The ’80s and ’90s are back, but this time with a whiff of burnt rubber and a bold rear spoiler.
In the exhibition,”German Tuners From the ’80s & the ’90s”, Brussels’ Autoworld museum pays tribute to the rebels of the German car scene: the tuners.
Until 14 December, the museum, located at arc du Cinquantenaire 11,takes visitors on a journey past 15 cars that were admired, ridiculed – or both – in their time.
These are cars with a story to tell, full of colour and character. The expo Ferrari Testarossa, Audi Quattro and Porsche, is a showcase of technical bravado and cultural flair.
It also includes a Ferrari Testarossa tuned by Lotec into the TT1000 whose twin turbos boost the flat-12 to 1,000 hp and 1,100 Nm.
It rockets from 0–100 km/h in just 4 seconds, reaching a top speed of 370 km/h. Suspension, brakes, gearbox and tyres were all reinforced, while its F40-inspired design with carbon parts, spoiler and air intakes makes it even more extreme. The price? Three times that of an F40.
A Turbo Targa wasn’t on the menu at Porsche but is also featured at the expo. Too complex and too risky, thought the engineers in Stuttgart. But Buchmann & Buchmann saw things differently. With added reinforcements, they built their own version: as powerful as a 930 Turbo, but with the open-air feel of a Targa.
In 1990s Germany, the Manta was as famous as the film it starred in and is also on display. Mattig provided the “Super Extrem” body kit – an outrageously wide frame in candy colours, with a 236 hp straight-six under the bonnet. Not a classic beauty, but a statement.
An event spokesman said, “It was a car that stood for confidence, tuning culture, and a healthy dose of self-mockery that made it legendary.”
Visitors information
website: www.autoworld.be
E-mail: info@autoworld.be
