The Golden Era of Supercars: Top Three of the ’80s

The 1980s was a time when the world enjoyed an economic boom and the 1970s was when the world experienced an oil crisis, gained some breathing space, and the Olympics were held for the first time in South Korea. Culture and art have become more diverse and popular as we enter a completely new era, creating an overall bright atmosphere.

This situation also appears in the automobile industry. Looking back to the 1980s, many models emerged that received excellent reviews in terms of design and performance and are still considered iconic models to this day. What are the three most beautiful supercars that captured the hearts of car enthusiasts around the world in the 1980s?

Continuing Ferrari’s Masterpieces, Testarossa Aimed at the US Market

The Ferrari Testarossa, a masterpiece created by Ferrari in 1984, is the successor to the Ferrari 250 and 512BB released in 1957. Because the engine’s cylinder head cover is red, it came to mean redhead and is often referred to as a beautiful supercar that remains in everyone’s dreams to this day.

Special effort was put into the American market and can be seen everywhere, with interior space secured by increasing the wheelbase. Moreover, practical aspects were not left out, including crash tests that conformed to U.S. national standards and optional features that were rare at the time. By placing the 5,000cc F12 DOHC engine in the midship, the maximum speed was capable of reaching 180 mph. This model is often seen in the media, appearing in the TV drama Miami Vice in the 1980s.

The Roots of Lamborghini’s Design, Wedge-Shaped Countach

The Countach is a V12 mid-engine supercar produced by Lamborghini and its second flagship model. Although it began mass production in 1974, earlier than the Testarossa, it was produced until 1990 and maintained its reputation for a long time. It is also the first model to use the scissor door, a feature of Lamborghini’s flagship model.

The Lamborghini Countach, which has an aggressive appearance with a straight-line design, is called the wedge-shaped design and has played a major role in Lamborghini’s design since then. It has a monstrous performance, with a top speed ranging from about 180 mph to 192 mph. Countach also appears frequently in the media, and characters who appeared to be from the upper class at the time are often seen riding it.

The Lotus Esprit, a British Car famous as a Bond Car

The last is the Esprit, an ultra-light sports car produced by British car manufacturer Lotus from 1976 to 2004. It is also famous for being a unique vehicle that only used pop-up headlamps from the first generation until it was discontinued. The Esprit, which has GT car tendencies, is equipped with a V8 twin-turbo engine and produces an output of 350 horsepower.

In the men’s romance 007 series, it often appeared as a Bond car and thrilled the hearts of men at the time. We covered three supercars that have been remembered for decades, boasting both a design that is now rare and close to art and monster-like performance.