Could a decade have been any better for us? The ’90s simply gave us some of the best performance cars ever.
Performance was up. Drivability issues were down. You could easily work on things in your own garage. No giant infotainment screens. The market catered to those who preferred shifting their own gears. The average enthusiast could, in short, buy a …
BMW M3
Many cars are good at one thing–and possibly only one thing.
A Corvette is great at going fast, for example, but it might not function as the ultimate year-round urban commuter in a northern climate. (We know someone will prove us wrong there, of course, sending in a wintertime photo of a C4 wearing Blizzaks while navigating Boston rush hour.)
Then there’s the E36-chassis M3, the car that could seemingly do it all. It handled everything–and with ease–upon bursting onto the scene in 1995. It could win autocrosses, local or national. We watched Randy Pobst wheel one to an SCCA road racing title. The factory IMSA cars defined an era.
And an M3 could comfortably travel coast to coast or cart home the groceries with ease. Even more to love: Choose from a two-door coupe, four-door sedan, and then an open-top options. Sadly, though, we didn’t get a Touring model.
The goodness of the M3 comes from its bones: the tried-and-true BMW 3 Series, here fortified with more power, more brakes and more suspension. The flares that helped define the original M3 were gone, but in their place we got that sweet-sounding inline-six backed by a slick five-speed gearbox.
The original M3 was fierce. This was the one that more of us could live with.
Alt. Choice
The day’s other German Q ship would have to be the 1990-’95 Mercedes-Benz 500E: four doors, V8 power and just enough fender flare to tip your hat to fellow enthusiasts.
Honda Civic Si
Once upon a time, the hot hatch defined performance. Perhaps it was the small-bore enthusiast’s version of business up front, party in the back. Or maybe we have that backward.
Either way, hot hatches perfectly blended speed with practicality. Needed something to rely upon during those first years out of school yet also autocross on Sundays? Enter the hot hatch. Bonus: easy to park and easy on consumables.
The hot hatch became a big part of our world in the ’80s, with the scene just exploding during the ’90s as the OEs offered something for nearly every fanboy. If you liked Toyota, you had the Celica. Nissan gave us the 240SX as well as the odd-looking 200SX. Volkswagen lovers still had the GTI, the one that initially helped define the scene.
And Honda? We’re going to call its Civic Si–especially the 1992-’95 version–one of the best takes on the genre. It might not have excelled at everything, but it nailed the Venn diagram for speed and utility.
Three more attributes that help propel it to the top step: reliability, ergonomics and Honda’s wishbone suspension, which seemed to relish being slammed on the deck. And we haven’t even discussed the bonus/cool factor of the two-piece tailgate.
The previous Civics might have been lighter, but if you’re looking for the ultimate ’90s hot hatch, this is one for your short list.
Alt. Choice
For those who like their hot hatches with six cylinders–and don’t mind some torque steer–how about a ’90s-era Volkswagen GTI VR6?
Mazda Miata
Most of our favorite food groups of the ’90s could be called leftovers of long-loved dishes. Sport coupes, supercars, hot hatches and pony cars weren’t new to the decade yet were further refined and repackaged for an ever-evolving palate.
One class did see a massive resurgence during that decade, though: the simple two-seat roadster. Thank Mazda’s 1990 release of the Miata for reminding us why so many earlier enthusiasts flocked to ’60s legends like the MGB, Alfa Romeo Spider, Austin-Healey 3000, Triumph TR4, Lotus Elan, Datsun roadster, Sunbeam Alpine and so on.
The Miata wasn’t the fastest sports car offered. Heck, it could barely even be called quick, needing more than 9 seconds to reach 60.
But the Miata put the f-u-n back in performance. (Pretend there’s a “u” in there somewhere.) It felt light on its feet. It could dance around the cones. It didn’t drag around any unneeded weight. The shifter set a new standard. The top went down. And, as we’re learning all these decades later, the Miata was built for the ages.
The Miata didn’t operate in the shadows. They filled autocross grids, welcomed new people to sports car ownership and, perhaps more importantly, ushered in a new era of sports cars. If there was no Miata, would there have been the Porsche Boxster, Honda S2000 or Toyota MR2 Spyder? Perhaps not.
Alt. Choice
If the Miata is too new, Alfa Romeo produced its Spider all the way through 1993. We say “all the way” because it debuted in 1966.
Toyota Supra
If you want 300 horsepower these days, just buy a new Camry. Easy and done. Back in the ’90s, though, that number represented a lofty goal. To reach it in a new car, you needed either a V8 or couple of turbochargers.
Nissan and Mitsubishi both gave us boosted, 300-horsepower supercars–Mazda was close with 255–but the 1994-’98 Supra Turbo sat as the leader of the pack. Had emojis existed back then, its 300-horsepower rating would have been followed by a few signifying that Toyota knew the Supra really made more. Tuners quickly learned to double and even triple that number.
And the Supra was docile. And comfortable. And while the interior looked a bit plain–big, round gauges pretty much set into a flat panel–it just worked. Call it effective and businesslike. If the M3 represented the do-it-all machine, the Supra was Japan’s response.
Chevy Camaro
Camaro or Mustang, Camaro or Mustang? If you’re talking about the ’90s, we’d probably ask Camaro or Trans Am? Those kissing cousins just seemed more advanced, as–let’s be honest–you could still find a bit of ’70s DNA in a Mustang of that time. (Line to fight us forms to the right.)
GM gave us those new pony cars for 1993: head-turning bodies, with Z28 and Trans Am buyers getting 275 horsepower backed by a pair of modern gearboxes. Choose from a six-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. Both were news at the time. We were there and said so. Both cars also got an updated front suspension that ditched the struts previously used.
Not enough? For 1998, the Z28 and Trans Am got LS1 engines standard. GM conservatively rated them at 310 horsepower.
Any downsides here? Expect giant doors, seats practically on the floor and a horrible steering wheel. Sometimes you just have to make concessions.
