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1980 Chevrolet Corvette C3
It is kind of funny when you think of it, but the 1970 and 1980 Chevrolet Corvettes were basically the same car with 10 years between them. The design was the same, although the 1980 model had a more sculpted front and rear end with much less chrome. Even the technology and engines were the same on the outside. In 1970, the hottest Corvette produced 435 HP but in 1980, the hottest Corvette delivered a modest 180 HP.
However, due to the stricter emission standards in California, it pumped out 10 HP less. So, what happened in just 10 years and where did all those horses go? It was the recession, emission standards and safety regulations that killed almost all performance from the legendary Corvette. The 1980 Corvette was a dinosaur with its old technology under its plastic skin. Also, it came with lazy engines and an outdated interior.
Although the Corvette still looked like it meant business, the years caught up with it and the disco era was over. They sold the tired C3 with its slow performing engine up to 1982. But, in 1984 Chevy replaced it with the Corvette C4, which was a more modern, much faster model.