The sports cars of the nineties were among the most successful cars in the history of all motoring: Ferrari, McLaren, Yamaha, the legendary Dodge Viper, and so on up to the Nissans. One of the most important decades for motoring and car design, with big names, including Italians, who left their mark.
Some models not only stood out at the time, but remain examples of the style and skill and audacity of the designers of the time.
Here are some examples, in our opinion the most beautiful and valid of all, that just looking at them, just looking at a photo, remain indelibly imprinted in your mind for days. The most spectacular sports of the nineties. Starting with the McLaren F1.
McLaren F1
The F1 was produced to amaze, and the design of the engine was inspired by a sacred monster of the time, the 12-valve that BMW had already tested and put on the market. The combination of such an engine with a very light chassis set an important record for McLaren F1, from 1993 to 2005 it was the fastest car ever: 386 kilometers per hour. Virtually as fast as a plane taking off. Only the Bugatti Veyron surpassed it in top speed, but it remains a timeless jewel.
Yamaha OX99-11
Few, very few supercars have the style and road holding of the OX99-11. Yamaha also enjoyed 12 valves, however, produced directly by the Japanese parent company. Some features chosen by the designers intended to tackle McLaren’s F1 in terms of performance, but it remained a prototype, only three examples were built.
Vector W8
The Vector W8 is a dream car. She was considered by all to be “bizarre”, incredible, excessively ambitious. But Gerry Wiegert, the American entrepreneur and engineer who designed it, managed to make it one of the fastest cars ever. The magazine specialized in Road & Truck engines tested it in 1991, with surprising results.
Lister Storm
The Lister Storm was built to race on the legendary Le Mans circuit, towed by a 12-valve engine designed by Jaguar. This is, in all likelihood, one of the most nineties cars there has ever been. A sort of summary of all the characteristics of unscrupulousness and determination possessed by the sportsmen of that time.
Nissan R390
The R390 exists in only two examples. Only two, all over the world. But what makes it special is not only the rarity, but also a snappy and powerful V-8. For those who are a collector interested in this model, the search could be very difficult: not only are there only two examples, but one is still owned by Nissan.
Dauer 962 Le Mans
The Dauer 962 was conceived and designed starting from the racing version of the Porsche 962, that is a model of the eighties. But it was in 1994 that Dauer decided to prepare her again for the race. Needless to say, he won that year. It was June 18 and among the three drivers, Yannick Dalmas, Hurley Haywood and Mauro Baldi, there was also an Italian.
Dodge Viper
Is the Dodge Viper a supercar or not? There is an ongoing debate on this point, but considering the power (450 horsepower and a highly performing 10 valve) we are sure of one thing: it deserves to be on this list of wonders of the nineties.
Jaguar XJ220
Jaguar is right on this list of great brands that made the automotive nineties glorious. The V-6 pulsing under the hood of the XJ220 is a marvel that experts can’t fail to mention whenever it comes to ’90s supercars. Before the McLaren F1 arrived (the first on this list) it was precisely the XJ220 the fastest in the world.
Porsche 911 GT1
We come to the queen of the list: the 911 GT1. With such a sinuous and aerodynamic line, and with only twenty-five examples in the world, the 911 GT1 is perhaps among the most beautiful cars ever produced by the German company. Its sportiness, coupled with evident elegance, earned Porsche worldwide recognition in terms of sports cars. Which in the nineties allowed the brand to expand and enjoy ever greater international credibility.
The Ferrari F50
It needs no introduction, especially here in Italy. The flat wing, the well-finished aerodynamics and an engine, made in Maranello, which will be taken as an example of reliability for decades. The F50 is one of the many examples of Italian cars that stood out in this period. It is no coincidence that we wrote about the F50 a few days ago precisely to tell its value even today, thirty years later.
