII

Toyota-Supra-MKIII
via classic

The MKIII Supra will forever remain in the shadow of the legendary MKIV Supra a car that swiftly rose to fame and cult status especially following its portrayal in the Fast and Furious movie franchise. That's a fact but what's also true is that the MKIII was one of the best cars manufactured by Toyota in the '80s.

Toyota-Supra-MKIII
via youtube

The car came with the option of either a turbocharged or naturally aspirated powerplant, with 230 hp and 200 hp power outputs respectively.

Related: These '80s Sports Cars Are Cheap And Engineered To Perfection

4 BMW Z1

BMW-Z1
via bmwblog

As the name suggests, this is the first of the Z-Series from BMW. The Z stood or Zukunft and that translated to 'future'. It signified the intention of BMW to use the sports car as a testbed for various innovative technologies from its newly formed BMW Technik division.

BMW-Z1
via carpixel

The car was an immediate attention-grabber with its sleek design highlighted by doors that retracted downwards into specially designed sills. It was one of the first-ever BMW cars with a multi-link rear suspension and only had a single powertrain option - a 2.5-liter straight-six engine that generated 168 hp and 164 lb-ft of torque.

3 Porsche 944

Porsche-944
via mecum

The Porsche 944 was not quite at the level of say, the 911s but for an entry-level Porsche, it was still pretty decent. It evolved from the front-engined Porsche 924 with performance that was much more refined and easier to live with.

Porsche-944
via mecum

The 944 solved the power deficiencies of the 924 with a 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder engine that cranked out more than 240 hp in the top-end trims. The car also boasted impressive ergonomics and its 2+2 configuration meant it was quite practical as a daily driver.

Related: These '80s Sports Cars Are Perfect Investment Pieces

2 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z

Chevrolet-Camaro-IROC-Z
via mecum

The '80s witnessed the debut of one of the worst Camaros ever built - the infamous Camaro Iron Duke. However, this period also witnessed the introduction of a very fine example of the American muscle car, the Camaro IROC-Z.

Chevrolet-Camaro-IROC-Z
via mecum

The IROC-Z was introduced as an upgrade package for the existing Z28 model and the idea was to make the car even more performance-worthy. The package came with improvements to the suspension setup, port injection system, and a new wheel design.

1 Honda CRX

Honda-CRX
via hagerty

The delightful CRX was proof of Honda's excellence in building a fun sports car in a very price-friendly package. It was a car that could serve as a daily commute and just as easily slot into the role of a preppy sports machine.

Honda-CRX
via mecum

The car was powered by an inline-4 engine that made 150 hp and 112 lb-ft of torque in the MK2 trim. It was not a lot of power but the car balanced that nicely with a 2,000-pound curb weight and nimble handling.