Each decade has its fair share of awesome trends, and the 1990s did not fail when it came to brilliant sports cars. From the outstanding BMW M3 E36 to the gorgeous 1993 Mazda RX-7, the 1990s produced cars that are extremely fast, even by today's standards. In fact, there are several supercars from the 1990s automotive enthusiasts have completely forgotten about.
However, every decade has its fair share of mishaps, and the 1990s were not immune from this. Some seriously controversial cars were released in the 90s. From the Fiat Multipla to the Chrysler PT Cruiser, even a handful of sports cars
10 1990 Dodge Daytona
During the 1990s, Dodge decided to furlough its most successful engineers. That is just speculation of course. However, given how boring and sluggish Dodge cars were, it is safe to assume that the company was obviously focusing its attention on something a lot more important.
The Dodge Daytona is one of the most disappointing cars ever built by the American carmaker. Powered by a Mitsubishi 3.0L V6, its 174hp were not enough to charm anyone. Added to this its very unoriginal design, the Daytona was by far an ugly and forgettable muscle car. Was it even a muscle car?
9 1991 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais
People sometimes wonder how a very successful company can ever go out of business. In the case of Oldsmobile, it is quite interesting to see its earlier vehicles. They were classy and cutting-edge for their time. As time went by, Oldsmobile cars became as interesting as shopping carts.
The Cutlass 442 is the sort of cars from the 90s that flopped as hard as possible. Its predecessor was a serious looking Cutlass 442 W30 producing 370hp thanks to a huge 455 V8. The Cutlass Calais Quad 4 is a boxy two-door with looks to rival a Lada. Producing at most 190hp, the Calais is nothing like its older sister.
8 1992 Lotus Elan
Lotus is a very British company. It has produced some of the most unique vehicles coming from the United Kingdom. The Lotus Elise and Evija are absolute marvels. There were times when the fairly new carmaker released some very questionable vehicles. They were not only slow, they were also lacking any physical appeal.
Arguing that the Elan is one of the coolest British cars of the 1990s is absolute lunacy. Despite having at best a 1.6L turbocharged engine developing 162hp, the Elan is a complete atrocity. It cannot compete with the outstanding Miata of the same era. Though the original MSRP of the Elan was fairly low for a Lotus car, the car itself was a complete disaster.
7 1992 Mazda MX-3
Mazda is a very strange company. Over the years, the Japanese carmaker released a handful of cars that ultimately became iconic. The RX-7 of the same era now has the same price as a brand new sports car. Weirdly enough, Mazda also manufactured some of the most trashy cars ever made.
This abomination of a Mazda is one of the weirdest cars of the 90s that make absolutely no sense. It would never, ever, be among the fastest Japanese cars of the 1990s. With its miniature 1.8L V6 producing 130hp, the MX-3 was both sluggish and ugly. The cockroach looking Mazda is one of the worst cars the company manufactured in the 1990s.
6 1993 Chevrolet Camaro
The first edition of the Chevy Camaro was so amazing that the rarest editions of the car go for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Thanks to their very American look and big block V8s, the car became instant icons. Nowadays, they are collectors' dreams. Sadly, the 1990s seemed to have been a tough era for Chevrolet.
Thankfully, the Z28 option comes with a 5.7L V8 that can be easily modded to produce a ridiculous amount of power. The problem is not the engine per se. The main issue with the Camaro of that era is its ugly design.
5 1994 Ford Mustang
During the 1970s, the US government implemented some regulations that tremendously crippled the automotive industry. The once iconic Mustangs became lukewarm coupes, and sadly, Mustangs of the 1990s followed the same trend.
This 1994 Mustang GT looks as fast and racy as a Ford Taurus. It neither sexy, nor attractive. There is absolutely nothing about this Mustang that screams Mustang! Its 5.0L V8 produced only 215hp, which has to be one of the most under-utilized V8s ever produced. Needless to say, Ford would like car fans to focus on the newly released Mustangs, and forget about the past.
4 1995 Pontiac Firebird
Over the last couple of years, classic Firebirds have become the coolest cars to restore and modify. Some of them have gained so much value that it is not uncommon to stumble upon restomodded Firebirds going for ten times their previous value. It would be interesting to see how this 1995 Firebird will age.
In 2020, the 1995 Firebird still looks horrible. Despite having some sportier physical features than the Chevrolet Camaro Z28, the Firebird remains a very unappealing vehicle. The 5.7L V8 cranks out 275hp, which is about 350hp less than most restomodded projects.
3 1996 Porsche Boxster
Porsche is the German carmaker that needs absolutely no introduction. The innovative car manufacturer even witnessed one of the most iconic actors of the 1950s, James Dean, passed away while driving a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder. Though the German company manufactured some amazing cars, it did make some mistakes every now and then.
The Porsche Boxster does not deserve to be among the top 10 cars of the 1990s. In fact, compared to the Porsche 959 or 911 Turbo, the Boxster is complete letdown. It is not that the car is awful per se, but compared to other models available, the Boxster is both slow and ugly.
2 1998 Hyundai Tiburon
Hyundai entered the market by positioning itself as the supplier of cheap and disposable cars. As sales increased, the Korean carmaker decided to give a shot at producing affordable sports cars. Needless to say, the very first editions were complete failures.
The Hyundai Tiburon is one of the cars with the ugliest design of the decade. There is absolutely nothing attractive about the Tiburon. It looks like a cheap Hot Wheels that inherited the engine of a Chinese lawnmower. Thankfully, Hyundai learned from its mistakes. Some of the most recent Genesis are extremely well put together.
1 1999 Qvale Mangusta
Europe has its fair share of nasty vehicles. From the Renault Twingo to the Fiat Multipla, it seems as if European car designers have lost the plot. Although even the best make mistakes at times, it really feels like some European carmakers are making these mistakes on purpose. Perhaps they are trolling their potential buyers, who knows.
The Mangusta is far from being one of the coolest cars of the 1990s. The Qvale Mangusta is one of those cars that are forgotten as soon as they are released. The car looks like a poor attempt at rivaling the controversial BMW Z3M. It is absolutely ugly and should be scrapped. The 4.6L V8 and the fact that only 283 units were ever produced may prevent this car from being completely forgotten.