The 1990s were iconic years that saw a rise in multiculturism and alternative media. Culturally, the 1990s gave us a glimpse of the future, with cable television and the world wide web making themselves known across the globe. Music was just as innovative, with genres such as grunge, rave, and hip-hop filtering through the cracks and spreading to the mainstream. Yes, the 1990s were most certainly interesting, and that saw the return of capital punishment in the USA, saw the collapse of world communism, and saw the rise of capitalism and capital markets. However, amongst all of this, the wonderful world of motoring was also making waves.

During the 70s and 80s, most cars were terrible, the boom of classic motoring was over and cars were now attempting to find their feet among the new technology and different mindset that drivers now possessed. Furthermore, the clean air act of the 1970s hindered the building of supercars, providing strict requirements with regards to their engines. By the 1990s car manufacturers had finally worked it out. Gone were boxy frames and poorly proportioned automobiles with cars now focussing primarily on performance and speed. So, let's take a look at 19 lighting fast cars from the 90s that everyone forgets exists.

19 1993 Vector W8

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The Vector W8 was a popular sports car that was produced between 1989 and 1993 and was once labeled the car that started all American supercars. The vehicle was made by the Vector Aeromotive Corporation who specialized in advanced aerospace materials in car manufacturing, therefore, the car is considered an engineering marvel. The car's design was initially inspired by the Isdera Imperator 108i, which also had a futurist aerodynamic design and concept. These days the car has a cult status among car enthusiasts and has popped up in random places such as the tv show The Flash and the movie Rising Sun.

18 1994 Aston Martin DB7

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Aston Martin is one of the most popular car manufacturers in the world and is mostly associated with luxury sports cars and class. The company was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford and quickly became successful due to its association with the fictional spy, James Bond.

The cars are now considered cultural icons and can now be sold for large amounts of money.

The Aston Martin DB7 was produced between 1994 and 2004 and was first available as either a coupé or a convertible. Interestingly, the DB7 was the most popular Aston Marin vehicle ever and also had the highest production sales.

17 1996 Mosler Raptor

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The Mosler Raptor was an American supercar manufactured by Mosler Automotive. The company was founded in 1985 by Warren Mosler, a professional automotive designer and politician. The car was initially named the Consulier GTP but was later rebranded and updated under the Mosler Raptor name. The Raptor had an interesting set up with the mechanical components mostly coming from Chrysler. For instance, the steering wheel originally came from a Chrysler minivan with a number of other parts sourced from there as well. The car was one of the fastest cars made in the 1990s and is now regarded as iconic.

16 1992 Panoz Roadster

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The Panoz Roadster was a sports car first launched in 1992 by little-known car manufacturer the Panoz Auto Development Company which was founded in 1989.

The Roadster was built using aluminum and was the first American aluminum-intensive vehicle on the market.

The production of the car was small with just a seven-man crew building the first ten cars. The first generations were built until 1995 with just 44 produced and sold. These days they are extremely rare and finding them can be difficult.

15 1993 Porsche 968 ClubSport

The Porsche 968 was a sports car manufactured by Porsche between 1992 and 1995 and was a popular car upon its release. The car spurned a number of other editions, with the "Club Sport" focused more on track performance. The Club Sport was available through 1993 and 1995 and was a lighter version of the original Porsche 968. In order to make it lighter, much of the luxury-oriented equipment was removed with adjustable lightweight seats also installed. The car received a "Performance Car Of The Year" award in 1993 and also appeared in a variety of other best car lists that year.

14 1995 Ferrari F50

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The Ferrari F50 is a mid-engined sports car developed by the legendary car manufacturer, Ferrari. The car was first released in 1995 and was initially the evolution of the 1989 Ferarri Mythos concept car.

Only 349 Ferarri F50s were ever made with the last one produced in 1997.

The car is available in a number of colors, with 302 red vehicles, 31 yellow, 8 dark red and just 4 silver and black. All in all the F50 was the closest Ferrari ever came to a road-going Formula 1 car, with the F50 known for its intense speed and performance.

13 1992 Volkswagen Mk3 Golf 

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Family cars were all the rage in the 1990s and came in a whole bunch of different shapes and sizes. For instance, the Volkswagen Golf Mk3 was a miniature family car launched in 1991 and spurned a number of different versions over the forthcoming years. The car was popular and in 1992 it was voted the European Car of the Year, the first time Volkswagen had ever won the award. These days the car is regarded as a classic car and can cost potential buyers huge amounts of money. However, the cars are rare to find with owners more likely to hold on to them than sell.

12 1993 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra

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The Ford SVT Mustang Cobra, also known as the SVT Cobra, was first launched in 1993. The car was a high-performance vehicle and was considered to be one of the best of its era.

The purpose of the vehicle was to show off Ford's then newly established SVT division which focussed on performance, exclusivity, substance, and value.

The car came in red, teal and black and could be ordered with a variety of cool and different accessories such as leather seating, a flip-open roof, and AM/FM/CD audio system.

11 1992 Bugatti EB110

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The Bugatti EB 100 is a mid-engine sports car made by the popular car company, Bugatti and was first produced from 1991 until 1995. The car was notoriously fast and wowed drivers worldwide with its top speed of 216 mph (348 km/h). In 1994 the car hit more headlines when legendary Formula One driver Michael Schumacher bought a yellow EB110 SS which gave Bugatti a huge amount of publicity. In fact, Schumacher probably brought in a majority of customers who wanted to drive around with the same car as the fastest driver on the planet.

10 1995 Ford GT90

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The Ford GT90 first appeared during the Detroit Auto show in 1995 and quickly became an instant success. The high-performance concept car was a winner with audiences worldwide mostly due to its speedy ability and overall execution.

The car shares many similarities with the Jaguar XJ200 as Jaguar was owned by Ford at the time.

However, that's not to say that it wasn't an original, with the V12 engine extremely unique in its production. The car has appeared in a number of video games such as Need for Speed II, Ford Racing 2, Ford Racing 3 and Gran Turismo 2. 

9 1995 Alfa Romeo GTV

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The Alfa Romeo GTV was a sports car produced by legendary Italian car manufacturers Alfa Romeo. The car was first released in 1993 and stayed in production until 2004. The car is a 2+2 coupé and was extremely popular with youngsters and those who liked to show off.

In 1998, car enthusiast Jeremy Clarkson named the car the best sports car of the year and also listed it in his top 100 cars from 2001.

However, the car wasn't alone, with Alfa Romeo releasing the notorious Alfa Romeo Spider at the same time. The Spider was a two-seater roadster version of the GTV and was considered the weaker of the two with regards to speed and overall performance.

8 1999 Bentley Hunaudières

Bentley Hunaudieres Concept
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The Bentley Hunaudières was a concept car made by the luxurious brand Bentley and wowed audiences worldwide upon its release. The car was first displayed in 1999 for the Geneva Salon International de l'Auto and was an instant hit due to its incredible engineering. For example, the Hunaudières was famed for its Volkswagen 8.0-litre, W16 engine, which was adapted and modified by Bentley in order to increase power and speed. It was this car that influenced the likes of the Bugatti Veyron and was a forerunner for the majority of supercars that you see today.

7 1993 Isdera Commendatore 112i

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Isdera is a privately run car manufacturer located in Hildesheim, Germany. The company is extremely small and works within an equally small workshop. However, although they might be small their cars certainly are not and are often voted some of the best-made automobiles in the world.

Each car is hand-built by a small team of craftsmen who bestow a somewhat personal touch upon each of the vehicles.

Yes, each car is custom built with no two cars ever exactly the same. Plus, the only way to get hold of one of these bad boys is to call up the CEO directly and put in a request for a special design. In 1993 the company designed the Commendatore 112i, which was famed for its mid-mounted Mercedes-Benz 6.0 L V12 engine.

6 1994 Audi RS2 Avant

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The Audi RS2 Avant was a limited edition five-door, five-seat estate vehicle. The car was released during the beginning of 1994 and was only available up until July the following year. Interestingly, the car was a joint effort between Audi and Porsche but was released under the Audi name. Over the years the car has generated a cult following with fans all over the world. The car was known for its intense power and could reach a maximum speed of 262 km/h (162.8pmh). In fact, the car was so fast that British car magazine Autocar tested the car's speed and showed it was faster than both the McLaren F1 road car and also acclaimed Formula One driver Jacques Villeneuve's Formula One car of the time.

5 1993 Renault Clio Williams

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The Renault Clio was first released in 1990 and is still going strong today. In fact, the car is now in its fourth generation and has consistently sold well. The Clio was instantly received well by customers as well as critics and is now credited with restoring Renault's image as a decent car manufacturer. The Clio really is that good and was voted the best European Car of the Year in 1991 and 2006. Yes, Renault certainly knows how to build a fast and easy car and have stayed on form ever since. And to make it that much better they are also relativity cheap with Clios easy to get hold of wherever you are.

4 1993 Toyota Supra Turbo

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The Toyota Supra is a sports car produced by Japanese legends, Toyota Motor Corporation. The car was available from 1978 to 2002 and was based on the Toyota Celica that came before it.

The Celica and the Supra are often confused with one another, due to the similarities between the two.

The Supra was popular across the world and was featured in a number of media outlets. For example, the car was seen in several video games such as Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport and Need for Speed and was also a major part of The Fast and Furious film series.

3 1991 Subaru SVX

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The Subaru Alcyone SVX, otherwise known as the SVX, was a two-door grand tourer coupé created by Japanese car manufacturers Subaru. The car was available between 1991 to 1996 and was Subaru's first attempt at a luxury model. The plan worked, and the Alcyone was a perfect mix of speed, luxury, and performance. The car was popular all over the world and accumulated a large number of sales in the United States as well as Europe. During the first year of its release, the car managed to win the notorious Alcan Winter Rally, a race beginning in Seattle to the Arctic Circle and back.

2 1990 Lotus Carlton

Vauxhall Lotus Carlton
Via: wsupercars

The Lotus Carlton, also known as the Vauxhall Lotus Carlton, Lotus Omega and the Opel Lotus Omega, was a sports saloon car by both Vauxhall and Lotus. Interestingly, the car was only available in one color, a shade named Imperial Green. The color was extremely dark with some owners mistaking it for black.

The car was extremely successful and sold well all over the world.

However, it was the United Kingdom where it became the most popular, mostly due to the car being a firm favorite among joyriders. That's right, the car was quicker than the police cars in the UK at the time, therefore it was extremely difficult for the police to give chase.

1 1999 TVR Cerbera Speed 12

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The TVR Cerbera Speed 12, originally known as the Project 7/12, was released in 1997 by car manufacturers TVR. The car was a high-performance concept car and based on the then current TVR hardware. Interestingly, the vehicle was noted for its incredible performance, especially its speed, and was said to be faster than the McLaren F1. At the time of its release, the Cerbera Speed 12 was supposed to be the highest performance road car of all time as well as the basis for a GT1 class endurance racer. However, things didn't quite work out for the car company with a number of problems arising throughout its development.

Sources: pinterest.com, youtube.com, roadandtrack.com, complex.com