Turbocharged '80s legends | Six of the Best
These days it's good to be a little bit humble - 40 years ago, not so much...
Ferrari F40, 1992, 11k, POA
Obviously the turbocharger existed long before the 1980s turned up. But much like free market economics, the technology only really hit its stride in Thatcher’s decade, partly spurred - in high-end performance cars at least - by the sudden dominance of forced induction in Formula 1. And boy, did those early years turn out some monsters. Case in point (arguably the definitive case) the brain-scrambling Ferrari F40. No need to regale you with the stories of its creation or lasting quality; we’ve all heard them because they’ve become integral to what it means to be a raw-edged supercar in the modern world. Suffice it to say, the frenetic 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged Tipo F120A V8 is an indispensable part of the myth-making. The car was introduced in ’87; we’ve selected this later example (reportedly the third from last ever made) simply because it was originally bought by a world champion powerboat racer. Which is undeniably cool. But they all are.
Audi quattro, 1989, 82k, £49,995
Talking of cool. If the F40 was the epitome of poster-worthy exotica, the Audi quattro was the face of vaguely attainable '80s performance. We say ‘vaguely’: it was hugely expensive when new - but that’s because it was hugely sophisticated (for its time) and only produced in low volume. Again, no introduction is needed to its backstory, and while it's principally famous for its WRC-conquering, name-bequeathing all-wheel-drive system, who could forget the 2.2-litre turbocharged inline five-cylinder motor that provided the offbeat soundtrack? Certainly not Audi. It remains a defining engine in the firm’s back catalogue. True, this ’89 example features what must’ve been one of the last 10v engines before the model earned four valves per cylinder, but it still ranks as ‘80s fast car aristocracy and is available for a fiver short of fifty grand. Bargain?
Porsche 944 Turbo, 1988, 53k, £23,000 - £25,000
If that’s too rich for your blood, how about this 944 Turbo currently up for auction on PH? The 944’s lineage isn’t as glamorous as the quattro’s - its gestation involved a bit of push and pull as Audi and VW jockeyed for position when it came time to replace the jointly developed 924 - but by the time Porsche dropped a turbocharged, 220hp version of its 2.5-litre four-pot into the engine bay, it was already a legend in its own city boy lunchtime. Also, is it just us or is the 944 looking better than ever? Arguably it is high-spec 968s - the Club Sport among them - that represent the high watermark for Porsche’s front-engined styling efforts, but the Turbo looks mighty fine in 2024 sunshine. Perhaps it’s the Nautic Blue Metallic paint. Or the period-specific, note-perfect cabin. Either way, the guide price suggests it will cost half as much as anything else listed here. And that feels like good value.
Lotus Esprit Turbo HC, 1987, 69k, £49,995
If the 944 speaks to the decade it was sold in, then the turbocharged S3 Lotus Esprit is a Super Bowl halftime ad for Macintosh. Sure, its wedge-tastic design originated from the ‘70s and by ’87 Peter Stevens was ready to usher in the more rounded X180, but there’s something about the car’s middle period that conjures up Square Mile excess. Or perhaps it’s the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance of a bronze-coloured Esprit Turbo in For Your Eyes Only. With skis mounted on it. And Roger Moore driving. The one we have here is not the Essex-spec model but rather the later and very slightly punchier HC (as in High Compression). And doesn’t it look a picture in ice blue metallic? Alternatively, if it must be the Essex or nothing, the same Lotus specialist has a white one of those, too. You’ll pay a little more for it, but get to play Bond while driving. Just remember to loosen up those eyebrows.
Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R, 1990, 58k, £49,995
We’re pushing the limits of the decade to squeeze the R32 Skyline GT-R in here, but on the basis that it started production in the summer of ’89, we’re going to allow it. Mostly because the car is hugely famous, a) for kickstarting the recognisable GT-R template that exists to this day; b) for its overwhelming, Godzilla-styled success in Japanese touring car; and c) for introducing the RB26DETT 2.6-litre twin-turbo straight-six, an engine almost as well-known as the model it powered for 13 years. That renown, of course, is partly a result of its reputation as a formidable base for aftermarket tuning. Accordingly, many if not most are now outputting numbers a long way north of 280hp - as this one is, a serious going over apparently resulting in 600hp. But that’s par for the course and arguably part of what you’re buying into. Time to see what all the fuss is about?
Ruf 911 BTR, 1989, 2k, €549,900
We make no apologies for featuring two Porsches here. Because this one is a Ruf. And honestly too lovely to leave out. Naturally it helps that this example looks very much like a 930 (the original 911 Turbo and another standout model in a loadsamoney decade of excess) but of course it isn’t one, it’s a BTR. According to the vendor, it started life as a Carrera 4 before being immediately whisked to Pfaffenhausen for its transformation, which presumably involved the installation of Ruf’s 374hp 3.4-litre turbocharged flat-six. Back in the mid-‘80s (and before the legendary CTR appeared to viral acclaim) that output made it one of the quickest cars in the world. This one has spent practically all its life being used very sparingly indeed by a collector. Which means it’s virtually as new, and therefore worth half a million quid. Still, when we said ‘legends’, we meant it.
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