While few would claim that the 1980s marked the pinnacle of automotive engineering in the United States (or the world, for that matter), the decade did produce some remarkably innovative and driver-centric automobiles. Sensing a possibly irreversible loss of business to foreign automakers, the Ford Motor Company launched a series of cars in the 1980s that were both influenced by products available across the pond and targeted at those with a passion for driving. Leading the Euro-chic charge for Ford was a car that debuted in late 1983: the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe.
To call the 1983 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe a radical departure for Ford’s previously conservative Thunderbird lineup is a gross understatement. While eighth-generation Thunderbirds possessed the aerodynamics of an apartment building and handling best described as “leisurely,” the ninth-generation Thunderbird Turbo Coupe models were both slippery to the wind and capable of impressive lap times in the right hands. To avoid alienating its traditional Thunderbird client base, Ford still offered Thunderbird variants with V-6 or V-8 engines, automatic transmissions and suspensions that favored comfort over corner-carving, but the Turbo Coupe didn’t have this demographic of buyer in its sights.
Under the Turbo Coupe’s hood lurked a variation of the 2.3-liter Lima four-cylinder engine first used in the 1974 Ford Pinto. As the name implies, however, the 1983 Turbo Coupe’s engine was force-fed via a non-intercooled turbo, producing 155 horsepower and 180-lbs.ft. of torque. This was distributed to the rear Traction-Lok axle via a single transmission option, a Borg-Warner T-5 five-speed manual. The combination was good enough to produce a quarter-mile time of 16.5 seconds at 85 MPH, which was particularly impressive given the Turbo’s modest displacement and boost.
Underneath, ninth-generation Thunderbird models (including the Turbo Coupe) used a modified Fox platform that shaved more than three inches off the previous generation “Square Bird” Thunderbird’s wheelbase, creating a lighter and more nimble automobile. The Turbo Coupe’s suspension utilized a modified MacPherson-strut front suspension, combined with a live axle and four-shock setup in the rear, while front discs and rear drums (non-ABS in early models) handled braking duties.
To silence those who doubted that an American manufacturer could beat the Europeans at their own game, Ford brought in Sir Jackie Stewart to demonstrate the handling prowess of the Turbo Coupe. At Laguna Seca, Stewart reportedly beat an established lap record (presumably for production cars below a certain displacement) by some two seconds. Changing to a BMW 633 CSI, Stewart lapped the track some two seconds slower than in the Turbo Coupe, despite “reducing the (BMW’s) tires to shreds” in the words of Thunderbird stylist (and author of Thunderbird: An Odyssey in Automotive Design) William P. Boyer. For the first time in decades, Ford’s Thunderbird had taken steps to reestablish itself as a performance car with luxury aspirations, instead of just a luxury car with a “sporty” theme.
Inside, the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe (positioned atop the model range) sought to carry on the car’s sporting mission without depriving buyers of luxury amenities. “Articulated” front seats served up a bottom cushion extension, adjustable thigh bolstering, an inflatable lumbar cushion and side bolsters large enough to keep passengers in place during spirited cornering. Digital instrumentation would be introduced for other Thunderbird models in 1985 (for the Thunderbird’s 30th anniversary), but the Turbo Coupe’s panel would remain analog through the car’s production run. Gauges included a large tachometer and speedometer (limited, like other cars of the early 1980s, to a maximum reading of 85 MPH), framed by a leather-wrapped sport steering wheel. While confusion with the interior of a Porsche 911 was unlikely, the Turbo Coupe’s interior did represent a bold departure from the conservative styling of “Square Bird” models.
A three-speed automatic transmission was introduced as an option for the 1984 model year, but otherwise the Turbo Coupe soldiered largely unchanged through the 1986 model year. Big changes came in 1987, led by a body redesign to improve the car’s aerodynamics. Underhood, the 2.3-liter turbocharged four received an intercooler and revised engine management, boosting output to 190 horsepower and 240-lbs.ft. of torque in cars equipped with the standard five-speed manual transmission. Buyers opting for an automatic now got four speeds instead of three, but the car’s output was reduced from 190 horsepower to 150 horsepower when this option was selected. Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS were now standard on Turbo Coupe models, and Automatic Ride Control promptly stiffened the car’s suspension when spirited driving was detected, though the driver could also select a “firm” damper setting with the press of a switch.
Despite the additional output for the 1987 model year, an increase in curb weight from 3,070 pounds (in 1983) to 3,415 pounds (in 1987) negated any real performance gains from the second-generation Turbo Coupe. The quarter mile now went by in 16.3 seconds at a trap speed of 84.5 MPH, nearly identical to the numbers produced by the original Turbo Coupe. For 1988, the car’s final year, engine management software allowed the full 17 PSI of boost in first and second gears (on cars equipped with the five-speed manual transmission), while the 1987 version only delivered maximum boost in third through fifth gear.
The Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe was dropped after the 1988 model year, ultimately replaced by the supercharged, V-6 powered Thunderbird Super Coupe launched with the model’s 10th generation. In its six years of production, Ford built 128,533 Turbo Coupe models, and at the height of its popularity (1988, when 35,271 examples moved off of Ford dealer lots), the Turbo Coupe amounted to more than 25 percent of total Thunderbird production. For a car that was never really meant to appeal to a broad audience, those were impressive numbers, and the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe helped to portray Ford in a new light to enthusiast buyers.
Ironically, the same solutions for improving fuel economy that Ford implemented in the early 1980s are being reexamined today, as the automaker once again strives to boost its CAFE numbers. While the Thunderbird is now extinct, the lessons learned from building the Turbo Coupe will help ensure that Ford’s next generation of turbocharged four-cylinder cars won’t disappoint the enthusiast driver.
Text Source: http://blog.hemmings.com
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