Germany
Audi launched an all-new 80 range to keep up with increasing competition from the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz 190E. The new car narrowly misses out on the European Car of the Year award; a victory would have made it the first car to win the award twice (the original model having won the accolade in 1972). The aerodynamic range of four-door saloons are the first cars in their sector to feature a fully zinc-coated body, further bolstering its already good resistance to corrosion and rust. The Audio corrosion warranty was also increased from 10 years to 12 years. There was also a wide and varied engine range, starting with an underpowered 1.6 75 bhp unit and finishing with a 2.0 113 bhp fuel injection powerhouse. Five-cylinder versions of the car, with a more upmarket interior, were sold as the Audi 90.
BMW launched an entirely new 7 Series to replace the nine-year-old original version. It heralds a new era for luxury cars, setting the standards for others to match in terms of technical innovation, equipment, safety, security, quality and design flair. Even the basic 728i version offers high levels of refinement, quality, driver appeal, luxury and style. The 750iL (long-wheelbase) version doubles the cost with some of the highest standards of specification ever seen on a production car.
Read more about this topic: 1986 In Motoring
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