When it comes to the 1990s, our readers apparently weren't Clueless about their favorites cars, offering more than 1,000 responses. Reality Bites, so we had to narrow it down to these ten most bitchin' cars of the '90s.
This is Answers of the Day - a feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
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10.) Toyota Supra Turbo
Suggested By: burlybax
Why It's Awesome: Three words. Hollow. Carpet. Fibers. In Toyota's quest for awesomeness, they went so far as to make the hood, targa roof panel, and suspension components out of aluminum, and hollow out the fibers in the carpet. Crazy? Sure. Obsessive? Absolutely. Brilliant? Indubitably. Those whacked-out engineers ended up shaving a full 200 pounds off the car compared to the previous generation. Unfortunately, if you lived in California, New Jersey, New York or Massachusetts, you had to wait to get your hands on a Turbo model, as their tighter emissions regs wouldn't clear the car for sale.
Photo credit: Searchpictures.net
9.) Jaguar XJ220
Suggested By: Jackie
Why It's Awesome: There was quite a bit of debate here at the Jalopnik home office over whether to include the XJ220 or the Bugatti EB110SS. Eventually, the Jag won out over the Bug, mostly because it looks so much cooler. The Jaguar XJ220 screams supercar: it's low, wide, curvy, and ridiculously quick, especially when you note its power comes from a 3.5 liter V-6 (with twin turbos). For a time it was the fastest production car in the world with a top speed of 217 mph, until a certain McLaren showed up to take the crown.
Photo credit: Aston Martin Fans
8.) Mazda RX-7
Suggested By: ThreeLitre
Why It's Awesome: The RX of dreams. There have been many before, and many after, but the most glorious rotary of them all is the FD RX-7. A delightfully pure and strange sports car, it looked like a mini Viper (both the car and the snake) and offered performance on a different plane from other cars of the era. Anytime one graced the cover of a car magazine, that car magazine was quickly purchased.
7.) McLaren F1
Suggested By: spiegel1
Why It's Awesome: Exactly how many times are we going to have to explain why the F1 is great? You can have your Bugattis and Zondas and Webers, there's no supercar with quite the panache of a McLaren F1. When camera crews setup races between Veyrons and F1s they often have to do multiple passes to get the F1 to lose.
Photo credit: supercars.dk
6.) Ford Taurus SHO
Suggested By: Tiberiuswise
Why It's Awesome: Our favorite 90's sleeper, the SHO was a great car for those folks that wanted to go fast, but stay discrete. Who would think a four door Taurus would be anything special? Not the cops, that's for sure. Or the punk kid next to you at the light revving his hopped up Golf. The SHO may have lost a little of its bite in its most recent iteration, but the original 1st and 2nd generation SHO was a damn cool car.
Photo credit: TTAC
5.) BMW M Coupe
Suggested By: E30fernando
Why It's Awesome: You mean you need another reason to love the M Coupe, other than its striking resemblance to a clown's shoe? How about being 2.7 times stiffer than the Z3 convertible it's based on? That's not doing it for you? Ok. The car shares an engine with the E36 M3 of the same era. Feeling a little better about the car now? Who says awkward-looking can't be fast?
Photo credit: FreeCarWallpapers
4.) Dodge Viper
Suggested By: digginit
Why It's Awesome: The award for coolest car powered by a truck engine has to go to the Viper. Featured in more 90's video games and bedroom posters than nearly anything else of the era, the Viper has a special place in the hearts of so many that grew up then.
3.) BMW E39 M5
Suggested By: Venivedivice
Why It's Awesome: You can read this write up if you're curious, but here's the bottom line: "BMW's don't burble. Except for one: the last-generation M5. The instant you fire-up the previous gen Bavarian four-door (codenamed E39), its powerplant burbles with all the subdued menace of a late 60's muscle car." Someone cue up Ronin
Photo credit: Olli Vainio Photography
2.) Buick Roadmaster Station Wagon
Suggested By: Franzouse
Why It's Awesome: The Caprice/Roadmaster/Fleetwood/Impala body style is so '90s, even if it's only because GM used it for every one of their many, many brands. Much as we do love an Impala SS, though, the Roadmaster may be the pinnacle of 90s big-body, RWD cruisers. With wood-trim, giant sunroofs, and a wheelbase long enough to stick a couple of Smarts in between the axles, it was a comfortable ride. But the best part? A slightly de-tuned Corvette LT1 engine good for a reported 260 hp. With a few bolt-on modifications it could be a real burnout machine.
Photo credit: GMInsideNews.com
1.) Acura NSX
Suggested By: I can be Stig?
Why It's Awesome: As with the McLaren F1, you sort of start running out of amazing things to say about the Acura NSX. With its straight edge, we-have-really-good-computers-now styling and Senna-tuned handling it's already a beast. It's the dream car of the era and, because it wore a Honda badge in Japan, it seemed almost attainable. The best thing we can say about it? When Gordon Murray drove the car he knew he wanted to build a car with the same spirit and so he designed the F1 around similar principles.