The 1980s were a radical decade for films, music, and much more. For cars? Not very much. However, there was one innovation that ended up going mainstream during the 1980s and that was the turbocharged engine. This allowed several production sports cars to achieve great speeds and breach records set by previous cars. Let's have a look at some of the fastest turbocharged cars of the 1980s.
Photo Credit: upload.wikimedia.org
The success of turbocharging in Formula One prompted Ferrari to introduce it to the 288 GTO's 2.5-litre V8 engine. This allowed the car to achieve a top speed of 304kmph, making it one of the fastest street-legal production cars of its time.
Photo Credit: upload.wikimedia.org
In 1989, the Japanese company revived the Skyline GTR with the R32 model. With its 2.6-litre RB26DETT-powered engine, the car managed to generate 280 horsepower. It was a 2-door coupe that was designed with Ground A class racing in mind.
Photo Credit: upload.wikimedia.org
The Porsche 944 Turbo was quite unreliable but the fact remains that it was one of the fastest turbocharged cars of the 1980s. It was capable of going from 0 to 100kmph in just over 6 seconds and could achieve a top speed of 261kmph.
Photo Credit: upload.wikimedia.org
Another Ferrari from the 1980s that came with a turbocharged engine was the F40. Upon its launch, it was Ferrari's fastest, most powerful, and most expensive car for sale. Only 1,315 models were manufactured and one of those that belonged to Formula One driver Nigel Mansell was sold for the record price of £1 million in 1990. The top speed of this ride was 321kmph.
Photo Credit: upload.wikimedia.org
If that shape seems familiar it's because the Ruf CTR was based on the Porsche 911. The 3.2-litre engine of the said car was enlarged and tuned, while its body panel was lightened. A roll cage and upgraded suspension and braking systems were also introduced. Launched in 1987, the Ruf CTR could breach the 339kmph mark thanks to its powerful turbocharged engine.
Photo Credit: upload.wikimedia.org
German carmaker Alpina took another German machine, the BMW 5 Series E34 and turned it into an absolute monster of a car. They did that by replacing the stock pistons on the BMW M30 engine with forged Mahle units and installing two Garrett T25 water-cooled turbochargers. At the time of its manufacture, it was the fastest production sedan in the world, with a top speed of 290kmph.
So although the decade was devoid of many iconic machines, this list of fastest turbocharged cars of the 1980s proves that the turbocharging revolution allowed cars of the future to push the limits of speed further.
