it is sometimes good To look back and remember that a few decades ago we didn’t need 300 HP to have fun. That in those years there were sports for all the pockets with little more than 130 HP were the delight of his driver. Sports that, far from what we can now find at dealers, required pilots of truth, drivers are skilled, able to squeeze out its benefits without the continuous monitoring of the electronics, which luckily has done that today, virtually any sports car can drive very very fast without risking your life. And among all those sport compact of the eighties there are two that shine especially, the Opel Kadett GSi, Ford Escort RS that are presented in this spectacular video of Fifth Gear. Two models that we might well consider the grandfathers of the Opel Astra OPC and Ford Focus RS modern.
In the eighties, a compact surpassing the 150 HP was already a true benchmark sports car.
Although in our country we knew him as Opel Kadett GSi, in the United Kingdom are already marketed with the name later replaced the Kadett, Astra. The Vauxhall Astra GTE that we see in this video is essentially the Opel Kadett GSi that we met in Spain, in its version of 16 valves, which has already exceeded 150 HP.
on the other hand, the Ford Escort RS Turbo was already drawing the appearance of the compact sports of the TWENTY-first Century. The blue oval chose a motor that is smaller, 1.6-liter, turbocharged for the occasion to bring the benefits of the Escort of the eighties to a new level. And what if they got it.
Remember these two representatives of the sports for all pockets of the eighties was the excuse that led to Fifth Gear, and the great Tiff Needell to be at the wheel of the Opel Kadett GSi (or better, Vauxhall Astra GTE), and the Ford Escort RS.
An excuse that to us also should lead us to appreciate what has been achieved, especially in terms of security, in the compact modern sports. And to ask ourselves again whether it is really necessary to overcome the 300 HP to create a compact, fun and sporty…
Source: Fifth Gear
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