In keeping with the analogy, I feel the nineties also mirrored the similarities of the two seemingly different industries. Coming out of the abysmal eighties, the music industry was dominated by a lot of terrible trends: MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice, Kris Kross, hair metal bands, etc... and the automotive industry wasn't much better. But just like Grunge came along and saved music, so too did the Supercars.
1993 Mazda RX-7
Layout: Front Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 1.3 L Rotary
Horsepower: 261 bhp
Torque: 217 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 2830 lbs
Top Speed: 155 mph
Zero to Sixty: 4.9 seconds
The RX-7 is a pretty infamous car. Great styling, legendary engine, highly sought after, even to this day. It's all very good stuff. But rather than sing it's praises, I instead feel the need to discuss the MX-5. That's right, the Miata. It made my honourable mentions, but those cars simply get listed, and since the Miata has the stigma of being a lady's sports car, I feel that I should justify it's selection, and I can't think of where else to do it than right here, in the entry for it's fellow Mazda brethren.
It's not much of a performer, and it's not much to look at (although it's much better looking nowadays than it was back in the nineties), but the Miata is an important car. It single-handedly revived the roadster as a viable car for production, and without it, we probably would never have seen such great cars as the Honda S2000, the Mercedes SLK, or the Porsche Boxster. But you don't have to take my word for it, as usual, Jeremy Clarkson has already said it best:
The fact is that if you want a sports car, the MX-5 is perfect. Nothing on the road will give you better value. Nothing will give you so much fun. The only reason I’m giving it five stars is because I can’t give it 14."
- The Sunday Times, London (August 16, 2009)
1997 Chevrolet Corvette
Layout: Front Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 5.7 L V8
Horsepower: 345 bhp
Torque: 350 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3230 lbs
Top Speed: 172 mph
Zero to Sixty: 4.8 seconds
Although the 4th generation (aka: the eighties) Corvette was a step in the right direction in terms of philosophy - returning to a true sports car platform, as opposed to their ill-fated attempts at a softer grand touring car during the late stages of the third generation - it was still never a very good car (especially now that history has been given enough time to properly judge it). That makes this, the debut of the 5th generation, all the more pleasing by comparison. They took the solid ideas from the 4th generation and finally wrapped a good-looking body around it. As you know, I grew up loving Corvettes, and after abandoning nearly all hope in the nineties, this is the car that won me back.
1997 Acura NSX
Layout: Mid Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 3.2 L V6
Horsepower: 290 bhp
Torque: 224 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3160 lbs
Top Speed: 168 mph
Zero to Sixty: 5.1 seconds
When you think of high performance cars, Honda isn't a name that comes to mind very often. But considering their success in Formula One racing, as well as being the sole engine provider for Indy Car, they really should be. Maybe they simply don't care. They know they make great engines, and they don't need a sports car in their line up to prove it (their closest current model that could even be considered a performance coupe is the V6 Accord). And that's a shame. Because the NSX was a heck of a car, and a nice little platform for Honda to strut their stuff with. Unfortunately, they discontinued it back in 2005.
1999 Ferrari 360 Modena
Layout: Mid Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 3.6 L V8
Horsepower: 395 bhp
Torque: 275 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3064 lbs
Top Speed: 189 mph
Zero to Sixty: 4.3 seconds
You might think that this selection is a little biased, seeing as this is the only Ferrari that I've ever actually driven. And, while it's true that this has earned it a soft spot in my heart for the rest of time, at the end of the day, it's still a great car. Not quite as good looking as the F355 (see: #5) that it replaced, or the F430 that replaced it, but the 360 is still pretty easy on the eyes, and not-too-shabby in the performance department either.
1996 Dodge Viper GTS
Layout: Front Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 8.0 L V10
Horsepower: 450 bhp
Torque: 490 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3360 lbs
Top Speed: 185 mph
Zero to Sixty: 4.6 seconds
The Viper was conceived as an homage to the legendary Cobra of the sixties. And while it doesn't even come close in my mind, it's still about as good of a modern interpretation that could possibly be done. Especially since Carroll Shelby had a big hand in the car's initial design. The Viper has become known for it's difficulty to drive, seeing that the big V10 isn't reigned in by any driver's aids, such as traction control or even ABS (although they eventually relented on that one). This meant that any mistake by the driver would not be hidden by technology, and the only thing that controlled how fast the wheels spun, regardless of grip or safety, was how hard the driver pressed down on the gas pedal.
1995 Ferrari F355 Spider
Layout: Mid Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 3.5 L V8
Horsepower: 380 bhp
Torque: 268 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 2976 lbs
Top Speed: 175 mph
Zero to Sixty: 4.7 seconds
The nineties weren't a dominant time for Ferrari, unlike pretty much every other decade that has been covered by these lists. With the rest of the field stepping up their game, Ferrari just wasn't as obviously head-and-shoulders above the competition anymore, and the Prancing Horse fell a bit by the wayside. But only on paper. In reality, they were still making some of the best cars on the road, even if they weren't as flashy as the Lamborghinis or as technologically astounding as the new breed of supercars*.
*Yes, I know, the F50 was a supercar that could hang with the best of them, but I was never really a fan.
1999 Lamborghini Diablo VT
Layout: Mid Engine, All Wheel Drive
Engine: 5.7 L V12
Horsepower: 523 bhp
Torque: 446 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3583 lbs
Top Speed: 207 mph
Zero to Sixty: 3.95 seconds
The Diablo had some big shoes to fill. The Countach was so over-the-top, and was immortalized on so many posters in so many bedrooms, that it was nearly impossible to be outdone. The Diablo is obviously still very over-the-top, but the Countach had desensitized so many people to crazy design elements, that on looks alone, the Diablo couldn't possibly make as big a splash as it's predecessor. As such, the minds in Italy needed to bring more than just good looks to the table, and set about fixing some of the old Lambo's glaring flaws. Most notably, was a huge upgrade in driveability. Whereas the Countach was a nightmare to spend more than 20 minutes in, the Diablo was actually a good car, both in terms of comfort (relatively speaking) and performance. Easily breaking the 200 mph barrier and claiming the title of world's fastest production car at the time of it's release, the Diablo endured an 11 year production run, that saw the struggling company change hands between different owners four times.
1995 Porsche 911 Turbo
Layout: Rear Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 3.6 L Flat-6
Horsepower: 355 bhp
Torque: 384 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3276 lbs
Top Speed: 174 mph
Zero to Sixty: 4.5 seconds
The 911 has been around for a long, long time. And although the typical joke is that it's hasn't changed much over those years, the truth is that of course, it has. Sure, they refuse to give up on the rear engine placement that seems to hinder the car's handling much more than it helps anything else. And although they've managed to engineer around this apparent flaw, to produce one of the finest cars on the road today, my favourite iteration of the 911 is still probably the 993 that lasted from 1993-1998. Ya, they hadn't sorted out the handling yet, and ya, they were still using an air-cooled engine, but there's just something about this generation of 911 that does it for me.
1992 Jaguar XJ220
Layout: Mid Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 3.5 L V6
Horsepower: 542 bhp
Torque: 475 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3025 lbs
Top Speed: 217 mph
Zero to Sixty: 3.9 seconds
The Ferrari F40 had held the title as the world's fastest production car for a comfortable 4 years, starting in 1987. Then suddenly the nineties hit, and every one and their dog wanted in on the action. The Diablo started things off by cranking out 207 mph in 1991, only to be eclipsed by the Bugatti EB110 at 213 mph in 1992. The Jaguar took over that same year, hitting 217 mph. It was a crazy top-speed-arms-race, that ended with the brilliant McLaren F1 shortly thereafter. But it's brief time spent at the top still remains the XJ220's main claim to fame, even though it was a pretty short-lived period of time that the car actually held the record.
1992 McLaren F1
Layout: Mid Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 6.1 L V12
Horsepower: 627 bhp
Torque: 479 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 2513 lbs
Top Speed: 240 mph
Zero to Sixty: 3.2 seconds
Taking over from the Jaguar as the fastest car in the world, the McLaren held the honour for 13 impressive years. But top speed isn't everything. Sure it's a nice bullet point on the resume, but personally, I would still take the McLaren F1 over a Veyron any day of the week. The Veyron is a marvel of modern engineering, sure, the numbers are mind-blowing, but it just isn't a driver's car like the McLaren is. The Veyron looks like it might actually be comfortable to sit in. And, while I'm sure that appeals to some folks, the point of a true supercar is obviously lost on them. No radio, no turbochargers, seat smack-dab in the middle of the cockpit, just like a Formula One car? Those are the makings of a true performance car. If you can afford a supercar in this price range, then you buy a Maybach for the times you want to be comfortable, and you get a no-nonsense performance machine like the F1 when you want a thrill.
Honourable Mentions:
1996 Ferrari 550 Maranello
1993 TVR Griffith 500
1994 Mazda MX-5 Miata
1991 Bugatti EB110
Is the Jaguar not called the XJ220? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar_XJ220
ReplyDeleteIts a shame they never actually hit 220mph, but it was a good try.
It is. My bad. I know that, and I say that, but for some reason when I go to type it, my brain just doesn't let it happen. Thanks for the heads up.
ReplyDeleteI was gonna comment on the Jag as well, I'm so relieved Hoff brought that egregious error to light.
ReplyDeleteYou said: "the music industry was dominated by a lot of terrible trends: MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice, Kris Kross" You must be kidding, right? Maybe Kris Kross wasn't the best, but I still am proud to have dressed up like them for a Halloween dance. Vanilla still gets play in the clubs today...and Hammer, Hammer has his own TV show! They don't let just anyone have a TV show! COME ON!
Was that before or after you dressed up as Urkel? (speaking of shitty trends from the early 90's...)
ReplyDelete