Fast Coupes Of The Eighties And Nineties
Discussion
StescoG66 said:
s m said:
Loved these in my teens and would love to try one now
Om said:
The desire for more performance led to a black Toyota Supra Turbo (A70):
Bought just before a sweltering summer, my first car with aircon, my first car with pop-up headlamps, and really shifted in comparison with the CRX. I also discovered power oversteer. All of it. Electric reclining seats and spacious footwells. The things that car could tell... Lots of toys for its time - electric everything including the aerial. It even had cruise control - handy when doing 20mpg on the motorway...
My friend’s dad had one of these in 1990, his other car was a SAAB 900T16. One day me and my mate hit on the idea of taking the two cars for a spin around Chew Valley Lake - roads we both knew v well. It was fun, and definitely fast, esp across the south end of the lake where slowing for the sharp left hander at the end reminded us of our mortality!Bought just before a sweltering summer, my first car with aircon, my first car with pop-up headlamps, and really shifted in comparison with the CRX. I also discovered power oversteer. All of it. Electric reclining seats and spacious footwells. The things that car could tell... Lots of toys for its time - electric everything including the aerial. It even had cruise control - handy when doing 20mpg on the motorway...
We didn’t do it again - I think we probably did actually scare ourselves a little bit
Sticks. said:
AMGSee55 said:
I saw one at a car meet a couple of years ago and yes, it still had style, presence. The BMW 8 series similarly so. 
although I sometimes look at those earlier models of those, they are lower and more classic ofcourse and? maybe lovely for some sort of restomod use, although in NL they also had a racer with plate for the road for sale, not cheap but looked very nice and they got a pretty horse power out the renault engine, at some cost I guess ah this one, 280hp from that 2.7
I believe its completely restored, looks good.
more>
https://www.autowereld.nl/renault/alpine/2-7-v6-a-...
Om said:
I had one exactly like that too! Top Red, black cloth, pop out sunroof - only mine had the original teardrop alloys. Bought it from an BA 747 pilot - he advertised it in the Autotrader and I went round to his impressive pile in deepest Oxfordshire. His wife had popped out unexpectedly so he was left holding the baby - literally. He couldn't accompany me on the test drive with his newborn on his lap, nor could he leave the baby with my mate who had come with me, so he stayed at home and let me go on a test drive on my own - a total stranger in his immaculate MR2! Anyway I bought it and share every one of your comments - zingy engine, snikety gearchange and superb mid engined handling. I did manage to loose it giving it too much welly off a wet roundabout and slid about 200 m sideways up the A329(M). I was trying to impress a girl who just went white as a sheet and remained so for the rest of the journey. Unlike yours, mine had absolutely no stories to tell!
Dapster said:
I had one exactly like that too! Top Red, black cloth, pop out sunroof - only mine had the original teardrop alloys. Bought it from an BA 747 pilot - he advertised it in the Autotrader and I went round to his impressive pile in deepest Oxfordshire. His wife had popped out unexpectedly so he was left holding the baby - literally. He couldn't accompany me on the test drive with his newborn on his lap, nor could he leave the baby with my mate who had come with me, so he stayed at home and let me go on a test drive on my own - a total stranger in his immaculate MR2!
Anyway I bought it and share every one of your comments - zingy engine, snikety gearchange and superb mid engined handling. I did manage to loose it giving it too much welly off a wet roundabout and slid about 200 m sideways up the A329(M). I was trying to impress a girl who just went white as a sheet and remained so for the rest of the journey. Unlike yours, mine had absolutely no stories to tell!
There must be a whole Thread waiting to be written about Blokes , Cars and less than impressed Girlfriends Anyway I bought it and share every one of your comments - zingy engine, snikety gearchange and superb mid engined handling. I did manage to loose it giving it too much welly off a wet roundabout and slid about 200 m sideways up the A329(M). I was trying to impress a girl who just went white as a sheet and remained so for the rest of the journey. Unlike yours, mine had absolutely no stories to tell!
My own involves a TVR Cerbera that suffering from a “bad earth” point blank refused to start anytime a female was present along with a club or restaurant . Inevitably you would call her a cab whilst ignoring some kid in a souped up Nova on the usual pisstake
I loved my coupés, and was lucky enough to have the means when my company started to grow, and the first was this - a Manta hatchback from 1980. Not the quickest it must be said, but I loved the styling:-
From there I progressed to BMW's and the one car I would love to own again - and there have been many - was this 325i Sport from 1988. What a phenomenal engine it had:-
But a car that for its day was fast, comfortable and could carry four people in comfort was this - a Cavalier SRi from 1982. Of the affordable saloons, it was superb but then was the Jetta GLi from 1983.
I've had far more upmarket cars since, including an M6,two lynx D-types, Mercedes inclding a 380 SL and an XKSS, but maybe it is the passage of time but I still recall these three with pride
From there I progressed to BMW's and the one car I would love to own again - and there have been many - was this 325i Sport from 1988. What a phenomenal engine it had:-
But a car that for its day was fast, comfortable and could carry four people in comfort was this - a Cavalier SRi from 1982. Of the affordable saloons, it was superb but then was the Jetta GLi from 1983.
I've had far more upmarket cars since, including an M6,two lynx D-types, Mercedes inclding a 380 SL and an XKSS, but maybe it is the passage of time but I still recall these three with pride
Om said
The desire for more performance led to a black Toyota Supra Turbo (A70):
I had so much desire for one of these, as an avid fan of Knight Rider, to me it was Kitt for the UK. Another car I really hankered for was the Mitsubishi Starion. There was a wealthy solicitor down the road that had one, so much envy.
However, my funds did allow an Opel Manta GTE to grace my (parents) drive, identical to this but with 4 headlight conversion;
The desire for more performance led to a black Toyota Supra Turbo (A70):
I had so much desire for one of these, as an avid fan of Knight Rider, to me it was Kitt for the UK. Another car I really hankered for was the Mitsubishi Starion. There was a wealthy solicitor down the road that had one, so much envy.
However, my funds did allow an Opel Manta GTE to grace my (parents) drive, identical to this but with 4 headlight conversion;
Edited by Andy86GT on Thursday 20th June 08:19
In the early 80s, I went V8 and that meant American and I loved my Corvette. Girlfriend was embarrassed by it.
Following that, allied to a cold CSA period, it was America all the way. Brilliant value for money that you can't find these days
The Mustang cost me £500. The 1987 Z28 had T- tops and wasn't particularly fast with 175hp from it's 5.0 but the 1998 5.7 Z28 ran 13 seconds quarters and embarrassed many a so called fast car. Happy days.
Following that, allied to a cold CSA period, it was America all the way. Brilliant value for money that you can't find these days
The Mustang cost me £500. The 1987 Z28 had T- tops and wasn't particularly fast with 175hp from it's 5.0 but the 1998 5.7 Z28 ran 13 seconds quarters and embarrassed many a so called fast car. Happy days.
Edited by LuS1fer on Thursday 20th June 09:48
Has anyone mentioned the Isuzu Piazza? Giugiaro styling, "handling by Lotus". Rather a neat little thing that's forgotten about now.
As it wasn't based on an Isuzu saloon it's perhaps not a coupe in the sense that the thread was intended.
I had a Peugeot 406 coupe, the inspiration for my username. People who've never owned one don't realise how much they get under your skin. Having said that I'm not sure I'd want one now, even as a weekend car.
As it wasn't based on an Isuzu saloon it's perhaps not a coupe in the sense that the thread was intended.
I had a Peugeot 406 coupe, the inspiration for my username. People who've never owned one don't realise how much they get under your skin. Having said that I'm not sure I'd want one now, even as a weekend car.
On the subject of Opels, does the Monza count, even though it was originally introduced in the 70s?
Photo credit Kieran White https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.e...
Photo credit Kieran White https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.e...
lowdrag said:
I loved my coupés, and was lucky enough to have the means when my company started to grow, and the first was this - a Manta hatchback from 1980. Not the quickest it must be said, but I loved the styling:-
From there I progressed to BMW's and the one car I would love to own again - and there have been many - was this 325i Sport from 1988. What a phenomenal engine it had:-
But a car that for its day was fast, comfortable and could carry four people in comfort was this - a Cavalier SRi from 1982. Of the affordable saloons, it was superb but then was the Jetta GLi from 1983.
I've had far more upmarket cars since, including an M6,two lynx D-types, Mercedes inclding a 380 SL and an XKSS, but maybe it is the passage of time but I still recall these three with pride
Only one of those is a coupe, but the E30 & Cav SRi are both great cars, I owned examples of them too. From there I progressed to BMW's and the one car I would love to own again - and there have been many - was this 325i Sport from 1988. What a phenomenal engine it had:-
But a car that for its day was fast, comfortable and could carry four people in comfort was this - a Cavalier SRi from 1982. Of the affordable saloons, it was superb but then was the Jetta GLi from 1983.
I've had far more upmarket cars since, including an M6,two lynx D-types, Mercedes inclding a 380 SL and an XKSS, but maybe it is the passage of time but I still recall these three with pride
While possibly expanding the boundaries of the thread to include coupes that originated in the late 1970s, and / or are not particularly fast, I do miss the days when manufacturers - particularly Japanese manufacturers - would routinely offer a coupe version of their regular saloons / hatchbacks. I refuse to acknowledge the coupe status of 2-door saloons such as E21 / E30 BMWs, or SAAB 99 / 900s, but offer the following as examples:
Datsun / Nissan Cherry and Sunny:
Or the larger Bluebirds:
Honda had the Prelude:
Mazda had the 626:
Toyota seemingly always had a Corolla / Levin on sale:
And even Colt (Mitsubishi) got involved, with the Galant / Sapporo:
And finally, one I'd forgotten about, the Silvia-rivalling Cordia, here in turbo flavour:
Datsun / Nissan Cherry and Sunny:
Or the larger Bluebirds:
Honda had the Prelude:
Mazda had the 626:
Toyota seemingly always had a Corolla / Levin on sale:
And even Colt (Mitsubishi) got involved, with the Galant / Sapporo:
And finally, one I'd forgotten about, the Silvia-rivalling Cordia, here in turbo flavour:
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