6 Cars That Were Technologically Ahead Of Their Time

1. Mitsubishi GTO

Nowadays it’s kind of a given that supercars will have active aerodynamics to keep them pinned to the road at ludicrous speeds, but back in the 90s that kind of witchcraft was unheard of. So that made it all the more impressive when the Mitsubishi GTO rocked up with front and rear spoilers that could move depending on your speed. The GTO also had full time four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering.

2. Mercedes-Benz S-class

If you want to know what the first car to feature any given technology was, chances are good that it was the Mercedes-Benz S-class. Every generation has featured technology that would become standard in the decades to come. Over the years it has featured innovations including radar-guided cruise control, seatbelt pre-tensioners, ABS, traction control and infrared night vision.

3. Aston Martin Lagonda

For a manufacturer that’s best known for it’s super sleek designs, the Lagonda is an odd wedge-shaped beast. Its styling might have been divisive, but what’s really interesting is inside - it was the first car to use a digital instrument panel. Unfortunately, the computers that ran it were prone to crashing, the screens were unreadable in direct sunlight, and the touch-sensitive buttons were not very sensitive to being touched.

The development cost for this electro-turd interior was four-times the entire development budget for the rest of the car. Still, when it did work, it was mighty impressive to have a digital dash in the late 70s.

4. Porsche 959

Like so many of the greatest performance cars, the 959 was born from Porsche’s desire to kick ass in racing, specifically Group B rally. It had a twin-turbocharged flat-six engine that made 444hp, which coupled with an advanced all-wheel drive system helped it hit 62mph in 3.7sec. That made it the fastest car in the world. You could also control ride height, it featured zero lift, and it was the first car to feature electronic tyre pressure monitoring.

5. GM EV-1

The world is losing its mind over the Tesla Model 3, so it seems apt to remember the first mass produced EV. GM made the EV-1 back in the late 90s, but they weren’t available to buy, instead you had to lease it from GM.

When the program was discontinued in 2002, GM took back all of the cars without giving lessees the opportunity to buy the cars they’d been driving. Most EV1s were crushed, while a few were sent to museums. It’s still a sore point with many environmentalists and EV fans, who accuse GM of deliberately sabotaging the development of EVs to pander to the oil industry.

6. Audi Quattro

Audi’s legendary rally success with the Quattro has been much publicised. Before it arrived on the scene, competitors scrabbled for grip with two-wheel drive, but then Audi blew everyone out of the water with its all-wheel drive setup. Rallying would never be the same again, as nothing could keep pace with the four-ringed, four-wheel drive monsters.