The 1990s was one of the most exciting times to be a car enthusiast. We're talking about a decade that produced the likes of the special McLaren F1 and the sexy Lamborghini Diablo, but there are also some unforgotten heroes among them – cars that still roam the Earth but are often overlooked.
You see, we're now at the stage where many of us born in the '90s are able to start purchasing the weird and wonderful cars we admired growing up, and some of them may be lesser-loved models.
We hope this list proves that these underrated cars can bounce back and make it big in the coming years.
10 Honda Prelude
Kicking off this list is the very underrated Honda Prelude, a car loosely based on the Accord but with two doors and coupe styling. By the late nineties, the Prelude had reached its sixth and final generation, offering a VTEC engine that was among the first to display Honda's unique and very impressive valve timing technology.
Plus, because it weighed just over 2,000 lbs, its 190-hp four-cylinder feels incredible... or at least it did back when it was new.
9 Suzuki X-90
A real rarity on this list is the weird and wonderful Suzuki X-90 – a two-door 4x4 (also available with two-wheel drive) that featured quirky styling and a T-section removable roof. It was a very simple car, offering a similar driving experience to its Jimny (or Samurai if you're based in the United States) cousin, but with slightly more charm, which no one thought would be possible.
Very few were ever made when compared to other Suzukis of the time, so finding one of these is a pretty special find.
8 Mercedes-Benz C36 AMG
The W202 generation of C-Class was a very famous one. It was home to the mighty C43 AMG and the even mightier C55 AMG, but there's one more performance model variant that is often brushed under the rug. We are of course talking about the C36 AMG – most commonly referred to as being the first car to be born out of the Mercedes X AMG partnership.
It featured a 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine that produced just over 200hp, and it looked stellar with those slightly widened arches and signature monoblock wheels.
7 Ford Racing Puma
In many people's eyes, the Ford Racing Puma is some of the most fun you can have behind the wheel of a car that costs little more than a basic modern-day hatchback. This encompasses some of the same parts and feel as the SportKA – the sporty variant of the Mk1 Ford KA that debuted in the late 90s.
It's got great handling, a raspy 1.7-liter 16V engine tuned by Yamaha, and a beautiful silhouette. It's a true one-in-a-million car, and one that should be cherished.
6 Dodge Stealth
At face value, you'd probably think this is a through-and-through American muscle car, but you would be mistaken. This is because the Dodge Stealth and the Mitsubishi 3000GT are actually the same car – in the same way the Subaru BRZ shares its platform with the Toyota GT86.
But the Stealth is always overlooked, and we can't see why. It looks great, has an unusual yet good-looking rear wing and those four exhausts poking out from under the bumper look amazing. We think both the 3000GT and Stealth look good, but which would you go for?
5 Porsche 968 Club Sport
Classic Porsche values are going through the roof at the moment. It's actually becoming hard to find a clean 911 that's affordable, and we can't see this trend disappearing any time soon. However, one car that people always forget about is the Porsche 968 Club Sport. And before you jump to any conclusions, let us just say that after its release, two-time WRC world champion Walter Röhl said that the 968 Club Sport had the best handling of any Porsche ever made... so let that sink in.
Power came from an in-line four that produced 240hp, which at the time felt like 600hp.
4 Volvo 850 R
Most people forgot about the Volvo 850 R until James May drove one on the Top Gear Africa Special back in 2013. What made this such a bizarre yet brilliant concept is the fact that this is a family estate car that had a British Touring Car pedigree and one hell of a turbocharged five-cylinder engine.
The 850 R had a 0-60 time of 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 158 mph. This was no estate to be sniffed at.
3 Volkswagen Corrado VR6
With the Golf taking all the limelight from the mid-70s to the present day, it was hard for any other VW products to shine through, but one that did make its mark is the now-forgotten Corrado VR6 – a real wolf in sheep's clothing.
You can think of the Corrado as being the Golf's naughty cousin. It packed a very impressive six-cylinder engine that was packaged in a way that made it work like a V6, but that sits more like an in-line six, thanks to its single-cylinder head. It's a fascinating car and one that you don't really see around anymore.
2 Saab 900 Turbo
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The Saab 900 Turbo walked so the Audi RS6 could run. We're talking about a family car that had four-wheel drive and that accelerated quicker than most other things on the road back in the 90s. It produced 140hp and went like a rocket in a straight line. Think of it as the Tesla Model S of a few decades ago, just with an in-line four instead of a battery pack.
But it's not just the powertrain that is so loved because the 900 Turbo also had a fantastically Swedish interior that you have to see to believe.
1 Honda Civic Del Sol
Last but certainly not least is a car that is best at home on a Greek island or chilling in the backstreets of Ibiza. The Honda Civic Del Sol is a topless version of the Civic that in some markets was called the CR-X. It made the ordinary Civic look very boring and not suited for the sunny summer locations these tended to linger.
Despite its rarity, Honda did manage to ship 75,000 to the US, and we reckon its 160-hp VTEC engine had something to do with that.