Chevrolet Corvette C3 (1980)
In 1970, the hottest Corvette had 435 hp. In 1980, the hottest Corvette had a much more modest 180 hp. It even had 10 hp less in California due to more strict emission standards in that state. So what happened in just 10 years and where did all those horses go (via CorvSport)?
An economic recession, emission standards, and safety regulations appeared and killed almost all the performance from the legendary Corvette. The 1980 Corvette was sort of a dinosaur with old technology under the plastic skin. It had lazy engines and an outdated interior. It still looked the business but the years had caught up with it and the disco era had passed.