10 Performance Cars Of The 1990s That Could Humble Supercars

I need to go on record as saying this wasn’t an easy article to write - finding a range of “common” cars with the chops to run alongside supercars was easy, and as I browsed through recent automotive history I knew right away that the 1990s would be the key decade to talk about. The hard part was realising that the Japanese performance revolution from this era is a major reason why even average family sedans these days can go from 0-60 in six seconds. I know this is an apples-to-oranges comparison, but that’s fast enough to beat a Ferrari 308 and hang surprisingly close to a Lamborghini Countach.

It’s not that I hate Japanese performance. For crying out loud my garage at the moment is nothing but Japanese performance. But I’m a self-proclaimed muscle car fanboy from America, so compiling this fun little piece gave me a new appreciation for how Japanese automakers aggressively pushed the performance envelope forward. Yeah, I have a few cars from America and Germany on this list, but for this period of automotive evolution, I can only agree with our man Darren when he said this was the golden age for JDM performance.

Now about this list. Before you go bananas in the comments read this part twice. When I say humble that doesn’t necessarily mean faster. When you have a $150,000 supercar and you can barely inch away from a small four-door sedan, you’re technically winning but it’s still a humbling experience. And I’m not counting top speed this time around - I think we’ll all agree that supercars generally win that battle. But for the other 99 per cent of the time on the street, these 1990s superheroes had enough stones to either stick surprisingly close with the six-figure supercars of the day, or outright beat them.

1. GMC Syclone

In 1991 Car And Driver magazine held a rather infamous quarter-mile test between the new GMC Syclone and a new Ferrari 348. The Ferrari eventually pulled ahead of the small pickup, but not until after it lost the quarter-mile race.

2. BMW M5

BMW’s M cars were already exquisite performers, but the 1999 E39 M5 is arguably the car that elevated the 5-series to legendary performer status. With 400bhp and a six-speed manual, it could keep all four of its doors within reach of most late 20th century supercars.

3. Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1

Some might argue that the 1990-1995 ZR-1 was a supercar. It had a relatively high price tag, and with 405bhp from a DOHC 5.7-litre V8 it certainly had the performance. But many people consider the C4 ‘Vette as the worst generation, yet I’ve no doubts there were many smug Ferrari and Lamborghini drivers eating crow after a ZR-1 encounter.

4. Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6

This special-edition build of the already potent 1998-2002 Trans Am made 325bhp from its naturally aspirated 5.7-litre LS1 V8. It had a six-speed manual and suspension tweaks to make it a simple but terrifically effective muscle car. It could run door-to-door with supercars costing five times as much and it could turn surprisingly well. And few things are more humbling to a supercar driver than not being able to shake the dude with the mullet.

5. Audi RS2 Avant

Turbo plus all-wheel drive usually equals fast, as we’ll see with many cars still to come. For the fast-yet-functional Audi, the combo was enough to kick this glorious estate to 60 in under five seconds. In the mid-1990s that was on par with a Ferrari 355 and faster than a Porsche 911.

6. Mitsubishi GTO/3000 GT VR4

We begin the Japanese invasion with a personal favourite of mine. The 3000GT was heavy and much more of a grand tourer than a proper sports car, but with V6 turbo power and all-wheel drive it was terrifically quick. The earlier models had a bit more tech while the later builds had more horsepower, but they could all hold their own against many ‘90s supercars.

7. Toyota Supra

All hail the mighty Supra. Even in stock form, the turbo Supra could rip to 60 in about five seconds. That’s enough to be right there in the thick of it with 355s, 911s, and for those who hadn’t upgraded their Countach to a Diablo, tears usually flowed following a Supra encounter. But honestly, who drives a stock Supra turbo anyway? Turn up the boost and go hunting for 360s.

8. Nissan Skyline GT-R

Say hello to more Japanese all-wheel drive turbo power, this time from the fine folks at Nissan. I debated including the Skyline, simply because it’s widely considered these days to be a supercar. But when the R33 and R34 GT-Rs were rolling off the assembly line through the 1990s, they were just hopped-up versions of the Skyline - a long-standing Japanese nameplate for sedans, coupes and estates. These cars, along with the next two on the list, helped redefine the ultra high-performance genre. Instead of it being exclusively the domain of exotics and dedicated high-performance nameplates, pedestrian models could become superstars too.

9. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

What’s your favourite Evo of the 1990s? Take your pick, because they were all incredible performers with enough punch to run with cars costing way more. The fact that they were small sedans is even better - I don’t think many people outside the rally circuit took these cars seriously until they lost to one. And I’m sure it happened quite often.

10. Subaru WRX STI

If the 1990s is indeed the golden age for JDM performance, then it’s also the golden age for the WRX. The Subies of this era remain the best looking, the lightest, and arguably the best performers of the entire WRX line. With 276bhp, all-wheel drive and curb weights generally under 1250kg, a brave clutch drop could have these rally racers not just humbling, but humiliating 1990s supercars time and again. Of all the cars on this list, a 22B STI is the one I’d choose to go hunting for aristocrats.