Fastest 4 seater in 1975 North America?

LU8

New member
With stats of 0-60 mph in under 9 seconds and top speed of 120 mph were the Trans Am 455 and BMW 530i 4 speeds, the fastest full 4 seater cars in 1975? I can't think of any others.:dunno:

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Firebird T/A

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1975 Mercedes 450SEL 6.9 was commonly rated between 7.1 to 7.9 seconds 0-60mph (faster time in Euro spec).

The older 300SEL 6.3 was rated at 6.2 seconds in Euro spec and 7.0 seconds by Motor Trend in US spec.

You couldn't have a better sleeper back in those days...

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Dubweiser beat me to it!
http://www.m-100.co/6point9/brochure/brockyates/index.html

Top speed was factory-rated at 140 mph (225 km/h), but some journalists testing the car saw speeds approaching 150 mph (241 km/h). Among those journalists was Brock Yates. Yates was approached by the factory to write promotional literature about the 6.9. He agreed, but under the condition that he could list the car's faults as well as its positives. Daimler-Benz agreed in turn, and Yates was given a US-spec 6.9 to drive from Manhattan to the Road Atlanta grand prix race track in Georgia. There, Yates would drive the car in as-arrived condition at racing speeds for a full 40 laps or just over 100 miles (160 km). The only change made to the car upon its arrival at Road Atlanta was the necessary adjustment of tire pressure. Driving 40 laps was a difficult task even for a purpose-built race car, let alone a street-legal sedan designed and geared for high-speed Autobahn cruising. The 6.9 suffered no mechanical problems and averaged a very respectable 72 mph (116 km/h) throughout the test, completing it with little more than excess dust on the bodywork from the Michelin radial street tires on which the car was driven to Atlanta. Yates was so comfortable driving the 6.9 around the track that he reported having run at least one lap with the sunroof open and the radio on, but the high price of the car made him think better of such risky driving and he finished the test with the radio off and both hands on the wheel.[1]

Except it cost 36k back in 1975 or 152k today.... Considering the most expensive caddy ran about 15-16k(and GM was making 10k on each car)...
 
Ok, I have to ask...why 1975? Is that the year you were born or something?

American cars were not so great at that time. Emission standards were starting to kick in, the focus shifted from horsepower to fuel economy, unleaded gas was on the horizon, 5 mph impact standards were adding weight....so many bad things, pretty much all at the same time.


1975? I'd pick a nice Jaguar XJS, preferably red.
 
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 ?

The engine, known as the Tipo 251 and developed from the earlier Colombo V12 used in the 275 GTB/4, was a 4.4 L (4,390 cc, 267.9 cid) DOHC V12 with a 60° bank angle, 365 cc per cylinder, 81 mm (3.2 in) bore and 71 mm (2.8 in) stroke, featuring six Weber twin carburettors (40 mm Solex twin carburettors were used alternatively). At a compression ratio of 9.3:1, it produced 357 PS (263 kW; 352 hp) and could reach 280 km/h (174 mph). 0-60 mph (97 km/h) acceleration was just 5.4 seconds.[4] For the American version, slight modifications were made - the compression ratio was reduced to 8.8:1 and the exhaust system was equipped with a large central silencer, necessitating visible alterations to the primary pipes.

The five-speed manual transmission (of the transaxle concept) was mounted in the rear for optimal weight distribution, and a four-wheel independent suspension[4] featured wishbones and coil springs.

In 2004, the Daytona was voted top sports car of the 1970s by Sports Car International magazine. Similarly, Motor Trend Classic named the 365 GTB/4 and GTS/4 as number two in their list of the ten "Greatest Ferraris of all time".

In 1971, the Daytona gained notoriety when one was driven by Dan Gurney and Brock Yates in the inaugural Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. Showcasing the car's potential for sustained high speed travel, the pair won with an average speed of 80.1 miles per hour (129 km/h), completing the distance from New York to L.A. in 35 hours 54 minutes (2,876 miles (4,628 km)).
 
I know for a fact the fastest 4 seater when it came out was the Espada. 158mph tested by road and track. By 1975 it was a few years older..so maybe by then something else was faster but I don't think so
 
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