What was happening 40 years ago with performance in domestic cars?
Fear not, because Detroit was solving the lukewarm power problem seen in most of the 70s iron—they did this through innovative tech by 1986.
Here are five examples (in descending order) from slowest to fastest on a 0-60 miles per hour run.
Jerry Sutherland
You have to remember the culture at the time, because these cars were coming out of the smog era darkness into a world where technology could overcome bureaucracy.
The fifth fastest was a Dodge Omni four-door sedan. That might sound ridiculous unless you factor in Carroll Shelby; because he took a humble little econo-box four-door sedan and turned it into The Incredible Hulk version–a 1986 Shelby GLH.
Shelby tweaked the 2.2 four-cylinder with an air-to-air intercooler and a Shelby-designed intake manifold. He also added many other touches, but the little Omni could hit 0-60 in 6.5 seconds.
The fourth fastest 0-60 car in 1986 was the Fox-body 1986 Mustang LX. This pony ran a 5.0 liter, 200-horse V-8 from the factory.
The 5.0 Ford was a stout motor, but it didn’t set the world on fire without some extra tweaking and Ford brought the thunder. The ‘stang also had a 5-speed manual to handle the extra horses, so the ’86 Mustang LX ran a solid 6.1-second 0 to 60 time. The Fox-body Mustang would do much bigger things after 1986, but it showed the world pony car performance was back.
The third fastest 1986 domestic car was the IROC Camaro. This car drew on the NASCAR IROC (International Race of Champions), so it had to have a spanky 0-60 time to give the NASCAR guys some real credibility.
Mission accomplished because the ’86 IROC Camaro hit 0-60 in a solid 6.1 seconds, thanks to a 5.7-liter, ram-tuned, fuel-injected Corvette powerplant is rated at 220 hp. That number was 10 horsepower less than a Vette because the Camaro’s exhaust was more restricted.
That, and less weight made the difference between the Vette and the IROC because you can’t fight physics.
The L98 5.7 liter, 230-horsepower Corvette cracked out a very respectable time of 5.8 seconds. The Vette was back in a big way by 1986 because this car could hit 140+ mph if you cranked on it—and a lot of 80s guys did.
The number one car in the 1986 drag race from 0-60 was the 1986 Buick T-type because this beast did it in 5 seconds.
There was nothing Detroit built that could touch this fireball thanks to its 235-hp intercooled turbo V6 engine, 200-4R, 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission with lock-up torque converter. The T-type set the world on fire in 1986 and it’s still doing it in 2026 thanks to its legendary performance and low production numbers.
1986 should be remembered with reverence in the car culture because domestic car makers started building cars with horsepower—not mice power. That was a bridge worth crossing.
The music you heard in 1986 was mediocre, but the cars were sure making a big comeback.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
CLICK HERE to Follow us on Pinterest
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER
CLICK HERE to Like us on Facebook
CLICK HERE to Follow us on Twitter
