The good-looking, powerful ‘90s sports cars were in a class of their own. After the muscle-car wars of the ‘60s, the malaise ‘70s, and the cautious ‘80s; the ‘90s was the time to throw caution to the winds. Gone were the sedate sedans and boring economy cars. SUVs and pickups became the next best thing, and powerful sports cars truly came to be in their element.
The ‘90s sports cars came in all shapes and sizes. They came both cheap and expensive, but the key is that they came powerful and raring to go. At the time, these dream sports cars may not have been all that affordable, but today, most used car dealers will give you a sweet deal on them.
So here go 10 powerful ‘90s sports cars that anyone can own because they come affordable on the used car market, and often have plenty of life left in them to make you a great daily or weekend driver.
10 Aston Martin DB7
In 1994, Aston Martin introduced the DB7 in a coupe and a convertible form, as an entry-level model. Under the hood, it carried a powerful 3.2-liter supercharged inline-six mill making a whopping 355 horses.
The DB7’s supercharged engine growls when fired up and ensures a 0-to-60 MPH time of 5.7 seconds with a top speed of 165 MPH. Sounds good for a car that’s got insane acceleration and is loaded with luxurious amenities. And if you can get this powerful ‘90s sports car for under $20,000, it’s like the cherry on top.
9 BMW 850 CSI
About $15,000 for a 1990s 5.0-liter V12 sports car is insane but when it’s a BMW, it’s a mindboggling deal. But even powerful ‘90s sports cars lose value if they fall into the luxury cadre. This BMW 8-Series debuted in 1990 as a massive coupe that housed a V12 powerplant thrashing out 296 horses.
It propelled the car to do a 0-to-60 MPH jig in just 6 seconds. But if you want to save more cash, there are V8 versions available in the used car bazaar as well that can routinely be found for under $10,000 and are plenty of fun too.
8 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4
The Mitsubishi 3000GT has been one of the best Japanese sports cars of the 1990s. It was far ahead of its time but even then never got the kind of love its contemporaries like the Toyota Supra, Acura NSX, Mazda RX-7, and Nissan Skyline got in the sportscar fraternity.
The VR4 trim came with a lightning acceleration with a 4.9-second 0-to-60 MPH time. This powerful ‘90s sports car bore a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 jetting out 300 horses and 308 lb-ft. However, all this power can be yours at just $15,000.
7 Mazda RX-7 (FD)
The third-generation Mazda RX-7 is dubbed as one of the greatest Japanese and powerful ‘90s sports cars ever made. The RX-7 FD debuted in 1991 with a double helping of turbocharged Wankel power. This rotary-powered icon used twin rotors, each displacing 654cc making a total of 1,308cc, or 1.3-liters.
The result was 252 ponies, a top speed of 160 MPH, and a 0-to-60 MPH record of 5.1 seconds. However, this powerful FD-generation RX-7 is relatively affordable in the classic car market. About $12,000 for a 65,000 miles sports car is a steal.
6 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 (C4)
The C4 ZR-1 Vette featured a 5.7-liter 32-valve quad-cam V8 as its heart that pumped out a massive 375 horses. It instantly became a four-wheeled American superstar and one of the fastest cars in the world in the early 1990s, clocking a 0-60 MPH time in just 4.4 seconds with a top speed of over 180 MPH.
The C4 ZR-1 spoke for itself in its heydays but today, they’re underrated, selling for less than $20,000 in the classic car marketplace. Here’s a powerful ‘90s sports car that’s an easy grab.
5 Second-Generation Toyota MR2 Turbo
If you find the celebrity 10-second Supra out of your reach then consider the other performance car from the same manufacturer that’s less expensive but no less powerful. The second-gen MR2 Turbo made for one of the most powerful ‘90s sports cars. Often called “the poor man’s Ferrari”, this mid-engine car offers a supercar-like performance and is extremely reliable.
It uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four producing 200 horses and 200 lb-ft of torque. These figures may not look great but it’s got tons of tuning potential. In its glory days, the JDM MR2 Turbo could outrun the Ferrari 348, NSX, and Supra Twin-Turbo. Today, you can own one for less than $20,000.
4 Second-Generation Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo
This is another Japanese four-wheeled 1990s superstar that’s affordable in today’s marketplace and makes for a cool and powerful ‘90s sports car. Some of them were sold for about $20,000 recently.
This second-generation Nissan Z-car has got a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 cranking out 300 horses and 283 lb-ft of torque. The 0-to-60 MPH target is achieved in less than 6 seconds at a governed top speed of 155 MPH. If possible, go for the ones with the 5-speed manual transmission as they are considered as the best Twin Turbo examples.
3 Porsche 968
A classic Porsche for under $15,000 sounds fascinating but the car was a victim of a deep economic recession of the early 1990s that shook Porsche as a company. It’s got a 3.0-liter four-cylinder powerplant hammering out 236 horses and 225 lb-ft of torque, while the Turbo versions churned out a massive 305.
The 0-to-60 MPH milestone was reached in about 6 seconds on the way to a top speed of 156 MPH with the 6-speed manual. A clean 1994 Porsche 968 for less than $15,000 is up for grabs at Hemmings currently and it is undoubtedly one of the most powerful ‘90s sports cars.
2 Mercedes-Benz SL600
This is another iconic V12, powerful ‘90s sports car available for peanuts today. Currently selling for just under $20,000, this Mercedes convertible is armed with a silky 6.0-liter V12 powerhouse that can put out a whopping 389 horses and 420 lb-ft of torque. The R129 generation Mercedes-Benz SL600 is considered one of the best convertibles of the 1990’s era.
However, they’re underappreciated in the classic car market these days. If you're on a tighter budget then now is the time to invest in this '90s icon as the prices might skyrocket in near future.
1 Dodge Viper
A 1990s Dodge Viper for less than $40,000 is unbelievable considering this was the most powerful ‘90s sports car of its time. This American sports car weapon debuted in 1991 with an 8.0-liter V10 mill that could thrash out 400 horses and 465 lb-ft of torque.
The engine was co-developed by Chrysler-owned Lamborghini and mated to a 6-speed manual transmission for powerful output figures. Once fired, the potent engine gave a 0-to-60 MPH blast in just 4.2 seconds on the way to a top speed of 160 MPH and entered the hall of fame, as one of America's greatest cars.
Sources: BringaTrailer, CarForSale, CarGurus, Hemmings