For most of a car enthusiast's life, they'll be dreaming about owning certain vehicles much more than they'll actually get a chance to drive them. The primary factor behind this is a lack of funds, however, even without millions, you can still have some excellent cars.
A great place to find said affordable sports cars can be found in the 1990s. During that decade, there were no shortage of outstanding vehicles for the middle-class. By today's standards, they may not seem as impressive, but these cars are still bona fide supercars. To showcase this, here are ten supercars from the '90s that are still/now affordable.
10 Toyota Supra Mark IV
Starting off this list is one of Japan's greatest creations. No, it's not anime or crazy gameshows, but the engineering marvel known as the Mark IV Toyota Supra (The 2JZ-GTE version, preferably).
When Toyota made the Mark IV, they spared no expense. As a result, they made one of the best engines to ever grace this planet, the 2JZ, and built a car that would be capable of dusting Lamborghinis decades after its production. The worst part, though, is the price. Although the 1993 Supra is now legal in The States, prices still fluctuate around $25,000 to as much as $80,000 for the ones in superb condition.
9 Ferrari 348 TS
Before Ferrari made the famous F355, and after they'd produced the legendary Ferrari 512 TR Testarossa, they would make another great compact-supercar. The result was what many described as a "baby-Testarossa," formally named the Ferrari 348 TS.
In short, the 348 TS is basically a mix between the F355 and the Testarossa (Even though the F355 wasn't released yet). The biggest difference between the three, though, is that the 348 didn't have as large of a fan-base. Regardless of this, the 348 TS is still a reliable, powerful, and fun car to drive. Not too long ago, 348's were selling for as cheap as $30,000, but have slowly began to increase in value.
If the Ferrari 348 TS is something that you'd want to get your hands on, then act fast. Who knows, they may be selling for more than $100K before too long.
8 Lotus Esprit V8 Twin Turbo
Recent history has not been very kind to the once great carmaker, Lotus. Although they have experienced some issues as of late, this doesn't diminish their previous accomplishments. Of these successes is the '90s supercar: The Esprit V8 Turbo.
Lotus was very smart back in the day. Instead of only offering one, high-end, model, they offered other versions of the Esprit that weren't V8s (4-cylinder, V6, etc.). The fastest version, though, (The V8) really gave its competition a run for the money. To add to that, the Esprit was a gorgeous car with ties to the 007 series. Today, a good-condition Twin-turbo'd V8 Esprit can run for as low as $30,000 to $50,000.
7 Honda NSX (Gen. 1)
While Toyota and Nissan were out making amazing vehicles like the GT-R's and Supra's, Honda was at work with their own project. This car would include design and engineering advice from the World Champion F1 driver, Ayrton Senna: The first generation Honda NSX.
The NSX sits upon the throne of J.D.M all-time greats, along with various other classic Japanese sports cars. Due to the help of a F1 driver, the NSX handled amazingly and proved to be a high-selling sports car. Today, an NSX can go for around $50,000, but (If you're lucky) it's not impossible to find one for significantly less ($30,000 or so).
6 Aston Martin DB7
Before Ford acquired Aston Martin Lagonda in 2007, the American automaker still had a hand in Aston Martin's vehicle design/production. Through their financial backing and Jaguar's control of the company, they helped to make the Aston Martin DB7.
The DB7 is the ideal luxury-touring sports car. Thanks to influence from Jaguar, the DB7 is very comfortable, but still powerful enough to remind the occupants that they're in a supercar. If you want a V12, you'll have to get the later-year versions, however, the '90s alternatives are still great.
The best part about the DB7, though, is that you can be James Bond for around $30,000 or less.
5 Dodge Viper (Gen. 1)
If you've got a lot of courage and driving skill to boot, then you have a few options for classic supercars. Arguably one of the scariest choices available is the first generation Dodge Viper.
The Viper sports a beefy 8-liter V10, making over 400 horsepower and almost as much torque. With this great power, though, comes great responsibility. The first gen. vipers were notorious for being dangerous; often nicknamed the "Widow Maker" for its habit of taking away fathers. Nevertheless, if you wanna experience true American muscle, consider getting a '90s Viper for around $20,000-$40,000.
4 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1
If there's one thing that Corvette's are known for throughout the globe, it isn't just their wild styling and powerful LS engines (Of course, those certainly don't hurt), but mainly how affordable and accessible Corvette's are to the general consumer.
In the '90s, Chevrolet wanted to move away from the Stingray branding from before with the C3 and onward to the C4. After its production, the ZR-1 version (A 32-valve V8) proved to be a wonderful sports car that could punch way above its weight-class. If you look hard enough, you can find a decent C4 ZR-1 for around $25,000; less if you're willing to provide some T.L.C.
3 BMW E39 M5
Every so often, car manufacturers make ridiculously quick vehicles that appear way more tame than they actually are. Typically, the car community refers to these as "sleepers," and BMW made, perhaps, the greatest with the E39 M5.
The BMW E39 M5 was available from the factory from 1998 to 2003. In that time, the S62 powered (4.9-liter V8) M5 showed the world that it was much more than just a luxury sedan; capable of almost 400 horsepower stock.
As most M-series BMWs tend to do, the E39 has started to increase in price in the past few years. Beforehand, an M5 could be found for a little less than $10,000, while nowadays they lean further towards $15,000 or $20,000. Either way, it's a good deal for an astounding car.
2 Porsche 911 (996 Model)
Like several other popular sports car manufacturers, Porsche also tends to have their vehicles reach a low-point in price, before drastically increasing in value over a couple years. At the moment, the Porsche 911 996-body is at that low-point.
The 996 began in the '90s, but (Like the E39 M5) moved into the 2000's later on. There are many iterations of the standard 911, however, the base Carrera is plenty fast. Along with that, it's a great track-car; making just about every time you go out on the road feel like a race day as well. As for price, the 996 is at its lowest at around $10,000 or slightly more. Obviously, you can spend extra for a more suped-up and flashier versions, but that wouldn't be nearly as cost-efficient.
1 Volvo 850R Wagon
For those who are not into motor sports and European series like the B.T.C.C. (British Touring Car Championship), the 850R may not raise any eyebrows at first. Nonetheless, for those who know what it is, the Volvo 850R wagon will definitely drop some jaws.
The 850R wagon got its fame from the B.T.C.C., where it was a great looking and winning race car. Volvo's multiple victories made the 850R a sought after vehicle, especially with Volvo's tendency to build reliable, tank-like, cars. Even though Volvo made plenty of 850R's, the wagon alternatives are much more rare. If you find one, though, consider yourself lucky because you've got yourself (arguably) the greatest 'sleeper' in history.
Recently, a few lucky buyers found some fantastic-condition 850R Wagons for ~$10,000. Hopefully they stay that cheap for much longer!