The 1980s was the decade that earmarked the mainstream acceptance of Japanese cars, and the proliferation of European performance sports cars like the Porsche 944 and the Ferrari F4 in America. It was the age of pop and a time when weird fashion was in vogue, and entertainment legends like Micheal Jackson and Madonna dominated the airwaves. It was also a golden era for carmakers, and many of the cool and iconic cars introduced in the 1980s are prized items for car collectors today.
Many of the great cars of that era are simply too cool for us to forget, and in an age where highly successful classic cars are being resurrected by carmakers, we will love to see a revival of some of the greatest cars of the 1980s.
Luckily, with cars such as the Acura NSX, Toyota Supra, and the newest Bronco, it seems carmakers have now started realizing the benefits of bringing back classic discontinued models. And some of the best cars they could possibly bring back hail from the '80s.
Here are 10 '80s classics we'd love to see brought back, as soon as possible.
10 Ferrari Testarossa
There are many universally beloved classic Ferraris, and if you were born in the '80s, the Ferrari Testarossa will be right at the top of your list. The Testarossa was designed to be a bigger Ferrari that was powerful enough to produce supercar performance and cheap enough to be relatively affordable. The Testarossa is big and luxurious, and its V12 engine produces up to 400 hp - which was comfortably supercar standard in the 80s. It was also produced in large numbers. More than 7000 units of the Ferrari Testarossa were delivered to proud owners by Ferrari.
9 Acura Integra
It is a sporty coupe with a 4-cylinder engine that produced up to 120 hp, and it was available in three and five-door variants - all for less than $10,000. Acura hit the jackpot in the '80s with the highly successful Acura Integra. The Acura Integra was the first cool sports car for many young Americans, and it soon became the car to have for a whole generation of car lovers who were looking for an affordable sports car. The Integra is refined and lots of fun to drive, and we believe its success should encourage Acura to try the highly successful Integra formula again.
8 Audi Quattro
The Audi Quattro is special. It was the first all-wheel-drive GT car to come out of Germany and during its reign, it was the ultimate rally car. The Audi Quattro gained its street creed when it registered three wins at the 1981 World Rally Championship in its debut season. From that point on, the Quattro became the dream car of many car enthusiasts. The Audi Quattro was well equipped for its rally car role. Its turbocharged engine will get the car from 0 to 60 in just above seven seconds and it will reach a top speed of 143 mph. This is one Audi model we will love to see again.
7 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
This Chevy was the perfect '80s cool muscle car. It was fast, sexy, and it came with that all-important removable top configuration that is necessary for open-top driving which was cool in the '80s. The IROC-Z gave customers everything they wanted, and they bought it in droves. Its performance specs are impressive, its V8 engine produced up to 220 hp which was impressive for its time and several car magazines even named the IROC-Z in their Ten Best Cars For The Year list.
6 Lotus Espirit S3
James Bond's Lotus Espirit S1 will forever remain one of the most iconic Bond cars, but it is not the only Lotus to appear in a Bond film. The Lotus Espirit S3 is that other Lotus, and it appeared in the "For Your Eyes Only" Bond Film. The S3 is quite possibly the best Lotus ever built as its lightweight built and impressive power makes it a joy to drive. The Espirit was built by hand and was tested extensively before each unit was delivered to owners. In 2010, Lotus teased a concept Espirit car, but, unfortunately, the idea was canceled.
5 Honda CRX
If you were looking for a reliable, fun, and cheap sports car in the '80s, the Honda CRX was your car. The CRX was perfect for budget-conscious sport car buyers, it packed a respectable 105 hp, it will go from 0 to 60 under nine seconds, and its impressive fuel economy will get you 50miles per gallon. Honda figured out how to make a budget sportscar fun to drive in the '80s and we reckon that if the Japanese carmaker puts in the necessary effort, it can make a modern CRX that we will have no choice but to buy.
4 BMW M3
It is one of the best driver's cars ever made and it is one of those rare gems that every true car collector wants to have. The BMW M3's incredible specs can be traced to its racing roots. At that time, the Federation Internationale Automobile (FIA) required those race cars should have street-legal variants and so BMW built the M3. The M3 with more than 200 hp at its disposal was so good it became a touring champion. If BMW is looking for any classic car model in its stable that can be rebooted for its nostalgic appeal, it can't go wrong with the M3.
3 Ferrari F40
For fans of the prancing horse marque, the Ferrari F40 was the ultimate Ferrari in the 1980s. Ferrari typically limits the number of units it sells with its flagship model, and only 440 units were planned for the F40. However, the demand for the F40 was so relentless, that the factory at Maranello kept producing new units until more than 1300 units were delivered to eager buyers. This no surprise, the F40 was a marvel. Its turbocharged V8 engine could output 471 hp, and it was capable of a whopping top speed of 201mph, faster than many of today's supercars.
2 Porsche 944
The Porsche 944 was exactly what the Porsche purists wanted. The 924's Audi engine and relative lack of power generated a lot of complaints and Porsche listened. Porsche equipped the 944 with a true Porsche 2.5-liter turbocharged engine that was bristling with lots of power. It generated up to 165 hp and will go from 0 to 60 in 8.3 seconds. The 944 was simply a much better car. It has sensational handling, it stops better, and it is so much fun to drive. The 944 was an astounding success for Porsche and more than 150,000units of the model were produced. If Porsche is looking to reboot a classic Porsche, the 944 should be at the top of their list.
1 Lamborghini Countach
Who doesn't love the cutting edge design of the Lamborghini Countach? The poster of this stunning marvel of engineering adorned the walls of many car-loving teenagers. Its design was unprecedented, with its scissors doors that looked like nothing we had ever seen and its sexy boxy shape, the Countach stood out among the other cool cars of the '80s. It also packed a lot of power and speed. It has a 5.3-liter V12 engine that produces up to 445 hp, making the car one powerful beast. The Lamborghini Countach retained legions of fans throughout its two-decade production run, and it wouldn't be short of eager buyers if Lamborghini chooses to revive the model again today.
Sources: Zeroto60, Automobilemag, Cheatsheet.com, Caranddriver, Classiccarandsportscar