In the 80’s, racing games were in their infancy, from polygonal cockpit views, to top-down racers, I’ve been there, done that and grown out of the T-shirt. The young gamers of today are currently being treated to multi-million pound titles containing all manner of real-world cars, fully licensed and supported by the manufacturers. Lifelike graphics and sound in full 360 degrees 4K resolution.

Back in the day, things weren’t quite as polished, many games had vehicles created purely for that release, some of them becoming more renowned than others. I’m quite sure that some publishers just flat out ignored possible legal kickbacks until car manufacturers realized how much they could coin in. Hop in and take a drive through memory lane and recall some of the best fictional and non-fictional motors in video game history.

First on the list has to be the infamous Outrun and its iconic Ferrari Testarossa spider. In essence, a driving game in which you can drive for as long as you have the money, kind of like real life in fact. It’s you, the drop-top Ferrari, and a blonde passenger, against time on a backdrop of sunsets and beaches. It has unwittingly become a massive influence on the often cool and casual style of the synthwave scene. Not only a great looking title in the arcades but paired with the original soundtrack that could be selected on the radio, it has acquired a cult following.

For someone who lives in a country with at least eight different types of rain and roads that remain the width of horse and cart, the equivalent Outrun game from the UK would be hooning a Jaguar E type around country lanes avoiding tractors and manure, with the windscreen wipers on full chat.

In a similar time and a game much in the same style, S.C.I or Special Criminal investigation was undoubtedly one of my favorite finds in the arcades. I remember back in school we were heading over to Isle Of Wight by ferry and instead of being left to soak in the journey and explore the craft, perhaps, we were being forced to do some sort of activity involving pen and paper. I managed to sneak off without being noticed in the large front lounge where I found a pristine and fully working S.C.I machine.

I’m pretty sure my souvenir and/or food money, were all consumed by the machine that day, nevertheless, I walked away with the top score and found my classmates again. I never knew that one day I would own the car I thought was so cool at the time. The Nissan 300ZX was certainly built for speed and road holding but with its targa roof, this meant that as an undercover cop you could stand up and fire a gun at a fleeing criminal until they stopped moving.

Speaking of the Isle Of Wight, this was the home of Carmageddon, a game with such notoriety it probably made the film Death Race more popular than it already wasn’t.

Adorning the front cover is a maniacal looking bald chap gripping the wheel with one hand, setting the mood for what’s to come, no police, no rules just out and out carnage. In the game you begin and choose either a male or female driver. Max Damage or Die Anna, as if the game’s premise wasn’t controversial enough already. The car in question is the Red Eagle, a concept from the UK based Stainless Games, its simplicity at its best.

A red powerful sports car with a serrated blade running down the middle like a Mohican of death. Whether it be cows, pensioners, or businessmen, the red eagle was a great place to start your journey into a death race. The car felt heavy and powerful as you tore around the city, attempting to either win the race or run over every pedestrian on the track (yes that was one of the objectives).

Continuing the PC titles, Interstate ‘76 was for me one of the coolest open-world vehicular combat games. In it, you play the part of Groove Champion, a tanned, blonde, handlebar mustache in flares. He inherits the Picard Piranha from his sister who is shot in cold blood in the beginning of the game’s story. Based on the Plymouth Barracuda, it was a hit with a young enthusiast like me but this particular car had armor plating and mounted armaments. A low rumbling V8, striking paint job, and armed to the teeth, it made for some great battles. Interstate ‘76 was like Mad Max 2 without the bondage gear, Fast and Furious but with better acting.

You cruise around early on learning the ropes of car combat with Taurus, your mentor, who drives an absolute barge of a car he likes to call Eloise. I paired the game up with my flight stick utilizing all of the buttons and the “Hat stick” on the top to be able to switch views, giving the ability to drive and shoot out of the window simultaneously. This was at a time where Grand Theft Auto was still from the bird’s eye perspective, so for the time, it was a very immersive game. All in all, you spent quite a lot of time inside that car, you could swap it for something else if you wanted to later on but the Piranha was everything I’d need.

Interstate ’82 did indeed feature a plethora of vehicles including a Delorean but the game was stripped down in favor of a more arcade feel, much like Twisted Metal.

The time of the movie car chase it seems is almost up. We’ll look back all starry-eyed in the future, as cool cats adorning driving gloves battled it out on the streets, shifting gears and making corners look like works of art. Which for me is why the Driver series was such a joy to experience. You play the part of Tanner, an undercover cop who drives a car which very much resembles a black 70’s Buick Skylark. All you need to know about the spec is that its rear wheel drive, the handling is akin to that of a boat, it has shed loads of torque and a rumbling V8.

For anyone old enough to remember the golden era of the car chase, you needed some, if not all of the following; A powerful car, driven by said protagonist, narrow yet good looking streets, boxes and other smashable objects, pursuing cop cars or a menacing looking chase car and finally, pedestrians looking on in terror.

Driver had it all and the physics were good fun, tires squealing, cornering sideways and cops crashing left right and center.

Whether some of these vehicles take you back to fond gaming memories, or you’ve just discovered something you didn’t know existed, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading.

Let me know what vehicles you would have included in the comments below!

The Nissan Leaf for example depreciates faster than a Bosendorfer Piano in the hands of blind removal men. My friend gleefully explained that his twelve thousand pound, second hand leaf didn’t cost him a penny to get to the Cotswolds from his apartment in the toxic hell that is London. Driving a Nissan leaf in London to combat pollution is like spitting in a volcano to extinguish it.

Today for a fraction of the price of the Nissan’s rolling tablet, you could drive an older car, maintain it yourself, care about your driving ability and stop yourself entering a life of celibacy. You could buy a Porsche 944.

Porsche engineers took an axe to the gorgeous five litre V8 from the 928, chopped it in half, and added counter-rotating balance shafts for the vibration. It drove better than a 924, stopped well and looked even better. The 944 is my current retro motor and in all honesty I really have fallen for the old girl. Brought to life by the Dutch automobile designer Harm Lagaay (responsible for the 924, 968, and 933, to name a few) he took the 924 and gave it brutal good looks. Handsome yet sexy, stylish but not excessive. What you have here is a real drivers’ car, at home on your local roads but capable of having fun on the track. Modified, the Porsche 944 can be an incredible machine, proving itself internationally in both amateur and professional racing.

There was the standard 944, the turbo, then came the S and finally the S2. Each time, Porsche made improvements, more power, both stopping and pulling, and adding to that power steering and ABS. The final revision S2 was capable of 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 150mph. With handling to match the performance figures, it goes down as one of the most memorable porkers of all time.

My car is a 1984 2.5 LUX, a non power steering, non turbo, square dash model in solid black. When you walk around you’ll first note it’s pretty perfect proportions, gorgeously elegant hips at the rear, the now iconic front end with pop up’s and the period alloys from Porsche sit the car nicely on the ground. As you step closer the soft yet noticeable aroma of fuel & oil mix and for any car fan, it’s enough to make you want to get in and drive for hours.

The body was made at Audi in Neckarsulm, and the engine was manufactured at the Porsche factory in Zuffenhausen. Inside the basic model has everything a driver needs, I recognised some of the controls on the test drive from the VW Scirocco and that isn’t a bad thing. Functional, hardwearing and thankfully they don’t look out of place in the Porsche interior.

Porsche is a part of German history we can appreciate, cars so good in fact, that we can forgive them for their earliest ventures and humbly acknowledge that although we (The British) never like to give up, we can’t build and maintain a motor company for shit. We do however, produce some of the world’s best racing drivers and this can be attributed to the fact we enjoy making roads through our country that look like Korean missile launches. Blind, twisty country roads full of tractors, wildlife and fallen foliage. By the time you’re old enough to drive you’ll have been a passenger long enough to hone your reaction times and understand racing lines.

The 944, thanks to its gearing and near perfect weight distribution (50.7% front/49.3% rear), means that it is at home on both the highways and the byways. There’s good visibility too, with the long sloping rear window and a decent seating position for the windscreen, she’s a joy to drive confidently. I especially like the huge sunroof which is powered to tilt up, this gives you an awesome soundtrack without having to endure the wind rush. Whether it’s solely because the car is as old as me, or the rumours are true, the aerodynamics of the rear end of the 944 appear to bring exhaust gases rolling back towards you, even at speed. I’m hoping it is only an airflow issue and not a leak but legend has it the rear lower diffusers on the 944 were in fact an attempt by Porsche to rectify the issue.

That being said, the mix of octane and your personal choice of fragrance only serves to combine into the classic musk of a race driver and if it was good enough for James Hunt…

I often talk about these cars as if they are one of life’s best kept secrets, like mixing cereals or walking out without paying; but in reality it can be a hardship. A labour of love which has brought me to this point now. I wouldn’t recommend a Porsche 944 for your first classic car, or if you are of a nervous disposition, especially one over thirty years on from conception. Every time you turn that key in the morning and stare at the gauges, it is akin to watching the reels of a gambling machine spin uncontrollably for a few seconds before choosing your fate. Is it going to be triple sevens? Or a couple of cherries? A new oil leak or a fire? Ok fires are pretty rare but you have to bear in mind that the future of cars looks to be riding atop of explosive lithium cells and we’re also going to have enough wind farms to blow the UK closer to Europe. Things could be worse.

When a recent diagnostics was run on my 944 and then test driven, the owner of the garage described my Porsche as “Charming”. Like an ex celebrity from the TV show gladiators, her prime might have been many moons ago but everyone has to respect the impact she made at the time and lasting impression on people who watched and admired.

And that’s it, my personal retro car journey thus far, from my first love to my new lust. Next month I’ll be writing about either something from my wish list, or it could be a surprise!

Born November in the year 1983, myself, like many other children of the greatest era of all time, spent countless hours perched in front of a twenty something inch CRT television and watched in awe as David Hasselhoff ran over bad guys in a talking Pontiac Trans AM, wearing a pink shirt, medallion and flared trousers. We watched in amazement as B.A Baracus handbrake turned around state troopers in a V8 day wagon, carrying mentally disturbed soldiers of fortune. Jessie Mach caught some serious air on his lethal 300mph turbo bike and well, the rest is history.
I’ve never really owned a car less than thirty years old in the decade of driving so far. Restoring and maintaining my own cars, (namely through lack of funds) because I’m passionate about keeping these machines and the era alive.

So stick on some synthwave, grab a can of your favourite soda and come join me in discovering and learning all about why we love this rare metal from the 1980’s.

Being that in the UK the legal age to drive is seventeen, I reached this milestone in the new millennium. So I had some catching up to do. But before all of this, I had been riding motorcycles around for at least a decade. As a youngster I witnessed John Conner escaping the clutches of the evil T1000, listening to guns and roses on a Honda CR in Terminator 2 Judgement Day. I knew from that moment, I needed wheels, just in case robots with knives for arms try to take over the world. Of course.

After completing the riding missions required to obtain a licence, I rode dirt bikes on the road almost everyday for many years. The sweet smell of two stroke in the air always takes me back. Eventually though the winters here in the UK made me reconsider two wheels and acquire four. Enter, my first car.

Buying an 80’s Volkswagen Scirocco after the year 2000 is like whipping out an abacus in a class of calculators. On paper it’s design is pretty rad looking but in reality it’s a pedestrian nightmare. Shaped perfectly to injury anything, even at low speeds, almost all of it is steel and everything is ‘edgy’. With aerodynamics akin to something you’d find on the battlefield, it was no Ferrari but what it lacked in aerophysics, it made up for in character.

To quote from Wikipedia;
“A hot new car from Volkswagen. As fast and powerful as the desert wind it’s named after.” A Volkswagen brochure for the second generation Scirocco states: “Named after a fierce desert wind, the Scirocco’s front wheel drive and transverse engine contribute to its tracking ability at all speeds.”

At the time I still had a motorcycle, a Kawasaki Ninja…so I was looking for something cheap, cool and reliable. After searching high and low for the newest car for least amount of money, my heart skipped a beat when I laid eyes once again on the Scirocco. Trawling through countless modern city cars was fairly depressing. The Scirocco was a distant memory for me when my dad had a choice between that and the Vauxhall Cavalier SRI. I loved both but in the end he bought the Vauxhall, as it had four doors and better visibility.

I paid £480 for the Volkswagen, by today’s money here in England that’ll get you a loaf of bread and a pint of milk.

The Scirocco was redesigned in the early 80’s after being released in 1974, as the must have sports hatchback. It had already had countless packages and colour schemes, being that it was sold in Europe, Asia and the USA. Big bumpers, chrome bumpers, side skirts, speed stripes and more.
To me it always looked like a compact Delorean and there’s actually a valid reason for that. The man who has touched many automotive designs over the course of recent history is Giogetto Giugiaro. The Giugiaro legend needs recognition at this point. If there is a man who thinks he has more reason to have his face on a bank note, I’d like to meet him and tell him he’s wrong.
Remember that Seiko watch that Ripley wears in Alien? No, you don’t but Giugiaro does because he designed it.

Ferrari, Lamborghini, BMW, not forgetting pretty much every Volkswagon that meant something in the 70’s. From cars to firearms, camera bodies to timepieces, this living etch-a-sketch has taught many of us how to do cool. It was only a few years ago that he retired, leaving in his wake, timeless images and innovations that continue to influence and inspire us lovers of radical design.

Returning to my humble white Scirocco, it had a 1.6L carbureted engine, the four cylinders were certainly enough to make good progress and the long fifth gear (labelled ‘E’ for economy I think) was really useful for motorway mileage.
I needed comfy and this little VW was built for just that. The build quality of the car overall was great, simple to work on, easy to drive…ok so it has no power steering but that is a great workout! (As Arnie would say). Sure, the brakes would probably spook an ex Nam vet but this car isn’t about speed, it’s about style and function of design.

Once i got my head around the basics of maintenance, i set about removing and replacing all of the speakers, which had pretty much turned into something resembling brown baking parchment by this time.
Cruising in a Scirocco with period correct tracks blasting out, was a dream come true. Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Martika, Dire Straits…all of which complemented the drive, the cheap electronics and musty retro aroma from the interior.

I spent a long time in those pinstriped cloth seats. When i bought the car, she had travelled 82,000 miles (130,000Km) since 1988 and I almost doubled this mileage by the time i sold it on. If you’re an enthusiast like me and even for most first time drivers, your first car will always bring you some joy and some headaches but ultimately it’s what gave you some real freedom.
No one cares if you own a new Scirocco but if you drive a retro model, other retro VW owners will wave or give you the thumbs up. Strangers will come and tell you that their uncle had one or that they had one when they were ‘cool’. At that point the correct response is “Wrong stranger, it’s STILL cool!”

Be sure to keep an eye out for the next instalment, where I will be recounting the purchase of my second car which was as rare as hens teeth and cooler than a kid with a Nintendo Power Glove.

BMW is loved throughout the automotive world. However everyone, even those that don’t care about cars, know their biggest weakness: Stylistically thinking inside the box. 

You see, for decades, BMW has played by the rules. They are masters at taking something and making it smooth, luxurious, streamlined, and balanced. Thats how they got the moniker “The Ultimate Driving Machine” They have a wagon, an SUV, a coupe, a cross-over, and of course, plenty of sedans. If they ever wanted a sports car, they would take one of these frames, upgrade the suspension, brakes, and give it a killer engine and transmission. 

But, as stated before, this approach lacks dramatic styling. It leaves the driver with nothing more than an upgraded version of what already exists. 

If BWM breaks the mold every once in a while, the M1 was designed to decimate it. 

Lamborghini and BMW decided to come together to make a super car that they could share together. Similar to today’s Subaru BRZ and Scion FRS. The famed Italian designer of the DeLorean DMC-12 and Lotus Esprit, Gioregetto Giugiaro, took the 1972 BMW Turbo as a platform and went from there. Although breaking new ground, the M1 still has styling nods that you see in an every day BMW. The front bumper facade and grille for example, is a flattened version of what you might see in other BMWs. Even the rear lights have those signature Bimmer touches. Despite all of that, it is completely in its own class. If no logos were present, one would probably not even think it was German. Updating the styling dramatically, the Italians were also in charge of the frame and handling itself. However, the partnership fell though, as Lamborghini didn’t have as much money to put into the project. 

BMW took over and also hired a few disgruntled Italians to come work for them in the process. Vowing to take the car from concept to production, BMW placed one of their famous straight six cylinder engines into this lightweight mid-engine platform. Although only a 6 cylinder, BMW placed 4 valves per cylinder, giving it 273hp. Not bad for a 6 cylinder from the late 70s. The non-street legal version produced by BMW turbocharged the same vehicle to a outstanding 850hp. 

So why haven’t you seen these around or in music videos and bedroom wall posters? Well, BMW only made 433 commercially available. They do exist, but like the Vector, are extremely rare and expensive. 

The average model auctions now for well over $500,000. For $150,000 you can get BMWs insanely fast and hip successor model, the new BMW i8. As for this author, if I was a multimillionaire, I would stick with the M1. It’s got a style and charm unique and all its own. Thats not something you can say for a lot of Bimmers.

OK so back in March, we got a good look at an American attempt to capture the hearts of exotic buyers: The Vector W2. We all know that didn’t turn out so profitable or become the everyday symbol of an American supercar they were hoping for.

Maybe it was too much, too soon? People didn’t readily have $150,000 to spend, or really need the 600HP.  The dream may have ended for Vector, but the American mid-engine would stay alive, via a very different turn. 

In the late 70’s and early 80’s, GM started looking into a Corvette stable-mate. The only problem was, they were dealing with the now infamous Oil Crisis. Gone were the days of massive engines and raw horsepower. Now, everyone needed fuel economy and proper emissions. Suddenly GM found itself in the middle of trying to please government officials and buyers at the same time. 

Their answer was one single latin word: Fiero.

If the Fiero was to be a food dish for the consumers taste, the recipe would be; dramatic styling, nimble frame, and a mid-ship engine. A two seater with a beefy 2.5L four cylinder engine that had amazing exotic sports car looks, with an astounding potential of 40MPG on the freeway. 

With the foundational backing of a major world company like GM, and a price tag of just $13,499 its no wonder the Fiero spread like fire and wedged in its way to become a piece of Americana. 

The sales figures and success of the brand would have makers like Vector spinning in its grave! Even Hall & Oates approved!

But alas, not all was well in paradise. The Fiero was meant to live up to emission and fuel economy standards, not to sucker punch Italians on the track. Many felt the car was all show and no go. Even the exquisite handling people would come to expect from a mid-engine car; was just not there. 

Yes, unfortunately, there were some unhealthy ingredients in this recipe too. The ever penny pinching GM took parts and suspension from the Chevette and Citation to build the Fiero. Neither car was ever in the hall of fame for anything noteworthy, so those parts continued to drag down the Fiero. The fuel economy too, had a downside. To attain such MPG, it came at the sacrifice of power. 

The car was still a success, and GM was determined to keep the customers happy. In 1985, they outsold the Toyota MR2 in America by more than double. It was time to walk the walk so they added a V6 option. Later, they upgraded the handling and suspension. A turbo version was also in the works. 

But just as Vector W2 suffered from being too much, too soon; the Pontiac Fiero suffered from a case of too little, too late. 

The final curtain call for this gorgeous 2 seater was in 1988. Today the Fiero lives on as an icon in style and charisma. Many clubs and forums are dedicated to restoring this car to its former glory and then some. There are also more kit cars made from Fiero’s than any other frame available, save it be the Volkswagen Beetle. 

Luckily this day in age, they can be found and bought, as there are plenty available. And the entry cost of even a well taken care of model shouldn’t break the bank. If there’s room in your heart, or your garage, a Fiero is waiting to be your sunset escape.

Flashback to your previous life. Who were you? A warrior in Genghis Khans army? Maybe a baker in South America in the 1800’s? But if you are here at NRW now, you know deep down inside, you were once Wall Street executive in the 1980’s. 

So you find yourself at the hight of your career. You own the fastest rising firm and you got money and class coming out your ears that its becoming obscene. There is literally only one car to match your lifestyle. Its fast and loud. Bold and stylish. Exclusive and expensive. Classy and yet, in your face. 

Its the Lamborghini Countach. 

Source: Paramount Pictures

Originally a concept car in 1971, the Countach found fame at various motor shows. For those that don’t know, Lamborghini and Ferrari have forever been locked in battle when it comes to making super cars. But Lamborghini has always leaned a little more toward bold and dangerous design, and the Countach was their first sizable step in this endeavor. Its large midship engine pushed the driver far more forward and was renowned for such a new theory in motoring. The scissor doors not only looked cool, but helped the long cockpit style meet functionality. Several new touches were added in the world of aerodynamics and air cooling as well. The result of the styling, mixed with powerful V12 engines, made the Lamborghini Countach the top dog in the supercar world. Production began in 1974 and ended in 1990 and included 6 variants, giving it an impressive 16 year run. 

1985 was the year that it hit US shores and became the bedroom poster envy to every young American kid. By then, Countach manufacturing had reached a respectable maturity and the cars were faster and more refined than the previous years. The US market got a 5.1 liter V12 that produced 415 HP. Zero to sixty was an impressive 4.9 seconds with a top speed of 179 mph. The downside in the states was that the car didn’t meet US safety standards and a special extra bumper had to be created just for the car. Nevertheless, at $100,000 MSRP, people ordered them in droves and the model cemented Lamborghini into not only US car culture, but the world as well.  With all the speed, flashy doors, extreme styling and insane performance, its no wonder Jordan Belfort (AKA The Wolf of Wall Street) owned one. Even on quaaludes, this thing has to be a rush to drive. 

VECTOR W2 TWIN TURBO, 1980-82

In 1980, Jerry Wiegart founded a visionary car company known today as Vector Motors. Wiegart, a young and upcoming designer, was inspired heavily by aircraft, spacecraft, and aero-engineering. Wiegart also wondered why American car companies had yet to enter the world of exotics, a world dominated by the Europeans. Vector’s W2 model, dubbed as “Aircraft for the Street” would be their grand entrance into that market. The W2, true to the word “Vector” shot for the moon and back. Its statistics even by today’s standards would strike fear into the hearts of most drivers. A Donovan tuned Chevy 5.7 liter V8 with twin turbos produced over 600hp. This catapulted the car to an estimated top speed of 242mph, leaving it to be the worlds fastest production car at the time. 

Vector W8 , 1990-92

The g-force didn’t only live on in the engine bay, it continued throughout the car. Taken directly from aircraft were many toggles, switches, and gauges. These were not just for show but were actually fully functional via an onboard computer. This allowed the driver to customize and view many of the cars capabilities at once, a first for its time. A heads up display inspired by fighter jets would also be projected onto the windshield so that the driver could see MPH as well as RPM’s and other statistics. Other notables were the Millennium Falcon style shifter that sat on the left side of the driver and the automatic louvered style headlights. 

Vector W2 Interior 

The W2 sold for an asking price of $150,000, in todays money, that is the equivalent of $350,000. With such a steep price, it was difficult for Wiegart to find buyers. However, he maintained his price, noting that it was needed for further development of future models. The W2 never sold, but through a lofty PR campaign, Wiegart raised money to create and develop the W8 in 1989. The W8 was the successor to the W2 and was designed with more rounded styling cues. Other changes saw a few of the airplane switches and gauges replaced in favor of a “Knight Rider” style monochrome computer screen and an upgraded 6.0 liter V8. Only 17 of these W8’s were ever produced, but for those eager to live on in the 1980s dream, it can be yours….. for a price. At true dream car pricing, the most recent example sold at auction last year for $250,000. Not bad for the first true American exotic. 

VECTOR W2/ W8 GALLERY