Inspiring 80s cars (my opinion)

Just felt like posting something more interesting but all to do with 80s cars. In my life, I have only driven my family's past 1988 Nissan Pintara. That is a car i've driven built in the 80s era but anythings else, I haven't. That is my small confession. The reason i'm wanting to post this topic is to tell you how inspiring these cars are. I have been a regular Gran Turismo player mainly because of the variety of cars to take for a spin and buying some 80s cars have opened up my expectations on the way they go. One golden rule i'll stick to is not have driving aids on as I rely on the car's handling characteristics. But first, i'll talk about the Nissan Pintara.

R31 Nissan Pintara

Okay here it goes. This is a R31 model Nissan Pintara built from 1986 to 1989. They have a simple honest 2.0 litre electronic fuel injected straight 4 engine, a choice of a 5 speed manual or 4 speed automatic combined with rear wheel drive. As far as I know in terms of models, the Executive and GLI are the base models, the GX being the mid-spec and the GXE as the top-of-the-range model. They're nice cars to drive with plenty of power, comfortable driving, they're economical and last but not least, it's been proven durable to a test of time. And I enjoyed driving it as well.

Our past Nissan Pintara used to be a GX model so that had power steering, power mirrors, tachometer and a digital clock. It was also equipped with a manual gearbox and was a sedan. The colour of the car was cream until a major repair when it was painted teal green. It was a good memory to have and I should never forget.

We'll now look at in my opinions the cars in Gran Turismo 5 and 6 that defined the 1980s era.

1983 Mitsubishi Lancer EX 1800 GSR IC Turbo

1.8L straight 4 Turbo

Power: 114 kW @ 6000 RPM

Torque: 206 Nm @ 3500 RPM

Drivetrain: Front engined rear wheel drive

I had a go on this car when I first done so playing Gran Tursimo 4 when it debuted. It's a ripper of a small sedan especially if it's turbocharged. It's got good pickup and it handles nicely when driven properly. When you push through corners, it may tend to understeer but that car lets you know you're going too fast around a corner. However, this car has got a tight turning circle so it can zip through tight corners more easily. This car is also featured all through to the sixth installment of the Gran Turismo series.

1983 Toyota Corolla Levin GT-Apex (AE86)

1.6L straight 4 Naturally aspirated

Power: 92 kW @ 6500 RPM

Torque: 137 Nm @ 5000 RPM

Drivetrain: Front engined rear wheel drive

In Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec, I noticed an interesting body shape design similar to this but isn't this model. It was a Sprinter Trueno with the foldable headlights. This however is a Corolla Levin GT Apex. It's light, powerful and nimble and provides a great exhaust note. It's a great handler and once driven properly, it flows through the bends without noticing any oversteer. It's quite easy to drive this thing without much trouble. Even though this model is phased out, Toyota re-introduced a new rear wheel drive sports car, the 86 (called that in Australia) and it has had postive reviews and supply couldn't keep up with demand. This is how great this car is.

1983 Honda Civic 1.5 3door 25i

1.5L straight 4 Naturally aspirated

Power: 71 kW @ 6000 RPM

Torque: 118 Nm @ 4000 RPM

Drivetrain: Front engined front wheel drive

These kinds of Hondas are what defined their image. Japanese, reliable, good quality and fun to drive and this is one of them. I do like this Honda Civic as it's light and nimble and according to the information, it resembles a link between a sexy coupe and a practical hatchback all wrapped in one. Also, Honda at the time have a range of body styles to cater for different kinds of people. If they want a normal Civic, they could have a 4 door sedan. If they need a Civic with families in mind, there's a wagon version called the Shuttle. But if they're single, a couple or want a car for pleasure, there's this hatchback. To be honest, I really like these cars better than the new Civics today because I feel that Honda have gone backwards with making fun and reliable cars which has been missed. Why?

1987 Buick GNX 

3.8L V6 Turbocharged

Power: 200 kW @ 4500 RPM

Torque: 471 Nm @ 3000 RPM

Drivetrain: Front engined rear wheel drive

When I got this car as I was playing Gran Turismo 6, it's an interesting car. In an American muscle car, it's got power and torque but it handles the bends nicely and come to think about it, I would like it better than older muscle cars such as Chevrolet Camaros, Ford Mustangs and Dodge Challengers. With Buick's turbocharged V6, it may not sound like a V8 but it sounds decent. It's a good engine too and the wide ratio gearbox to match the engine's large amount of torque making it a cruiser and a grand tourer in one. These cars are not too unforgiving in terms of handling but in fact, they drive nicely.

1983 Honda City Turbo II

1.2L straight 4 Turbocharged

Power: 78 kW @ 5500 RPM

Torque: 147 Nm @ 3000 RPM

Drivetrain: Front engined front wheel drive

Another hot car from Honda is the turbocharged sports model of the City. When I drove it in the game, I realised it's such a cracker in terms of performance in a small city car. I really do like this car. Being a small light car, it can handle tight corners and with the small but turbocharged engine, it is great to have the extra power. I raced it particularly in the Sunday Cup races and it is competitive even towards more modern cars who have advances in engine performances. But who needs new cars to compete when there's this car?

1987 Lotus Esprit HC

2.2L straight 4 Turbocharged

Power: 157 kW @ 6000 RPM

Torque: 284 Nm @ 4500 RPM

Drivetrain: Mid engined rear wheel drive

This is what I like to call a poor man's Ferrari. But it's no Italian supercar. It's a Lotus. It's an awesome car to drive if driven carefully as it handles brilliantly with rapid acceleration. I do like mid engined sports cars but not the seriously powerful big engined cars like Ferarris, Lamborghinis and Paganis. You can still have fun with these kinds of cars with smaller engines as you feel the sensation of driving pleasure. I'm no V8 fan but I still like the idea of engines with fewer cylinders because after all, these sports cars are designed to be light and fun to drive.

We have learnt more things about 80s cars in what they're like to drive. I took the time to do so and I hope you enjoyed it. All the best!