The nineties were undoubtedly a fantastic time to be a sports car enthusiast. Local carmakers were engaged in a constant tussle to one-up each other by introducing better-looking, more powerful, and more feature-loaded cars almost every day, and international gates were opening up as imports took over the streets with style and charisma.
While many enthusiasts today engage in getting great cars from the ’90s from the used car market and turning them into project cars, others put their own spin on some gems from the end of the past century to make them their own.
While all of that is great to do and in good automotive spirits, there are nevertheless some particular ’90s sports cars that are perfect when stock, untouched and untampered with.
10 Bugatti EB 110
Before Bugatti became synonymous with the creation of the 8-liter W16 monstrous engines like it is today, it used a common V12 engine in the nineties for the EB110. Of course, it still came with four turbochargers, making it one of the fastest cars during the turn of the century. Bugatti certainly knew what it was doing with the EB110.
Packed with technology, it rode stop a carbon fiber chassis with an all-wheel-drive powertrain. While its 603 horses and 3.2-second 0-60 time made it one of the fastest cars, it was also one of the most beautiful, with each curve oozing speed even if the car stood idle. Truly, the EB 110 is a car we would never, ever modify or change in any way.
9 Porsche 911 Carrera RS
The 911 Carrera RS was made with one purpose in mind- to go faster. Thus, Porsche made it hundreds of pounds lighter than the standard Carrera, which was more than sufficient in achieving the target it was born for.
It was also a lot more powerful, and considering they didn’t take too many units of this historic car, it is best to leave it stock, provided you manage to get your hands on one. Certain versions of the Porsche 911 Carrera are close to a million dollars!
8 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Tommi Mäkinen Edition
Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution VI Tommi Makinen Edition paid tribute to the legendary WRC driver, and the exclusive livery was an absolute looker, heralding his four WRC titles through style and performance with the special Lancer.
The Tommi Makinen Evo also became the most expensive Lancer sold at auction in 2021. Needless to say, modifying this iconic JDM in any way would be nothing short of tasteless.
7 Ferrari F50
Here’s a car many would call the greatest sports car of the nineties, the Ferrari F50. A great thing about the F50 is how it wasn’t as super-exclusive as its Maranello brethren, and at $500,000, could even be called an ‘affordable’ prancing horse.
The supercar’s beautiful look came from its unique sculpted look, with big dished wheels and an extremely aerodynamic shape. Moreover, a spoiler almost as tall as the roof itself made the F50 one of the most recognizable cars ever made. Changing this in any way, be it the gorgeous, timeless design, or the 512-horsepower engine is not something we’d ever consider doing.
6 1999 Lamborghini Diablo GT
The Lamborghini Diablo became a raging hit on the market in the ’90s. Just looking at the car, one knows that it is best to leave it unchanged because, if there’s anything different or more outlandish you want to be done to your Lamborghini, you’re best off just picking an even flashier model from the brand’s lineup.
1999 saw Lamborghini bring out the Diablo GT, which was designed to compete on European racetracks. Despite looking much like a regular Diablo, the GT was 140 lbs lighter than the standard version, its 545-hp engine achieving a 3.7-second 0-60 time. Honoring that achievement and the Diablo’s heritage would first and foremost come with not touching the bodywork or the engine since everything was built in tandem to achieve the GT.
5 McLaren F1
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The McLaren F1 remains one of the greatest hypercars ever made and can hold its own even today. McLaren raised the bar across the board, in every department, with the F1, and what came out was one of the fastest production cars ever made.
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Housing a BMW-sourced V12 engine that churned out 627 horsepower, the F1 has also been an iconically stylish car, with the star-shaped rims, the big beefy spoiler, and the sprawling, wide-eyed headlights that set it apart. With the sort of performance and style quotient the F1 brought to the table, why would anyone even consider making any changes?
4 Acura NSX
Sure, the new Acura NSX is a fantastic car, and we love it too, but perhaps nothing captured the distinct 90s vibe quite like the NSX did then. It was a rather simple mid-engined car by Honda, and a remarkably reliable one, too.
Undoubtedly, the NSX is one of the greatest cars of the 90s, and its exclusivity, the angular profile of the car, the pop-up headlights, and the sleek overall design just make one want to hide one in their garage, all to themselves. It’s certainly one car that is most beautiful when seen as intended.
3 Toyota Supra
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How could the most iconic 90s JDM car not have made this list? The Toyota Supra has evolved over the years and become a mainstay in the enthusiast conversation across the world. However, many argue that the Supras today are essentially rebadged Beemers, owing to the German-sourced engine.
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In that vein, it becomes all the more important to preserve the 90s models as they were, which will only continue rising in value as they always have over the years. Needless to say, if we were to get our hands on a Supra from the nineties, we’d certainly be keeping it completely intact, both outside and inside, just as it was meant to be enjoyed.
2 Dodge Viper
The Dodge Viper can really be considered a summation of the 90s aesthetic, and is almost synonymous with the decade, in a way. Think of the Viper to the 90s as the DeLorean was to the 80s.
Sure, the sports coupe formula was already there when the Viper arrived, but it somehow managed to outdo every rival with its extremely curvaceous body and ridiculously over-the-top 8-liter V10 engine, finally bringing about the end of the Corvette’s domination. This is a car that was a watershed moment in automotive history and must be treated as such.
1 Aston Martin DB7
Hands down one of the finest British luxury cars of all time, the Aston Martin DB7 is a sight to behold, no matter where or when. The car still oozes class and is certainly one of the most timeless and iconic cars ever made.
The grand tourer is an amazing sight in every avatar, be it the coupe or the convertible, and it is rightly desired by enthusiasts all over the world, even today. As beautiful as the DB7 is, any attempts to modernize it, either externally or internally, would merely serve to diminish its timelessness, taking away from the class of the car that it is known for.
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