Top 5 Cars of the 90s
The 90s was something of a transitional period, for culture at large, and for cars – a bridge between the intricate stylings of the 1980s and the sleek, polished cars of the 00s, that came over the decade like a cool metallic breeze.
Transitional periods are important, however – the middle stages are just as exciting as the beginnings and the result. It’s easy to forget the 1990s, for a lot of reasons, but in this article, I’m going to show you five reasons why the decade should be remembered, and remembered happily.
#5 – The Ford Escort RS Cosworth (1992-1996)
Simply saying this car’s name will bring back fond memories to an entire generation of boy racers, whether they owned one, or simply wished and wished that they could. The Escort Cosworth was an interesting little beast – taking a sedate, (whisper it) boring sedan and throwing in an extremely tunable 2 liter engine, produced by the British racing company Cosworth produced some staggering results. Like the Sierra Cosworth of the decade before, this car was built from the ground up for rallying, but on the tarmac, it could be even more breathtaking.
The car’s top speed was a relatively low 144 mph, but this car was all about its supercar-esque acceleration, hitting 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. It gave a sterling showing in the WRC, too, winning 8 events between 1993-1996. Ford and Cosworth worked their automotive alchemy on this car, turning the base metal of a family sedan into a fantastic racer, and that’s why its earned a place on the list.
#4 – The Nissan Skyline GTR R33 (1995-1998)
Ah, the Skyline GT-R. Like the Cosworth above, this was another car that had a relatively boring start in life, as the Nissan Skyline sedan, but overcame these humble beginnings to become Japan’s first true supercar. The Skyline boasted a sleek body, and a powerful 2.6 liter twin-turbo straight six, propelling the car from 0-60 in less than 5 seconds, and reaching a top speed of 155 mph.
The car’s low-price of around $31,000 made supercar performance be within the reach of almost everyone. There’s not many cars that you can point at and call “an everyman’s supercar” but this was certainly one of them. Performance, looks, and a low price – it’s no wonder this car is still remembered fondly, and it’s no surprise that it’s on our list.
#3 – The Jaguar XJ220 (1992-1994)
Jaguar XJ220: The British Supercar
And now for something completely different – very, very different. The XJ220 isn’t widely remembered these days, perhaps not surprisingly, since it was overshadowed by the McLaren F1 of the following year, but for a while, this car was the fastest production car in the world, hitting a top speed of 213 mph, despite being powered by a relatively small 3.5L V6. Originally, a V12 was going to be in this car – what would that have achieved? Ah well, a man can dream. Still, the 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds is probably enough to be getting on with.
The car was, and still is, startling to look at, looking more like a car that belongs on the track at Le Mans rather than one that belongs on the road. Only 275 of these beauties were produced, so finding one these days is something akin to finding hen’s teeth. Find a good one though, and it will all be worth it. Just look at those performance figures up there. You could challenge most modern supercars with those, let alone cars of the 90s or 00s. The Jaguar XJ220 was, and still is, the greatest thing to come out of Jaguar’s factory since the legendary E-Type. Beautiful, and extremely quick, this rare little gem has thoroughly earned the right to be remembered, and have its achievements recognized.
#2 The Ferrari F50 (1995-1997)
God, this was a hard choice, in fact, this whole list has been made up of nothing but hard choices. Lovers of the Lamborghini Diablo, and other supercars of the 90s, no doubt wonder where their car is going to show. I had to physically restrain myself from putting the Ferrari Testarossa on this list. The 90s, as it turns out, were a great time for cars, and the Ferrari F50 is a product of this era through and through. Produced for the legendary company’s 50th anniversary, Ferrari decided to give the world a gift, and one that’s far better than a box of chocolates and some champagne.
The Ferrari F50 is a proud Italian stallion, powered by a 4.7 liter V12, matching the Jag XJ220’s 0-60 speed of 3.7 seconds, and breaking the 200 mph barrier, reaching terminal velocity at 201mph. Not only was it capable of this, it was beautiful, with a capital B. Produced by the expert hands of the Pininfarina designers, the F50 is one of those cars that you look at, and know in an instant which company created it. It’s iconic. The design echoes the F40, but brings a redesigned nose to the mix, and at the back, you’ll find, what else, a huge rear spoiler, sitting proudly above the rampant stallion. The car is iconic, and for a very good reason, and is what Ferraris should be, fast, sexy, and instantly memorable.
#1 The McLaren F1 (1992-1998)
McLaren F1: The Ultimate Sports Car
I knew it was going to be this way – how could it not? The McLaren F1 is still a name spoken of in reverence, and, well, there’s a whole list of reasons why. This whole article could have been “Top 5 Reasons Why the McLaren F1 is a God in Car Form”, but I digress. The McLaren F1, conceived in the mind of Formula One car designer Gordon Murray, held the record for fastest production car for 7 years before the Bugatti Veyron arrived. Seven years worth of cars came and went, but none beat the record until the even more insane Veyron came on the scene. To this day, its top speed of 240 mph still makes it the fastest naturally aspirated production car.
Design-wise, the car belies its heritage, and is almost as striking as the XJ220, also looking like a race car, first and foremost. Sitting in the driver seat, you feel like a racer, or a fighter pilot, controlling this vehicle that is the pure essence of speed. There’s not much more to be said, really. It’s the pure essence of speed, even more so than the Veyron. Designed by racers, for petrolheads. It will be a while before we see its like again, if ever, and it will always be remembered as one of the most important cars in history.
