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Revisit The 1985 Pontiac Sunbird Turbo Convertible In This Retro Review: Video

Looking back decades later, the 1980s and 1990s were not General Motors’ glory days. However, we still enjoy looking back on what was cutting edge and various GM products. Today, we’re looking at the 1985 Pontiac Sunbird Turbo convertible.

The Sunbird Turbo tried to look like a menacing with its J-body architecture, and we have to admit, it wasn’t the worst looking thing in the world. Time would tell the story of quality in the years to come, but when new, the Sunbird Turbo convertible promised frugal open-top driving with decent power.

In the mid-1980s, deep in recovery from fuel economy mandates and new standards, the Sunbird convertible’s 1.8-liter turbocharged SOHC four-cylinder engine ushered in 150 horsepower and an identical amount of torque, thanks to multi-port fuel injection and 9.4 pounds of boost. Those weren’t bad numbers for the time and it handily outpowered V6 engines of the time.

The Sunbird met its demise in 1994 as Pontiac rolled out its replacement, the Sunfire, still based on the J platform but outfitted with a curvaceous design fit for the mid-1990s. Have a look back at the car in the video right up above.

Former GM Authority staff writer.

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