Big hair, big style, synthesised sounds and cars with big personalities defined the 1980s. This was the time of trendsetting European supercar wedges, plus iconic American muscle coupes with raw power and presence. Cars were about performance, personality and the audacity of engineers and designers willing to give it their all.

At the heart of these flashiest of cars, some serious mechanical progression was found. Turbocharged engines, stripped weight, open-road aero and high-tech chassis development helped get it. The following 10 cars from the Lamborghini Countach and Porsche 959 to the Ferrari F40 and Vector W8 best epitomize the technological fervor and unique personality of 1980s high-speed motoring.

1. Lamborghini Countach

Though the Lamborghini Countach predates the 1980s, it is arguably the supercar most associated with the decade. The turbocharged Lamborghini, designed by Marcello Gandini, combined rule-breaking styling and ergonomics in an outrageously wedgy, mid-engined supercar. With ultra-low proportions, a wedge-shaped body and rear-wheel-drive, this was a vehicle that owned the road. And that was without considering those all-important doors which opened vertically or ‘scissored’ upwards. But it was not just about the eye-catching design – the Countach advanced significantly through the 1980s to earn an honorable place as a high-performance machine.

Countach Design and Engineering Highlights:

• Designed by Marcello Gandini
• Mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout
• Distinctive upward-opening scissor doors
• 5000 Quattrovalvole introduced in 1985
• Limited run of 610 vehicles

The Countach had been taken further down the path of evolution with the arrival of the 5000 Quattrovalvole in 1985. As well as moving the carburettors from the sides of the cylinder banks to the top of the engine bay to achieve better breathing, the Countach adopted the Bosch K-Jetronic fuel-injection system and fibre-glass body panels fashioned from Kevlar. Only 610 models were built, but by combining Gandini’s flamboyant styling and daring designer with seemingly endless mechanical upgrades, the Countach became a potent fixture of Lamborghini’s engineering adventure in the 1980s. Its styling and targa-inspired doors also laid the foundation for future vehicles from the Italian marque.

2. Porsche 959

The 959 of 1986-1993 was the evolution of the homologation basis for Porsche’s Group B rallying dreams, bringing a motorsport build philosophy that was evolved for the road with styling that was extremely difficult to define but encapsulates the best of a traditional grand touring car. Anyone buying one of the 337 built was to be receiving an extremely refined and sophisticated road-going machine, the fact it looked quite a lot like a traditional Porsche maybe the only thing that resembled the less well-thought-out Group B rally cars it could be mistaken for. This was certainly not a Porsche designed just for the road.

Porsche 959 Performance Highlights:

• Group B homologation development
• Produced from 1986 to 1993
• Twin-turbocharged flat-six engine
• 2.8-litre engine capacity
• Up to 450 horsepower

At the heart of the Porsche 959 was a twin-turbocharged 2.8-litre flat-six engine that delivered 450bhp. Such an impressive unit meant that the German coupe could deliver tremendous performance, with a handful of these production 959s rumoured to be capable of hitting the impressive top end of 211mph. Porsche’s development of this clever piece of engineering in motorsport, combined with real-world usability on the road, helped set the bar for what buyers could expect from an up-to-date grand tourer. While the 959 could comfortably deliver blistering acceleration and a top speed to rival the best sports cars of the decade, it also demonstrated that you could produce a great car with direct roots in racing.

3. Ferrari 288 GTO

The Ferrari 288 GTO was closely related visually to the popular 308 GTB but, mechanically, it was designed as a far more serious proposition. Built around an all-new 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine rated at 400 bhp, the 288 GTO marked itself out as one of the most rapid Maranello creations ever to leave the factory in period. While it shared the styling cues of the day, the engineering was much more geared up to the fast lanes rather than the country roads, and overfamiliar Ferrari lines masked a significant upgrade in performance technology.

Ferrari 288 GTO Engineering Highlights:

• Inspired by the Ferrari 308 GTB
• 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8
• Power output of 400 horsepower
• Focus on aerodynamic airflow
• Prominent rear aerodynamic wing

Among Ferrari’s new engineers at the time, a focus was on airflow, to ensure the mighty car would remained planted as it roared up to speed. Some aerodynamic detailing, most notably a large rear wing, generated downforce, made the car more stable at speed. Unlike other supercars of the era, this also had to drive well, beyond the simply being a way of fitting more power into a body: the GTO had to have reasonable road manners. Coupled with the twin-turbocharged engines, Ferrari’s aero tricks gave the 288 GTO a very unique position in the range of 80s supercars. This, too, is a key part of Ferrari’s own DNA.

4. Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato

The Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato combined British engineering with exotic Italian coachbuilding. The Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato made its concept debut as a sketch at the 1986 Geneva Motor Show, with its uncompromising squared-off nose and stark attitude setting it apart from many other exotic limited-production coupes. Some of the more traditional Aston Martin devotees weren’t sold on the design, but the coupe attracted buyers quickly. Its combination of exclusivity, stick with lightweight construction and performance-packaged body style was a unique package within the high-performance GT landscape, and with a limited number of cars, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato was a highlight of the decade.

V8 Vantage Zagato Exclusive Features:

• Designed with Zagato coachbuilding
• Concept revealed in 1986
• All-alloy V8 engine
• Twin-choke Weber carburettors
• Only 52 coupes produced

Beneath its deliberately-designed sculpted bonnet was a longitudinally mounted all-aluminium V8 engine, with a twin-choke Weber carburettor, power of 430bhp. Thanks to lightweight aluminium bodywork and a top speed of just over 300km/h, demand was strong even with an uncertain market, and all 52 coupes were sold. The individual cars were also increasing dramatically in value, with cars often selling for nearly half a million pounds by the end of the decade, as a combination of Aston Martin’s renowned engineering and Zagato’s stunning bodywork created one of the most memorable cars of 1980s motoring excess.

5. Ferrari F40

Ferrari built the F40 for the firm’s 40th year, and with its mid-engined coupé Ferrari abandoned luxury and chose instead to choose involvement behind the wheel. Rather than clutter the interior with comfort features the engineers stripped weight and made a driver’s connection to the machine as tight as it could possibly be. The Ferrari F40 was full of emotion, utilising a consistent performance mantra: go fast, feel every detail and get there as light as possible. It was a stand-out supercar that looked and felt as if it had been built for the ability to go fast, get around corners and attend to the road ahead, Ferrari’s unique formula for enthusiasm and speed.

Ferrari F40 Performance Features:

• Created for Ferrari’s 40th anniversary
• Mid-engined coupe configuration
• 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8
• Lightweight construction approach
• Zero to 60mph in 4.1 seconds

The powertrain consisted of a 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 that provided a quick burst of acceleration and propelled the car to 60mph in 4.1 seconds from rest. The focus on weight reduction meant comfort in the cabin was sacrificed for speed and driver information. As well as the turbocharged engine, the lightweight construction and handling track-oriented characteristics of the F40 produced a raw driving experience. Instead of giving the feel of a luxury car, Ferrari wanted to focus the car on the driving experience that it would be like to be in control of a potent car on the road or track and to highlight their engineering and technological ability.

6. Alfa Romeo SZ

The SZ was born out of a rather audacious partnership between the Italian design company, Zagato and Alfa Romeo. The wedge-shaped bodywork, with its striking, futuristic styling (even for the era) was unlike practically anything else on the road. While mechanically, the SZ wasn’t that far removed from its sister model, the Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT visually, they couldn’t have been more different and proved how radically different styling could be achieved with a given mechanical base. The Alfa Romeo SZ was a real talking point and, with its dramatic proportions and sharp bodywork, is something of a highlight of a very special Italian sports car.

Alfa Romeo SZ Design and Engineering:

• Collaboration with Zagato
• Distinctive wedge-shaped exterior
• Shared Alfetta GT components
• 3.0-litre V6 engine
• Precision-tuned sports chassis

The 3.0-litre V6 engine of the SZ was more than capable of giving the car the performance to back up its flamboyant looks. But the appeal of the SZ went far beyond its powertrain. Correctly set-up, the SZ’s chassis was capable of taking corners with the precision of a scalpel, engaging any enthusiastic driver in the process. The combination of V6 and chassis proved to be more than the sum of its parts: the SZ had all the character of the typical Italian sports coupe, and the amazing futuristic looks ensured that the SZ drew everybody’s attention before they started to appreciate its mechanical qualities. The SZ was a unique example of the unusual pairing of wild styling and excellent performance.

7. Buick GNX

GNX was proof that Buick was still capable of building European rival performance vehicles in the late-1980s. As a heavily upgraded, limited edition of the standard Grand National, the GNX took the American performance ethos even further down the muscle-car path than ever before. Its sinister bodywork was designed to make it look scary, while its turbine-like turbocharged engine was engineered to make it perform convincingly. In essence the GNX was designed for acceleration, spectacle and street performance, and was not in any way designed to satisfy the luxuriously-styled and comfortable segment of the marketplace it currently found itself situated in.

Buick GNX Performance Highlights:

• Based on the Grand National
• Limited-production performance model
• Turbocharged 3.8-litre V6
• Power output of 276 horsepower
• Dedicated handling improvements

Power from its black bonnet came courtesy of a turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 engine with 276bhp. And, even if you’ve missed it so far, that meant the GNX was an effective performance car, able to stretch its legs when it needed to. To really take advantage of that grunt, in fact, Buick dedicated some attention to manoeuvrability, and the GNX gained far more to it than being quick in a straight line. The combination of turbocharged speed and handling made it a surprising threat to European imported sports cars, and there was certainly nothing quite like the GNX’s mysterious looks. Perhaps Buick’s ‘rule-breaking’ formula was what made the GNX such a memorable car of the ’80s.

8. BMW M1

The BMW M1 purpose-built competition machine: Introduced in the mid-1970s, the BMW M1 was a purpose-built competition machine developed to comply with Group 4 racing regulations. Its origins date back to an inspiring arrangement by BMW with Lamborghini to create a top-of-the-line mid-engined sports car. The resulting mid-engined cars had a wedge-shaped design that set it apart from anything BMW had produced previously. Its exotic proportions showed that BMW could play in the premier league of mid-engined supercars, while BMW went to the extent of adopting the mid-engined configuration, with the engine way back behind the cockpit, for the development of the M1 rather than the normal front-engined layout of road cars.

BMW M1 Engineering Highlights:

• Developed for Group 4 racing
• BMW and Lamborghini collaboration
• Homologated mid-engined design
• 3.5-litre inline-six engine
• Power output of 277 horsepower

The M1’s 3.5 litre inline six engine generated 277 hp, with the performance to match its stirring lines. Tucked close behind the driver’s seat, the engine contributed to the car’s well-balanced proportions, and its race-inspired development gave the M1 its characteristic character with agile handling and a true motorsport flair. The M1 was a significant statement of BMW’s engineering capability, achieving the goal of bringing an exotic sports car to market with its own unmistakable engineering DNA. Italian bodywork, German engineering and racing DNA came together in the M1, one of the defining specialist cars of its era.

9. De Tomaso Pantera

First production of the De Tomaso Pantera took place in 1971, though the model remained in production throughout the 1980s and continued to be popular among performance cars throughout that decade. It was a model that combined Italian sports car appeal with the American V8, and offered a distinctive synthesis of these two different automotive traditions. The model was powered by a mid-mounted Ford 351 Cleveland V8 – giving it the muscle-car vibe that performance car fans craved while its sleek Italian styling helped to give it the sporty exotic appeal that American and European car fans appreciated.

De Tomaso Pantera Performance Features:

• Originally launched in 1971
• Production continued through the 1980s
• Mid-mounted Ford 351 Cleveland V8
• Italian styling with American power
• GT5 and GT5S versions introduced

Another big evolution occurred in 1980 when the Pantera’s chassis was redesigned starting at car number 9000. This signaled a new mechanical era for the car, along with the introduction of the GT5 and GT5S variants that featured nicely blended wheel arches and a much wider car stance that gave the car a still more aggressive stance. The revised styling made these later cars easy to tell apart from the earlier ones, while still maintaining the unmistakable identity of the car. Combining its Ford V8 with Italian design and the revised GT5/GT5S body, the Pantera was still a great looking exotic and a true American muscle car to boot.

10. Vector W8

The Vector W8 The Vector W8 was a bold attempt to build an American supercar with a cutting-edge styling and extraordinary performance. A follow-up to the W2, the Vector W8 was offered with an aircraft-style interior, exotic gullwing doors and high-tech features designed to ensure it looks nothing like other street cars. With its 1980s-obsessed, performance-hungry styling, the Vector W8 was designed to be a highly exclusive supercar that you would see on the streets with a red dot. As such, it is one of the rarest cars to emerge from that decade’s supercar frenzy.

Vector W8 Technical Highlights:

• Developed from the earlier Vector W2
• Only 22 vehicles produced
• Aircraft-inspired interior design
• Gullwing doors
• 6.0-litre V8 engine

Powering the car was a mid-mounted 6.0-litre V8 capable of giving 625 horsepower. With such a high-power output the Vector W8 was able to reach speeds of over 200mph making it one of the most impressive American sports cars of its time. However, a long development time and high manufacturing costs meant production failed to be carried out as a series manufacture for the company, although a limited production run of just 22 cars meant it was still rare in the car world. Despite never actually being regularly produced as a supercar, the V8 engine and its unique interior and retro-futuristic styling meant it remains a true American export with pride.