Obscure supercars of the 80's and 90's

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I was born in 1990 so grew up with the likes of the F40, F50, McLaren F1 and Lamborghini Diablo on my wall in poster form as a kid.

Growing up around then was absolutely fantastic as a car nut, so many great supercars, sportscars, hot hatches, homologation specials and so on with many amazing racing series around as well.

With the boom economy of the late 80's and then the bust with the recession of the early 90's (and then later Asian crisis around '98 I think), loads of special, rare cars went unproduced with only a prototype or maybe a couple of cars made and then hidden away mostly for nobody to see.

Would be nice if we could get an idea of the different cars made and maybe where they are nowadays. Is anyone else a fan? They're so much more interesting to me than any of the current crop.

Here's a few to get started in any case.

1. Isdera

Mercedes-Benz revealed the CW311 concept in 1978 with Isdera founder Eberhard Schulz being part of the design team. MB allowed him to create a roadgoing version based on the design called the Imperator 108i

The 108i was released in 1984 with a 5.0 M117 Mercedes V8 though later versions had either a 5.6 or a 6.0 version of the engine, tuned by AMG. Production continued until 1993 according to Wikipedia.



Isdera later released another prototype/concept called the Commendatore 112i IN 1993. Fans of Need for Speed 2 will remember it well. Again Isdera reached out to Mercedes for the engine, this time a 6.0 V12 with 402bhp. Supposedly the car can reach 213mph which I presume is down to gearing and aerodynamics as 402bhp seems a pretty low figure for that speed.

Reportedly they made a second chassis in 1999 dubbed the Silver Arrow 112i with an updated engine and more power. This time it produced 611bhp and was good for 230mph though I doubt it's ever been tested. This was for sale on eBay around 2005 and then has been sold since. The owner appeared on Car passion but I can't find the thread where he said he had it.



2. Jiotto Caspita

Back in 1989, a fashion company called Wacoal backed the making of a supercar under the brand name Jiotto. The cars were made by the Dome company famous for Le Mans prototypes. The first prototype featured a detuned Motori Moderni flat-12 engine from the failed Subaru F1 project. It produced 450bhp and was supposedly good for 199mph.



In 1993 they produced a second prototype, this time with a Judd V10, again an F1 engine. This time with 577bhp.



Again I doubt ever car has actually been tested so any quoted figures are likely hypothetical. Both chassis still exist in museums. The 1989 silver car is in the National Motor Museum in Tokyo and the 1993 beige car is kept by Dome at their base.

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Baryonyx said:

Urgh, it seems this awful turn of phrase is getting everywhere now.


I love the Venturi Atlantique. One of the sexiest supercar designs ever, I would say. It's a shame it wasn't more of a success.

How would you phrase it? I just typed it subconsciously, perhaps you're right and it is everywhere.

Love the Altantique as well, not quite a supercar though.

The 400GT more so.

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Swanny87 said:

Matt UK said:

I''l plump for the Cizeta V16T, brought to my attention as a teenager player the first Gran Turismo series!

I wonder how easy it was to push it to the limit?

I highly doubt anyone has ever tried. Such a shame that these cars never get a proper run out.

Leins said:

XJR15

Here's the LM version to go along with it. 7.4 litres, 700bhp+ (supposedly 760)

Leins said:

Not quite a supercar maybe, but I love the idea of the Maserati Barchetta

Love the Barchetta too, the chassis design became the DeTomaso Guara

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Swanny87 said:

I guess you've never seen scarface? Giorgio Moroder wrote the soundtrack. I was making a hilarious (actually not very funny) reference to the song 'Push It To The Limit' on that soundtrack.

I've seen it once, a long time ago. Slightly before my time so Push It to the Limit is more relevant to me from GTA3.

Was aware that Moroder was a music industry man but had no idea he did the soundtrack for Scarface so it was lost on me, sorry

Anyways, another one that's pretty interesting. The Iso Grifo 90.

http://www.carguychronicles.com/2010/05/iso-rivolt...

They made a styling excercise in 1990 and a concept based on the C4 Corvette but it never went into production like so many of the other cars in this thread. Someones obviously a fan and made a few based on the C5 Corvette platform though. Good looking thing in a very late 80s/early 90s kinda way.



Petrolicious article here
http://www.petrolicious.com/resurrecting-the-iso-g...

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A few more.

1. The Lotec C1000.



Commissioned by either an Arab sheikh or oil baron (same thing probably) from the UAE in 1995. Lotec built this to be the fastest car in the world. Has a 5.6 litre Mercedes V8 (so many have probably the same MB V8 - M117 perhaps?) with two turbos. Supposedly good for 1000bhp and well over 260mph. Supposedly detuned at the minute to 800 or so but seen as it'll never get put on a dyno nor tested in anger then nobody will ever know. Has been at Barrett-Jackson and on eBay a fair few times over the last few years but pretty much always seems to be found at Lamborghini of South Carolina, or whatever the dealer is actually called.

Wish someone would buy it and lend it to a magazine to be tested.

Lotec later built this.



Has the 6.0 MB V12 from the early Pagani Zonda, SL600, CL600, etc. Again around 1000bhp allegedly without being tested and god knows what top speed.

2. The Monteverdi Hai 650 F1

F1 engined supercars were all the rage back in the late 80s it seems. This one has a detuned DFV V8 with 650bhp. Basically an F1 chassis too. Would be amazing to drive if they weren't just museum pieces.




Some sources say three built but you only ever see pictures of these two together.

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Leins said:

I think Dauer also produced some EB110 spin-offs. And of course these:




And then there was the Koenig version:

The Derek Bell Signature car:



And the DP Motorsport version:



And finally, more interestingly, the Schuppan 962CR:




I know they made six of these including the prototype that's been for sale the past few years. The bottom car has a traditional 962 front and side panels on it. Most are in or have been in Japan.

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fathomfive said:

Could we consider the homologation production models of the Group B rally cars?

RS200?
Lancia Delta S4 Stradale?

Go for it. Same for 90's homologation cars.

Three more from Monaco (who knew such a small place would produce such interesting cars)

The MCA GTB / Centenaire, Countach engined, supposedly only street legal in the principality. Spotted at Monza a few years back when MCA revealed a new car.



Mega (more famous for making horrible little electric stboxes under the name Aixam) created both the Monte Carlo



And more interestingly, the Mega Track



Another with a MB V8 (i think), over 400bhp, supercar performance....but 4x4 ride height and capabilities...as seen here with the aforementioned electric stbox

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Two more.

1. Jimenez Novia.



Looks like a group C racer, built in 1995 by one determined Spanish bloke, Ramon Jimenez. Basically four Yamaha superbike engines joined together to create a V16. Supposedly 560bhp and 235mph.

Sounds incredible in this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SIakh1Ud7k

2. Speiss TC 522.



5.7 litre V8 (perhaps a Corvette engine?), twin turbo, 500bhp and 211mph.

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RetroWheels said:

ash73 said:

Gillet Vertigo. This thing was awesome in Gran Turismo.

Remember the Soundtrack

"Waking up at twelve in my clothes again ..."

Edited by RetroWheels on Thursday 25th September 21:44

Feeder are synonymous with Gran Turismo and car related media in general.

Just a Day is absolutely one of my favourite songs.

In fact, because of Gran Turismo they're one of my favourite bands. Brilliant live FWIW.

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Ali2202 said:

Leins said:

Quite why that was never put into production is beyond me. Beautiful thing!

Probably the best looking thing Audi has ever produced.

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robinessex said:

This:-



Onlt 2 made I believe

Three.



Though the red and black ones often seen are full cars rather than a test mule.

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Terrible pictures but...





The Sethera Falcon concept, wasn't much of a real car but the design was honed into the Koenigsegg CC...

The story is here

http://theitalianjunkyard.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/s...

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paulshears said:

SturdyHSV said:

And going back to Need For Speed, the epic Italdesign Cala

There's one that works

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spVb3mbAyFI

It's a damn good looking thing, especially in motion.

Doesn't really look like a Lambo though.

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Suppose if you wanted to add the CLK-GTR you'd have to add all of these too.

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Not forgetting the three iterations of the 911 GT1.

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toasty said:

Autozam AZ-1 (OK not strictly a supercar but it did have gullwings).

This one got me thinking, remembered this.

The GReddy VI-AZ1. Based on the above though obviously modified heavily.

Tuned 20B rotary RX-7 engine by RE Amemiya, F40 brakes and 962 transmission.



Now looks like this.




Very McLaren F1 from the rear at least. Wonder just how quick it is, probably mental.

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One of these cars is up for sale at least, one of 6 Schuppan 962CR made.

Trust Bingo Sports to have it.

http://www.bingosportsworld.com/Inventory/#detail2...