1980 Ford Thunderbird, Fastest Cars of 1980
1980 Ford Thunderbird

Fast is a relative term. For 2017, there are a number of vehicles that will make the mad dash from a dead stop to 60 mph in three seconds or less. Count the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Ferrari 488 GTB, and Porsche 911 Turbo among them.

While the pace of life may have been no slower back in 1980, the vehicles certainly were. To demonstrate this fact, we have amassed the ten fastest-accelerating cars of that year, as tested by Consumer Guide®.

 Note that this list contains only cars tested by Consumer Guide, thus no Porsche or Lamborghini products are represented. Perhaps as expected, Corvette tops the list, though the appearance of an imported Ford econobox may surprise some folks. Credit that car’s bantam-class curb weight and rather low axle ratio.

 If you have had the pleasure of spending time with any of these vehicles, please tell us about it. We’d like to know more about what it was like to be fast—1980 style.

Diesel Doldrums: The 7 Slowest Cars of 1980*

 

Chevrolet Corvette: 8.0 Seconds

1980 Corvette, 0-60
1980 Chevrolet Corvette

Body Type Tested: 2-door coupe

Curb Weight: 3519

Engine: 195-horsepower 350-cubic-inch V8

Transmission: 4-speed manual

Axle Ratio: 3.07:1

 

Mazda RX-7: 8.7 Seconds

1980 Mazda RX-7
1980 Mazda RX-7

Body Type Tested: 2-door coupe

Curb Weight: 2385

Engine: 100-horsepower 70-cubic-inch 2-rotor Wankel

Transmission: 5-speed manual

Axle Ratio: 3.90:1

 

Pontiac Firebird Trans Am: 8.8 Seconds

1980 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
1980 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

Body Type Tested: 2-door coupe

Curb Weight: 3540

Engine: 205-horsepower 301-cubic-inch turbocharged V8

Transmission: 3-speed automatic

Axle Ratio: 3.08:1

 

Datsun 280ZX: 9.2 Seconds

1980 Datsun 280ZX
1980 Datsun 280ZX

Body Type Tested: 2-door coupe

Curb Weight: 2825

Engine: 132-horsepower 168-cubic-inch six

Transmission: 5-speed manual

Axle Ratio: 3.36:1

 

Chevrolet Camaro: 9.5 Seconds

1980 Chevrolet Camaro
1980 Chevrolet Camaro

Body Type Tested: 2-door coupe

Curb Weight: 3451

Engine: 130-horsepower 305-cubic-inch V8

Transmission: 4-speed manual

Axle Ratio: 3.08:1

The 12 Fastest Cars of 1983*

 

Ford Fiesta: 10.4 Seconds

1980 Ford Fiesta
1980 Ford Fiesta

Body Type Tested: 2-door hatchback

Curb Weight: 1776

Engine: 66-horsepower 98-cubic-inch four

Transmission: 4-speed manual

Axle Ratio: 3.58:1

 

Oldsmobile Omega: 11.0 Seconds

1980 Oldsmobile Omega
1980 Oldsmobile Omega

Body Type Tested: 4-door sedan

Curb Weight: 2655

Engine: 115-horsepower 173-cubic-inch V6

Transmission: 4-speed manual

Axle Ratio: 2.84:1

 

Mercury Capri RS: 11.1 Seconds

1980 Mercury Capri RS
1980 Mercury Capri RS

Body Type Tested: 2-door hatchback

Curb Weight: 2655

Engine: 115-horsepower 173-cubic-inch V6

Transmission: 4-speed manual

Axle Ratio: 2.84:1

 

Ford Thunderbird: 11.8 Seconds

1980 Ford Thunderbird
1980 Ford Thunderbird

Body Type Tested: 2-door coupe

Curb Weight: 3270

Engine: 133-horsepower 302-cubic-inch V8

Transmission: 4-speed automatic

Axle Ratio: 3.08:1

 

1980 Buick Riviera: 11.8 Seconds

1980 Buick Riviera, Fastest Cars of 1980
1980 Buick Riviera

Body Type Tested: 2-door coupe

Curb Weight: 3762

Engine: 185-horsepower 231-cubic-inch turbocharged V6

Transmission: 3-speed automatic

Axle Ratio: 2.93:1

The 12 Slowest Cars of 1983*

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