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The new Camry TRD. Looks fast but only 300hp. Runs the same speed as my 2.7 ecoboost F150

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Mitsubishi Starion and Chrysler Conquest come to mind as slick looking cars but still fell behind the rest of the 80's vehicles.

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/96423/1988_chrysler_conquest_1551804629a42a7ce-1590052.JPG

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First car I owned, one year after joining the military, was an 1983 Camaro with the LG4 305 cu in. V8. 8.6-1 compression, 150hp, 240ft lb of torque. I believe the differential was geared at 3.08. 0-60 could be measured in minutes. Full throttle, the engine sounded like whaaaaaaaaa. Unimpressive.
Bought it brand new ($14,110 final price, after 4yrs financing) with the standard garbage GM 12 month, 12k miles warranty. Engine started leaking oil right after the warranty expired. The engine would die at idle if the AC was on. Various plastic parts became loose. Lots of body noise.
I eventually replaced the engine with a warm 327. While the acceleration was night and day, it still wasn't quick, by any stretch of the imagination. Drove it for 16 years.
https://i.imgur.com/twSN48d.jpg
The wife had a mustard 78 Mustang II with the 302W engine with 140hp. The car "felt" quick probably because of the 4sp manual transmission, but it had transmission issues the whole time we owned it, randomly refusing to go into gear (usually at stop lights), and the brakes locked up if pressed too hard, sending the car into a spin. No pics of that car.

At the same time, I bought a project 1967 RS/SS Camaro car to restore. It eventually became the fun beast to drive, while the '83 Camaro and its replacement, a Grand Am, were the daily drivers. I kept the '67 until 2009 and it got me hoked on high horse power since it was making 427hp from it's small block 355.
https://i.imgur.com/rYStnR1.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/38OEIob.jpg
Sold the '83 Camaro and bought a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am GT with the 3400 V6. 175hp, 200ft lb torque. Nice looking car, but still a slug. At exactly 100k miles, it began to fall apart in typical GM fashion - electrical problems, window motors died, engine began leaking oil, seal leaks, intake vacuum leak, etc.
https://i.imgur.com/xpFkvH6.jpg
I eventually sold both and bought a 2007 BMW 328i a few years after I retired from the military and began making decent money. 231hp, 200ft lb of torque. A few mods and it was over 250hp. Still 173hp less than the '67 and while still not a quick car, it had brisk acceleration, handled like it was on rails and got incredible gas mileage - 37mpg and over 500 miles on one tank of gas one time. I drove the shit out of that car for over 150,000 miles. Everything on it still worked and the body was tight - no noises. Other than normal wear and tear, it gave me few issues and cemented the fact I'd never own another American made car again. It wasn't just because of the Camaros and Mustangs...we've also had a Dodge Minivan and a Ford Escort. Keep in mind I was enlisted in the military so my pay was not up to owning "nice" cars. All US made cars I've had turned out to be garbage.
https://i.imgur.com/Blw2dF4.jpg
Now that I'm older and can afford it, I upgraded to an M4 Competition. A few mods to bring it well over 450hp. A fun, fuckin' psychotic, animal to drive.
https://i.imgur.com/XALNLul.jpg?2

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For reference, how old are you?

Because that's literally all there was back in the 80's. GM was NOTORIOUS for this.

Put some lipstick on the pig, sell it as a performance version, but without the performance.

Let me give you some examples:

Chevrolet Celebrity...140hp V6:

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.K5EFsRvUr1Vah6AmHm7VZgHaEQ%26pid%3DApi&f=1

Chevrolet Celebrity Eurosport VR...140hp V6:

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.cb4MEk2nspfDx3L64oxbNQHaDQ%26pid%3DApi&f=1

Pontiac Bonneville...165 HP V6:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/1987_Pontiac_Bonneville_SE%2C_rear_left.jpg/1280px-1987_Pontiac_Bonneville_SE%2C_rear_left.jpg

Pontiac Bonneville SSEi...165 HP V6:

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fcarphotos.cardomain.com%2Fride_images%2F1%2F1825%2F4721%2F4562360001_large.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Heck, the first Fiero was a fast looking turdbucket that couldn't get out of it's own way. By that time, the "phone-it-in" attitude was very much in effect at GM. They put the Iron Duke in EVERYTHING, and proceeded to stick racing stripes all over the outside.

A buddy of mine's dad had a Pontiac 6000, which was supposed to be Pontiac's competitor to the European sedans. It had the Iron Duke in it. Funniest part is, when you lifted the hood, there was an emblem on the engine that said, "Tech 4". Because fuel injection. Car and Driver called it "Low Tech 4".

88 horsepower in a car weighing 2800 lbs is hilarious, if you're not the one driving it. It was so bad that when my buddy's Chevette broke down, he was glad when it was finally fixed so he no longer had to drive the 6000....lol.

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I can remember Car and Driver and other car rags of the day saying this is what the 1982 generation Camaros should have been, smaller, lighter, v-6 powered, etc, etc.  They were wrong then and now.

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all wrx's and lexus.

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Cavalier Z24  

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Cavalier Z24