Tested: The 10 Quickest Cars of the 1970s
Mega muscle-car power ebbed as we progressed deeper into what's now commonly referred to as the malaise era
Mega muscle-car power ebbed as we progressed deeper into what's now commonly referred to as the malaise era, and so boosted European horsepower—from one Stuttgart-based brand in particular—dominates this list of fleetest cars to run from zero to 60 mph. Still, pre-gas-crisis American muscle is well represented here, and there are a couple of esoteric surprises, as well.
Be sure to also take a spin through the quickest cars we tested in the 1950s, ’60s, ’80s, ’90s, and in the 21st century so far.
10. 1971 Chevrolet Corvette LS5 — 5.7 seconds (tie)
June 1971
On the 140-mph pass through Nevada in the LS5 we discovered that it would only run wide-open throttle for a few miles before it would overheat. When the subject came up later, [Corvette patron saint Zora Arkus] Duntov nodded — he knew it. It's because of the radiator shroud. You have to have it at low speeds so the fan will be effective but at high speeds it sort of corks off the flow of air that would otherwise be rammed through the radiator. Duntov knows about discretion. It comes with age. Read More
9. 1970 Pontiac Trans Am — 5.7 seconds (tie)
June 1970
What We Said: “Somehow, a small subversive element within Pontiac wriggled out from under the tedious, nay-saying, government-fearing, corporate thumb long enough to bolt together the Trans Am—a hard muscled, lightning-reflexed commando of a car, the like of which doesn’t exist anywhere in the world, even for twice the price. Bristling with spoilers and scoops and vents, it looks like a racing car and it moves exactly the way it looks. . . . [The] Trans Am is quicker than any other Pontiac we’ve tested in recent years. Pontiac Engineering suspects that aerodynamics might have something to do with it—the Trans Am is a slippery load—but they were as surprised as we were at the quarter-mile numbers—14.1 seconds with a terminal speed of 103.2 mph. . . . [It is] a finely tuned performance car in the purest sense of the word. It is capable of feats unthinkable in its competition and it looks every inch the part. And it’s fun to drive—it talks to you every inch of the way.”
8. 1978 Porsche 911 SC — 5.5 seconds (tie)
March 1978
At this writing, Porsche has sold approximately 190,000 cars in the United States, and roughly 40,000 of these were 911s of one sort or another. Since our test car, the 1978 911 SC, may well be the last new model in the 911 series—the last rear-engined Porsche, for that matter—we begin our examination of the car by asking a question. Have you ever driven a Porsche? Read More
7. 1972 Jaguar E-type V-12 — 5.5 seconds (tie)
October 1972
What We Said: “The cloudlike body contours of the E-type have had to be . . . attacked with a grille opening rudely stretched to admit the cooling air necessary for a thermally overloaded emissions-controlled engine. Further, to mollify National Highway Traffic Safety Administration demands, headlamps now bulge too large for their original recesses and a tack-on set of legal taillamps have destroyed the once lean rear end. . . . The result of the [addition of the V-12 engine] is a more capable sports car, an engine worthy of the exotic classification in cocktail discussions, and upgraded levels of comfort. . . . The additional power transforms the E-type into a contemporary high performance car. . . . It’s the tractable low and mid-range coupled with a freedom from noise and vibration that makes the V-12 engine worth the cost and service penalties.”
6. 1971 De Tomaso Pantera — 5.5 seconds (tie)
August 1971
As you skim over the pavement in the Pantera you can't help feeling smug. You hear the engine rumbling along from its station back by your shoulder blades—a mechanical arrangement even novitiate automotive visionaries will recognize as a little piece of tomorrow today. And the looks. Oh wow—like something that just rolled out of the Turin Show. In every lane for blocks you leave a wake of typical American motorists—all suckers for a pretty fender—with their necks wound up like rubber band airplane motors. No doubt about it. The Pantera is the very hottest item in this year's automotive haute couture. Read More
5. 1979 Porsche 911 Turbo — 5.4 seconds (tie)
August 1979
What We Said: “The Porsche 930 has pretty much established its own rules and called its own shots since Day One. By comparison, other cars seem to pop out of the muzzle like a cork on a string, but the Turbo is truly shot out of a gun. Porsche’s continuing policy of constant improvement has added further intricacy to an already complex mechanical package, and last year’s intercooler and running-gear changes have done their part to kick the duffs of the competition harder than ever before. . . . ‘You need to get the weight transferred very smoothly; then it will set and bite very nicely, [racing driver Danny Ongais told us]. It’s very sensitive to the throttle on slow and intermediate corners. It does very well in the high-speed situations.’ . . . It is a seesaw battle between boost, lag, understeer, oversteer, and solid doses of kickback through the steering wheel.”
4. 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS454 — 5.4 seconds (tie)
February 1970
The Chevelle was charging around the track, its ears laid back and its hood louver snapped open to battle position. In compliance with California noise laws the exhaust has been restricted to a benevolent rumble, but the air rushing into the carburetor to feed those 454 cubic inches sounded like it was trying to take half the landscape with it. The Chevelle is a big car, enormous on Lime Rock, a tight, twisty, 1.53-mile circuit normally inhabited by Formula Vees and other assorted fruit-cup racers, but it didn't matter. Across the start-finish line at 110 mph, hard on the brakes for the Hook, wheels cocked in for the turn and clipping the infield grass at the apex—it seemed right at home. And it was doing very well, too. With a best lap of 1:08:00 it was the fastest non-race car that Jim Haynes, the track manager, could remember. The cornering speeds were good too 66.0 mph through the Hook and 61.4 mph through the Esses, a section with a left/ right transition that is difficult for softly sprung passenger cars.
3. 1971 Chevrolet Corvette LS6 — 5.3 seconds
June 1971
Steering gets plenty quick at 140 mph. And the suspension, which felt like flint on Sunset Strip, is supple, almost loose. In this high-velocity never-neverland all your senses need reorientation: A road that looks mirror flat pitches you violently up and down; the air makes tortured noises you hear right through the glass as it scrapes over the top of the windshield; an unseen force slowly twists and tortures the outside mirror until it surrenders and ends up pointing skyward. Read More
(TIE) 1. 1978 Porsche 911 Turbo — 4.9 seconds (tie)
April 1978
What We Said: “What we have here is the first volume-produced and perfectly legal car in America capable of tripling the [55-mph] national speed limit. . . . It’s no secret the 911’s days are numbered. Emissions and noise standards will eventually catch up to this throwback from the Thirties and purge America of all air-cooled Beetles and Porsches in one fell swoop. And the Turbo’s existence also makes it obvious that Porsche isn’t going to let that era end with a whimper. . . . The Porsche Turbo is in truth a full-throttle fiend, and the moment you get strapped in and start the motor, it won’t quit until every last needle is off scale. . . . If you possess priestly restraint, you might go four miles in the Turbo before you stomp the gas pedal with both feet and let the mighty torque curve ratchet you back a few notches in the seat. Just be sure to keep one eye on the tach, your right hand on the gearshift, and your white knuckles somewhere near the nine o’clock spot on the steering wheel.”
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