Mighty and the mite

Unashamed supercars of the 70s and 80s, versus modern-day family sedans and estates "� would that be an unequal battle? Maybe not

The old order changeth, yielding place to the new. And with performance cars, the old order not only changeth, sometimes it gets its face rubbed in mud.

Big engines, turbochargers, more cylinders than you could count on all your fingers and impressive horsepower numbers "� supercars of old had them all.

And the brute performance of those supercars could have escaped us forever, for this is a new world "� an age of ecology-conscious manufacturers (even if that consciousness is forced upon them), petulant governments and damage claim lawsuits.

Yet, that has not happened. Somehow, the performance car manages to live on. Only, it has changed form. Instead of the overt, exuberant "supercar", performance stalks in stealth.

It creeps up on unsuspecting family sedans and matronly-looking estates, which are suddenly transformed into giant-slayers.

And without much more ado, let's have a look at some greats from the past, and see what ordinary modern car could possibly take them on. Incongruous? Maybe. Interesting? Certainly...

THEN

Ford GT 40 mk III (1967 - 68):

The definitive 'super Ford', perhaps the greatest car ever to wear the American blue oval. The ingredients? You'd be impressed.

A 4700 CC V8, 306 horsepower (444 bhp in full blown racing trim), and 217 kph top speed. The GT40 was designed as an endurance racer, and won the Le Mans every year from 1966 to 1969.

Only 107 of these cars were built, of which a princely seven (designated the mk III) were intended for road use. Oh yes, the GT40 was so good, Ford is building new ones this year.

DeTomaso Pantera GT5 (1974 - 93):

A rather dramatic looking mid"�engined coupe, the Pantera shouted supercar from every angle. A 5763 CC V8 (sourced from Ford), 350 horsepower, and a top speed of around 256 kph bode well for the poor man's Countach.

It would accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in 5.5 seconds and to 160 kph in 13.5, but had a worrying tendency to lift its front end at speeds of 190 kph and above.

The GT5 wasn't exactly a paragon of reliability "� Elvis Presley drove one, and shot his car when it wouldn't start. Then again, maybe he was just having a bad cheeseburger day.

Porsche Turbo Carrera (1976 - 77):

Even now, 4.9 seconds is not a lot of time to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph. And the Turbo Carrera was doing that in the mid-70s.

Credit went to its 3000 CC turbocharged flat"�six, which produced 234 bhp, and blasted the lithe Porsche to a top whack of 250 kph. This car (model number 930) was known as the 911 Turbo in Europe and Turbo Carrera in the US, and was famous for its huge 'whale tail' spoiler at the back.

But even the said whale tail (plus adjustable Koni suspension system) were not enough to quell the Turbo's propensity for massive oversteer, and the car acquired something of a wild child reputation for itself.

For all its potential capacity to create trouble, maybe it's just as well that only 2873 of these cars were ever made.

BMW M1 (1978 - 1980):

They only have Chris Bangle now (couldn't resist taking a poke at the designer who's ruining BMW cars), but back then, they had Giorgio Giugiaro at Italdesign who designed the wedge-shaped M1.

The BMW supercar had a 3453 CC, DOHC inline"�six that mde 227 horsepower, which was enough for a 261 kph top speed and 5.4 second 0 to 100 kph time.

The M, you see, is for 'Motorsport GmbH', hence the car's performance worthiness. And the M1 was more exclusive than any M3 or M5 "� a mere 457 were built.

Chevrolet Corvette ZR 1 (1990 - 95):

When it's the ZR 1, it's okay to put the words 'American' and 'sports car' all in the same sentence. Before you smirk, consider the Chevy's 5700 CC DOHC V8, 405 horsepower, 287 kph top speed, and 4.7 second 0 to 100 kph time.

Performance was so brutal that the ZR 1 had a console-mounted 'valet key' which let it run at half power "� presumably to prevent clueless parking lot attendants from smashing one senseless.

Only 6939 ZR 1s were built, and to this day, it remains a laugh in the face of anyone who only associates American cars with gas guzzlers and the colour beige.

NOW

Volvo S60R:

A four-door Volvo, against the Mk III (road going) GT 40? Surely, it's madness then? Aren't Volvos known for safety and staid practicality? They are.

But then again, there's the S60R, that's fitted with a 2521 CC DOHC turbocharged inline-five. Power, at 300 bhp, is only 6 down on the mighty GT 40, though top speed, at 248 kph, is a good 31 kph higher.

And while we are on the subject of top speeds, even the 141 bhp Toyota Camry sold in India will do 221 kph, so there!

Jaguar S-type R:

Often dismissed by purists as being unworthy of the Jaguar badge, the S-type has had to fight to make a mark. And with supercharging, made a mark it sure has. How does 400 horsepower in a four-door saloon sound?

The cat gets off the line quick, gets to 100 kph in 5.3 seconds (0.2 less than the Pantera), and has a top speed of 250 kph (a mere 6 kph down on the Pantera).

Unlike the Pantera, the S-type R doesn't lift the front end at high speeds, and will start without fail every morning. Rumour goes that Elvis (who's still alive and well of course) is contemplating purchase.

Mini Cooper S Works:

What a laugh this is, the humble Mini up against a mighty Porsche. The Cooper S Works may be nowhere near as exotic as the Turbo Carrera, but it has a 1598 CC four-pot engine that makes 200 horsepower "� only 34 less than what the Carrera's much bigger 3000 CC six-cylinder engine used to make.

The little hottie takes 7.3 seconds to get to 100 kph (as opposed to 4.9 for the Carrera), and top speed is 225 kph (against 250 kph for the Porsche), but the Mini doesn't lag too far behind in the fun-to-drive stakes, and is vastly more affordable and accessible.

The only downside seems to be that women think the Mini's "cute", which is less than what they'd say about a Turbo Carrera.

Saab 9-5 Aero Estate:

Another Swedish car, and an Estate at that. But get this "� the 9-5 has a 230 bhp engine that blasts it from 0 to 100 kph in around 7 seconds (our own Indian Corolla does the 0 - 100 in 8.06 seconds, just to put things in perspective), and the car will do 238 kph without breaking sweat.

In absolute terms, the 9-5 Aero is a whisker behind the M1 when it comes to performance numbers, but bear in mind that the latter was a purpose-built sports car while the Saab is a mere Estate, without any 'Motorsport GmbH' wizardry.

BMW 760 Li:

Limo against sports car? The ugliest BMW of all time it may be, but the 7-series has its talents. And one of those talents is a monstrous 5972 CC V12, that puts out all of 455 horsepower, which propels the uber-capitalist Beemer from 0 to 100 kph in 5.6 seconds, and on to a top speed of 250 kph.

Though the big Beemer is slightly off the ZR 1's acceleration and top speed times, it can seat five people, is vastly more comfortable, and thanks to a profusion of hi-tech gizmos, far safer as well.

Just think about it "� would the ZR 1 ever let you take four of your chubbiest friends along with you on a 250 kph blast down the local Autobahn...?