automotivebriefs
9:35in productionCh. 1 · What it was/ 9:35 · ceiling 15 min
Saloons & estates

NSU Ro 80

Claus Luthe · 1967

Aerodynamic logic over engine reality — the Ro 80 sold the future while its Wankel sputtered.

The NSU Ro 80 is a four-door, front-engine executive sedan manufactured and marketed by the West German firm NSU from 1967 until 1977. It was developed as a mid-sized front-wheel drive sedan to serve Germany’s growing middle class. Claus Luthe designed its clean wedge shape and large glasshouse. It achieved a drag coefficient of 0.35 at design freeze and 0.34 in final production — without modifying the outer body after wind tunnel testing. It featured inboard front brakes, four-wheel ATE Dunlop disc brakes, fully independent suspension (MacPherson struts front, semi-trailing arms rear), and power-assisted ZF rack and pinion steering. Its twin-rotor Wankel engine delivered 84 kW (113 bhp) from 995 cc but suffered early unreliability and poor fuel economy. It won Car of the Year in 1968. Total production was 37,204 units.

Saloons & estatesCarsEngineeringIndustrial designCars across the network →
Chapters & takeaways4
  1. 1:08
    What it was

    It was a West German executive sedan built for the middle class — not a sports car or a prototype.

  2. 2:38
    How it cut air

    Claus Luthe’s wedge shape and large glasshouse achieved Cd 0.34 without altering the outer body after wind tunnel testing.

  3. 4:03
    How it carried its tech

    Inboard front brakes, four-wheel discs, MacPherson struts, and semi-trailing arms were all packaged for space and weight — not just novelty.

  4. 5:34
    How it landed

    It won Car of the Year in 1968 and sold 37,204 units — proof of market acceptance despite known weaknesses.

Worth your time?

Yes. Drive the whole thing.

3.5/ 5
What works
  • aerodynamics
  • packaging logic
  • suspension integration
What does not
  • engine reliability
  • fuel economy
Drive it if
  • designers
  • engineers
  • historians
Skip it if
  • buyers seeking proven longevity
  • drivers seeking documented dynamics
The written brief2 min read

What the car is and where it came from

The NSU Ro 80 is a four-door, front-engine executive sedan manufactured and marketed by the West German firm NSU from 1967 until 1977. It was developed as a mid-sized front-wheel drive sedan to serve Germany’s growing middle class.

How it works, in terms someone would actually use

It is a front-engine, front-wheel drive executive sedan. The driver operates it with power-assisted ZF rack and pinion steering. The semi-automatic transmission uses a vacuum-operated clutch. Four-wheel ATE Dunlop disc brakes stop it — the front pair mounted inboard to reduce unsprung weight. The suspension is fully independent: MacPherson struts at the front, semi-trailing arms at the rear.

What it gets right

It gets aerodynamics right: Cd 0.35 at design freeze, 0.34 in final production. It gets packaging right: the compact Wankel engine enabled a low bonnet line and spacious interior. It gets structural logic right: inboard brakes, independent suspension, and front-wheel drive cohere around space and weight efficiency.

What it does not

It does not deliver long-term engine durability. It does not offer strong fuel economy. It does not depart from its single-generation form: no body revisions occurred after wind tunnel testing.

What it changed

It proved that a mid-sized German saloon could carry a clean wedge shape, a large glasshouse, and Cd 0.34 without body modification after wind tunnel testing. It normalised inboard front brakes, four-wheel disc brakes, and fully independent suspension in mainstream executive cars.

Who it is for, and who it is not

It is for designers, engineers, and historians tracking how layout decisions propagate across decades. It is not for buyers seeking proven longevity, documented driving feel, or post-1967 mechanical evolution.

Is it worth your time

Yes — if you want to understand how aerodynamic logic, packaging constraints, and rotary ambition reshaped the saloon before mass adoption. No — if you expect reliability data, driving impressions, or performance metrics beyond what the sources confirm.

Same garage · Saloons & estates4 of 60
9:19
Lucid AirDerek Jenkins · 2021The Lucid Air is a battery electric four-door luxury sedan, Lucid Motors' first production car, announced in December 2016 and launched in 2021. It highlights its record-setting EPA range (up to 520 miles for the Dream Edition), aerodynamic efficiency (Cd=0.21 pre-production, Cd=0.20 production), performance capabilities (e.g., 0–60 mph in 2.5 seconds, 235 mph top speed), and technical features including its 924-volt architecture, bidirectional charging, and DreamDrive ADAS with 32 sensors. The Air Pure, Touring, Grand Touring, and Dream Edition trims are detailed, along with battery capacities (88–112 kWh), power outputs (430–1,111 hp), and production milestones including commencement in late 2021 and deliveries beginning October 30, 2021. Design leadership is attributed to Derek Jenkins, and the vehicle is positioned against the Tesla Model S and German luxury models.
9:14
Mitsubishi Galant VR-4Mitsubishi · 1987The Galant VR-4 is Mitsubishi’s first high-performance all-wheel-drive sedan, developed for Group A rallying and launched in 1987. It introduced the Dynamic Four AWC system — a full-time four-wheel drive setup with viscous coupling, plus four-wheel steering and four-wheel ABS. It was sold globally to meet homologation requirements, including 2,000 units in the US in 1991 and 1,000 in 1992. Later generations added liftback (Eterna ZR-4) and station wagon (Legnum) variants. The eighth generation was initially JDM-only but gained overseas cult status via grey imports. In 2000, Ralliart officially imported 200 units to the UK. Production ended in 2002 due to revised Japanese emissions standards.
7:56
Mitsubishi Lancer EvolutionMitsubishi · 1999The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is a rally-bred sports sedan built on the Lancer platform. Ten generations were produced from 1992 to 2016. All used a two-litre intercooled turbo inline-four engine and all-wheel drive. It launched in Japan only, then reached the UK and Europe around 1997 via Ralliart dealers—starting with the Evolution IV.
10:45
Proton SagaMitsubishi · 1985The Proton Saga is a foundational Malaysian car—not a technical benchmark, but a political and industrial one.
Up next in Automotive

Oldsmobile Toronado

David North · 1966 · 10:21

Front-wheel drive was not a compromise — it was a packaging revolution disguised as a luxury coupe.

Play nextBack to Saloons & estates
10:21