There is no denying it. The small sports cars of the 1980s and early 1990s were, and still are, 'little bombs' that can do a lot of harm if driven without too much judgement. There are many young and somewhat reckless drivers who have experienced first-hand the dangers of these bundles of power and lightness that forty years ago many called 'little boxes' or 'coffins with wheels'.
Yet even after so many years, the fascination of these little aspirated sports cars remains undeniable. Names such as Autobianchi Y10 Turbo, Fiat Uno Turbo, Ford Fiesta RS Turbo, Mini Turbo De Tomaso, Renault Supercinque GT Turbo and Volkswagen Polo G40 still manage to make hardcore driving enthusiasts dream. In this first instalment, we begin to get to know the Italian Autobianchi Y10 Turbo and Fiat Uno Turbo more closely.
Of the others, including the legendary Peugeot 205 GTi, we will deal with them in the second instalment. Following a strict alphabetical order, we start with the 1985 Autobianchi Y10 Turbo, which uses a four-cylinder 'thousand' (1,049 cc to be precise) engine, supercharged by an IHI turbine with an intercooler and sodium-treated exhaust valves. Autobianchi Y10 Turbo, the front view But the beauty of this car is not so much the engine characteristics, interesting as they are, but the more general numbers in its data sheet.
Yes, because if 85 PS and 122 Nm seem little to you, don't forget that the weight is only 840 kg , while the wheelbase measures 2.15 metres and the body is 3.39.