It turns out that one of the most interesting innovations in the world of lightweight sports cars comes late twentieth century. During that time, car companies saw that changing safety regulations, new customer demands and increasing Competition From increasingly powerful sports cars had the effect that a variety of new concepts came onto the market. In addition, there was the threat of a ban on convertibles in the USA – which never came into force, but triggered further innovations for open-top sports cars.

While many traditional roadsters of previous decades already had their problems in the 1980s, a range of new lightweight sports cars were released. Some companies sticks with the well-tried front engine/rear-wheel drive design, while others came with different concepts: For example, they were also built with front-wheel drive, a mid-engine layout and clever removable tops. In the end, the definition of what a compact, open-top sports car could look like changed, without the driving fun of its ancestors being lost.

The sports cars from this period have had a lasting influence because mechanical simplicity was coupled with groundbreaking engineering decisions. It was all about balance, agile handling, light weight, and a design focused on the driver, not an excessive power output. Whether from Germany, Britain or Japan, or with new engine concepts: these cars rekindled the interest in an affordable sports car.

1. BMW Z1 (1986)

The 207 was born out of BMW’s desire to rejoin the niche market for two-seater drop-top roadsters left vacant by the famed 507 of the 1950s. It debuted in 1986 and was really an experiment that BMW used to test out how inventive the manufacturer was prepared to be in engineering this quirky little sports car. Under the unusual skin was a 2,494 cc inline six, that gave it a top speed of 140 mph (225 km/h), no wonder it accelerated well with such a light car! Rather than stick to an obvious formula the 207 proved you could have the best of two worlds.

Key BMW Z1 Features:

• Experimental German roadster design
• 2,494 cc straight-six engine
• Approximately 140 mph top speed
• Removable plastic exterior body panels
• Vertically sliding doors into body

One striking characteristic was that Z1 was made up of steel-chassis and bolt-on(easily removable) plastic outer skin, which means a damage and a specific panel could be dealt with as an individual part and not as one whole vehicle. Even more striking, still, were its vertically opening windows; this means that neither of its two seats, nor two passengers (or even one individual passenger), could get into or out the car if the two front vertically hinged door parts and lower body panel assembly were both fully lowered or at the very lowest travel-upward state; so each other door with its window being the part sliding into the lower side of the vehicle had been slid, thus the two persons (or only one) inside of it were possible to climb in or to jump out! With typicalBMW kidneys integrated into its bumper/ nose and molding of air-dam, ultimately, about eight-thousand customers opted for this roadster.

The driving environment built upon the Z1’s original focus on the creative in design. Generous, body-gripping sports seats helped to hold occupants in place during cornering, and all controls were conveniently placed in a driver-oriented design. The front suspension was sourced from the E30 3 series, but BMW devised a novel multilink system for the rear axle. Using some tried-and-true and some brand new bits, the Z1 has always occupied a unique place in a long line of German experiment in sports car building, with its novel doors, detachable body panels, quirky construction, and finely honed chassis.

2. Marcos Mantula (1984)

Marcos revived an idea of British sports-car that traces back to the 1960s, without abandoning all of its classic looks the Marcos received significantly more modern mechanical bits. Most importantly, the 3,947cc Rover V8 moved the lightweight sports car into the high performance realm. Though the bigger engine had added all sorts of performance, the cars surprisingly light structure had somehow retained its engaging characteristic of those old British sports cars.

Key Marcos Mantula Characteristics:

• 3,947 cc Rover V8 engine
• Approximately 150 mph top speed
• Lightweight sports-car construction
• Hand-built British manufacturing approach
• Convertible Spyder version available

Thanks to its big V8 and relatively light structure, the Mantula would top out at roughly 150 mph (151, officially), or 241 km/h. That meant it had a pretty fantastic power-to-weight ratio and a mechanical feel quite unlike the more factory-built and less unique performance cars coming out of more established Manufacturers in the 80’s. They also made it in a convertible Spider form so buyers still get some open air motoring and the similar performance traits, just with the wind in your hair.

What the Mantula proved is how a small British maker might still survive the race in a very traditional way old body, very new, very potent engine. With its distinctive body contours linking it back quite strongly to earlier Marcos, the Rover V8 under the hood gave it the pace to keep up on a straight line. It sought a place at the market not through its own sophistication or innovation but simply through a light body, a monster engine and direct mechanical feel, proving key to the progression of affordable, roadster-based V8 machinery.

3. Toyota MR2 (1984)

1984’s Toyota MR2 had proved it was possible to put sophisticated, mid-engine sports-car hardware on the market for the masses as a cheap, reliable unit. The light weight, two-seat coupe, the engine being a 1,587cc 16v straight-four, was happy to rev hard and was enough to propel it to 120mph (193 kph) and this engine mounted just behind the drivers shoulders achieved the superb balance making the MR2 feel far more expensive than the money it commanded, and far larger in size than the Toyota actually is, establishing it as an obvious sports-car-of-the-1980’s.

Key Toyota MR2 Characteristics:

• Mid-engine two-seat configuration
• 1,587 cc 16-valve engine
• Approximately 120 mph top speed
• Balanced weight distribution
• Accessible and dependable sports car

While perhaps not being the first mass market budget-friendly mid-engined sports car available it’s chassis tuning did make it one of the best execution of the mid-engine principle available. Toyota’s focus was to deliver razor sharp handling but with a degree of ride comfort allowing you to have a sports car capable on a twisted B-road without suffering discomfort around town. Together with its composed dynamic qualities and Toyota’s history of good mechanical reliability it truly stands out from the more difficult performance cars

A mid-engine configuration inherently stresses balance and agile cornering; having the weight center behind the driver means the car turns in sharply and predictably yet remains solid in the corners. The 16-valve, high-revving engine’s characteristics match this, offering spirited power without the need for a huge and costly engine block. Bringing together clever engineering, practical assembly, and attainable cost, the MR2 was a tour de force for the 1980s sport-car world and proved you didn’t have to spend a fortune to take advantage of advanced sports-car layouts.

4. Lotus Elan (1989)

The 1989 Lotus Elan represented one of the most unusual chapters in British sports-car engineering. It was Lotus’s first roadster since the 1970s and, more significantly, the company’s only front-wheel-drive sports car. The decision to send power through the front wheels represented a major departure from traditional Lotus thinking, yet the resulting roadster remained exceptionally engaging. Its sharp agility, responsive steering, and carefully developed chassis allowed Lotus to demonstrate that front-wheel drive did not automatically prevent a sports car from delivering an exciting driving experience.

Key Lotus Elan Features:

• Front-wheel-drive sports-car layout
• 1,588 cc Isuzu engine
• Turbocharged performance versions
• Approximately 136 mph top speed
• Peter Stevens exterior design

Power came from a 1,588 cc straight-four engine supplied by Isuzu. Most versions used turbocharging to increase output and provide stronger acceleration, while Lotus also produced a rare naturally aspirated model in limited numbers. The turbocharged Elan could reach approximately 136 mph, or 219 km/h, giving the compact roadster enough performance to compete with substantially more conventional sports cars. The combination of a relatively small engine, low vehicle weight, and careful chassis development kept the car aligned with Lotus’s long-standing focus on efficiency and agility.

The Elan’s appearance was another important part of its identity. Peter Stevens, who had previously worked on the Lotus Esprit, created a compact and modern profile with an aggressive stance and aerodynamic bodywork. The design moved away from the softer appearance associated with many earlier British roadsters while retaining compact proportions suitable for a lightweight sports car. Its unconventional drivetrain, Isuzu-sourced engine, turbocharged performance, and distinctive styling made the Elan an intriguing example of how Lotus was willing to challenge its own traditions during the late 1980s.

5. Mazda MX-5 (1989)

The Arrival of the MX-5 Introduced back in 1989, the Mazda MX-5 gave rise to a global wave of classic lightweight, open roadsters. Whilst designed to be similar to the original Lotus Elan both technically and stylistically, the Japanese giant took an entirely different, more modern approach and the aim wasn’t to build the fastest, slickest and all-powerful sports car, but the simplest, more enjoyable, lightweight, open top, compact roadster to drive. Powered by a modest 1,597 cc straight-four unit, it was enough to get the roadster up to an approximately top speed of 114 mph or 183 kmh with much of the effort focused on the driving experience and driver engagement.

Key Mazda MX-5 Characteristics:

• Lightweight two-seat roadster layout
• 1,597 cc straight-four engine
• Approximately 114 mph top speed
• Lotus Elan-inspired development philosophy
• Modern Japanese reliability standards

And in other ways Mazda set about conquering all those problems that had helped to render the little British roadsters more impractical to own over the years. There was added comfort, improved reliability and better consistency from the mechanical elements under the skin to compete with a lot of the other marques of top-down sports cars on the market those perennial oil drips and dodgy electricals were much improved in Mazda’s solution.

Nor did its popularity stop at the Japanese borders. In the U.S it was branded as the Miata and Eunos in its home market; but it was still one and the same machine: lightweight mechanicals backed by strong basics and centered, comfortable human accommodations, all packaged to deliver a responsive performance at an affordable price. And most crucially, it proved to a skeptical auto industry that there remained considerable desire on the part of an public at-large for the traditional simple two-seat roadster. As such it played a crucial role in the modern revival of the open sports car.

6. Power and Velocity Conversion Benchmarks

When comparing automotive specs from around world, you may find yourself having to switch between the imperial and metric units to make the change over. Power of an engine may be measured in both “horsepower” and “kilowatts” just as your car speed may be advertised in both mph and kph. Converting between these units can be handy if you wish to cross reference the figures for European based, Japanese made, British and American designed super or compact sports cars. As long as you can perform the constant value calculations to perform a conversion to and from a specific unit, then an American enthusiast interested in the figures from overseas would never feel alienated nor would a European designer trying to analyze technical papers from the UK/USA.

Key Conversion Benchmarks:

• 36 horsepower equals 26.47 kilowatts
• 36 kilowatts equals 48.95 horsepower
• 36 kilometers per hour equals 22.369 mph
• 36 miles equals 57.936 kilometers
• 36 centimeters equals 14.2 inches

Several automotive related calculations are readily available on the included technical benchmark set, as 36 unit comparisons were helpful. Power references that relate 36 horsepower to 26.47 kilowatt, and 36 kilowatt to 48.95 horsepower will come in handy for comparisons of car’s motor specification between automotive reviews in other languages, since their is not a universal specification standard in car’s. Having 36 kilometer to 22.369 mile references will help some with specification comparisons on older vehicle when original specification are referenced that include these units.

The following equivalencies also translate to dimensions and vehicle weight: The conversion provided states that 36 Kilometers would translate to roughly 22.369 Miles, whereas 36 miles would equal roughly 57.936 kilometers. The metric to imperial conversions work in reverse in the same manner whereby, 36 centimeters are equal to 14.2 inches (vs 36 inches equaling 91.4 Centimeters), and 36 Kgs are equivalent to 79.4 lbs as opposed to 36lbs which is equal to 16.3 Kilograms. For reference these benchmarks can help as the engine specifications, the external dimensions as well as the curb weight/performance of vehicles on the international market could compare.