Ultimate Sports Sedans
By the 1980s, sedans were so refined that open sports cars became the preserve of hardy enthusiasts; speed-seeking drivers bought sports sedans instead. The surge in popularity of touring-car racing led manufacturers to build homologation specials—road models adapted to meet racing regulations—that would put their marque’s cars at the front of the race grid. These limited-edition performance cars are highly collectable now.
Aston Martin Lagonda, 1976
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 5,340 cc,V8 |
| Top speed | 143 mph (230 km/h) |
A computerized digital dashboard and harsh wedge styling made the Lagonda seem futuristic in the 1970s. It took until 1979 for the first car to be delivered, the model truly coming of age in the 1980s.
Holden VH Commodore, 1981
| Origin | Australia |
| Engine | 5,044 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 125 mph (201 km/h) |
Holden of Australia built tough sedans with engines from 1.9 liters upward; its VH Commodores were successful locally in motor sport. The road version was known as the SS.
Rover 3500 Vitesse, 1982
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 3,528 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 133 mph (214 km/h) |
Simple mechanics, modern lines, and a light V8 engine helped the Rover SD1 become European Car of the Year in 1977; the Vitesse was the ultimate performance version in the 1980s.
Bentley Turbo R, 1985
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 6,750 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 143 mph (230 km/h) |
Rolls-Royce transformed Bentley’s flagging sales by introducing turbochargers, giving the marque back its sporting credentials: ultimate luxury with a big kick.
Maserati Biturbo, 1981
| Origin | Italy |
| Engine | 1,996 cc, V6 |
| Top speed | 132 mph (212 km/h) |
To expand the market for his Maserati marque, Alejandro de Tomaso launched this two- or four-door, turbocharged sedan; it drove well, but its staid looks and poor build brought down its image.
BMW M3, 1988
| Origin | Germany |
| Engine | 2,302 cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 143 mph (230 km/h) |
In making its E30 3-series fit for racing, BMW produced one of the iconic cars of the 1980s. Terrific performance and handling were matched by luxurious trim.
Vauxhall Lotus Carlton, 1989
| Origin | Germany/UK |
| Engine | 3,615 cc, straight-six |
| Top speed | 177 mph (285 km/h) |
Sold in mainland Europe as the Opel-Lotus Omega, this was a modified version of the standard Carlton sedan, with an enlarged engine and twin turbochargers to give phenomenal performance.
Audi V8 DTM, 1988
| Origin | Germany |
| Engine | 4,172 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 153 mph (246 km/h) |
The four-wheel-drive, 4.2-liter V8 brought Audi credibility as a maker of top-league sedans. This smaller 3.6-liter won Germany’s DTM race series in 1990 and 1991.
Ford Sierra XR4i, 1983
| Origin | UK/Germany |
| Engine | 2,792 cc, V6 |
| Top speed | 129 mph (208 km/h) |
A Merkur in the United States, this last rear-wheel-drive muscle car from Ford Europe could be exciting in wet conditions, but refined high-speed cruising was its forte, the bi-plane spoiler keeping it stable.
Ford Taurus SHO, 1989
| Origin | USA |
| Engine | 2,986 cc, V6 |
| Top speed | 143 mph (230 km/h) |
Ford ordered Yamaha engines for a planned sports car: when the car was canceled, the engines were put in the limited-edition SHO. The SHO was so popular it went into full production.
Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500, 1987
| Origin | UK/Germany |
| Engine | 1,993cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 149 mph (240 km/h) |
With 224-300bhp, powerful brakes, and huge spoilers, this turbocharged homologation special kept the Sierra at the forefront of touring-car racing; just 500 cars were made.
Lancia Thema 8.32, 1987
| Origin | Italy |
| Engine | 2,927 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 149 mph (240 km/h) |
Trimmed to the highest standard and hugely expensive, the Lancia Thema 8.32 was fitted with an engine from the Ferrari 308 sports car, modified to suit the heavier sedan body.
Volkswagen Golf Rallye G60, 1989
| Origin | Germany |
| Engine | 1,763 cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 134 mph (216 km/h) |
For those who thought the Golf GTI wasn’t quite fast enough, Volkswagen produced the supercharged, four-wheel-drive G60 for just one year, selling 9,780. Rather surprisingly, it was not built for rallying.
It is a quote. The Definitive Visual History Of The Automobile 2011
