From what I remember of them they were 16 second cars (which was pretty good for the time period) with a glass jaw. Something with the heads.

It was a respectable ride for a 4-cyl turbo in that period and the interiors were awesome.

The problem with them was that the heads would warp/crack easily and the head gaskets would toast, especially on the earlier models without intercoolers.

Iron block + aluminum heads + turbo heat = glass jaw.