Top 15 Affordable Sports Cars of the 80s

Today’s automotive industry offers very few choices when it comes to affordable sports cars. However, in the 80s and 90s, a significant number of manufacturers sold low-priced coupes and convertibles that provided great bang for the buck. Here are our favourite affordable sports cars sold when acid-washed jeans, hairy glam rock bands and Max Headroom were all the craze.

Chevrolet Camaro
Introduced for the 1982 model year, the third-generation Camaro was available in coupe and convertible body styles with a slew of engines, including a rather unexciting 2.5-litre four, but V6 and V8 engines were also offered at affordable prices. The early Z28 versions made do with a 5.0-litre V8 that developed between 145 and 165 horsepower, but over time, output increased to 230 hp in the IROC-Z editions, while a 5.7-litre V8 with 245 hp and 345 pound-feet of torque was available as well.

Chevrolet Cavalier Z24
Forget about the regular Cavalier and its economy-car demeanour, we’re talking about the sporty Z24 edition that was offered in coupe and convertible body styles during the second-generation run from 1988 to 1994. It immediately caught our attention with its Coke-bottle shape, two-tone paint job and melodious 2.8-litre V6 that developed 125 or 130 horsepower, depending on model year.

Dodge Conquest/Mitsubishi Starion
We confess: the Conquest and Starion were never sold in Canada. But they were available on the U.S. market from 1983 to 1989, and they’re cool cars. They draw stares with their muscular, aggressive design and luxurious, leather-lined cockpits. We’re particularly fond of the Conquest TSi and the Starion ESI-R, equipped with a turbocharged and intercooled, 2.6-litre four-cylinder engine that developed as much as 176 horsepower and 223 pound-feet of torque. They were replaced by the Plymouth Laser, the Eagle Talon and the Mitsubishi Eclipse.

Dodge/Chrysler Daytona
Despite being derived from Chrysler’s modest K-car platform, the Daytona offered good performance in its most sporting variants. Sold in Canada as the Dodge Daytona and Chrysler Laser from 1984, it simply became the Chrysler Daytona in 1986. True, it was equipped with underwhelming 2.2-litre and 2.5-litre engines, but the turbocharged 2.2L four did end up producing as much as 174 hp in the Shelby Z edition. A 3.0-litre Mitsubishi-sourced V6 as well as a 224-horsepower turbocharged four were also available in the early 90s in the Daytona IROC and R/T variants.

Ford Mustang
Ford’s Pony Car was a smash hit when it hit the market in 1964, but the second-generation model released in the 70s, not so much. The third generation of the Mustang was much improved, and sold from 1979 to 1993. In the 80s, it was available as a coupe, a hatchback and a convertible, and a very popular trim level was the LX 5.0, which boasted a 4.9-litre V8 engine at a low price. The Mustang GT was also desirable, while the V8 mill produced as much as 225 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque.

Honda Civic CRX
A Civic may not be a sports car, but the two-seat CRX did its best to amaze us with its smart looks, great handling and peppy powertrain. It was offered from 1984 to 1987 during the Civic’s third-generation production cycle, and again from 1988 to 1991 in the fourth-generation model. Of course, the Si trim was the one to get, with 91 horsepower in the first CRX—which weighed less than 2000 pounds—and 108 in the second—which weighed about 2200 lbs.

Honda Prelude
While the American manufacturers were offering sports cars with big V8 engines, the Honda Prelude was all about sophistication, refinement and finesse. The third-generation car, sold from 1988 to 1991, was particularly appealing with its sexy bodywork, which included a very low hoodline and pop-up headlights. It even offered a four-wheel steering system as an option. Its 16-valve, 2.0-litre four produced 135 horsepower in the Prelude Si, although a 145-hp version appeared in some 1990 and 1991 models. This Prelude was no drag strip champ, but one of the best handling, affordable sports cars of its time.

Mazda MX-6
The MX-6, introduced in 1987, was a two-door coupe that didn’t set our hearts on fire from a styling perspective, but its GT version boasted a turbocharged, 2.2-litre four that developed 145 horsepower, but mostly, 190 pound-feet of torque—which was a lot at the time. The MX-6 was also available with four-wheel steering. The second-generation car, which was sold as the MX-6 Mystere in Canada from 1993 to 1997, was also much appreciated for its voluptuous styling and free-revving 2.5-litre V6.

Mazda RX-7
Two generations of the RX-7 were sold throughout the 80s, including the first one up until the 1984 model year. It featured a unique, 1146-cc rotary engine that produced 100 horsepower, although the RX-7 GSL-SE boasted a 1308-cc engine with a little more power. The second-generation RX-7, available as a coupe and a convertible appeared for the 1986 model year, and it’s the Turbo II version that got our attention with 182 to 200 horsepower.

Nissan 200SX
Called the Silvia in its home market, the 200SX offered sporty styling in coupe and hatchback configurations. Sold here from 1983 to 1988, before being replaced by the admittedly much sexier 240SX, the second-gen Nissan 200SX was available with a turbocharged 1.8-litre unit with 120 hp, but a 3.0-litre V6 with 160 or 165 hp was added in the final model years for the North-American market.

Pontiac Fiero
The Fiero should’ve been a hit for Pontiac when it was released for the 1984 model year. Two seats, mid-engine layout, low curb weight and plastic body panels, it was sleek and sexy. However, GM fitted it with a 2.5-litre four that developed about 92 horsepower, and equipped it with economy-car components including suspension parts lifted from the Chevrolet Chevette. Over time, a 2.8-litre V6 engine was added to the Fiero, and in 1988, it received a redesigned suspension, bigger wheels and more powerful brakes, as the Fiero Formula and Fiero GT variants became truly competent sports cars. Alas, the Fiero’s spotty reliability record and lacklustre performance of the earlier models spelled the end for the Fiero after the 1988 model year.

Subaru XT
This Japanese brand has always been known for its quirkiness, especially throughout the 80s with offbeat models such as the Subaru XT coupe. Its doorstop shape was completely off the wall compared to the brand’s boxy sedans and wagons, and its base version was rather dull with a low-powered 1.8-litre flat-four. There was the XT Turbo which featured 112 horsepower and 143 pound-feet of torque, but it was the XT6 and its 145-hp, 2.7-litre flat-six that got our nod. The XT was sold from 1985 to 1991.

Toyota Celica
The Celica was born back in 1970, and ended up spawning the Toyota Supra, but it was the fourth-generation of the car that really got our hearts fluttering. Sold from 1986 to 1989, it was offered in coupe, hatchback and convertible body styles, and the Celica GT-S was fairly sporty with its twin-cam 2.0-litre four that produced 135 horsepower. The Celica All-Trac Turbo was even hotter with its turbocharged engine and all-wheel drivetrain, which developed 190 horsepower.

Toyota MR2
The boxy little MR2 appeared on our market for the 1985 model year. This lightweight, two-seat sportster featured a twin-cam 1.6-litre four that developed about 112 horsepower. However, in 1988, Toyota introduced the MR2 Supercharged with a blown version of the 1.6L four that produced 145 horsepower as well as 137 pound-feet of torque—a significant number for the mill’s displacement. A second generation of the MR2 hit the market in the 90s, its Turbo trim developing 200 horsepower, but it became a more expensive car.

Volkswagen Scirocco
Obviously, a sporty Volkswagen is a must on such a list. Yes, the Golf GTI has always been a favourite, but the Scirocco was the German brand’s affordable sport coupe. Aside from its classic hatchback styling, the second-generation Scirocco—sold here from 1981 through 1992—was available with a 16-valve, 1.8-litre four that developed 123 horsepower.