Most influential cars of the '90s

American iron didn't get any more solid in the early '90s than the Corvette ZR1. The "Zed" was easy to spot compared with mortal C4 Corvettes, with its widened backside housing and 11-inch-wide rolling stock. Motivation was provided by a fresh-from-the-drawing-board 32-valve LT5 V8 engine rated at 375 horsepower. Zero-to-60 mph passed by in 4.4 seconds. The only drawback was on the retinas; GM's cheesy digital readout dash was gaudy even in the '90s.

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Before the Ford Explorer SUV, soccer moms drove station wagons. The early '90s Explorer and its shift-on-the-fly 4-wheel drive put the SUV in the mainstream and became the prime-time player of people moving, and it hasn't looked back.

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The LS was Lexus' first shot across the bow of luxury sedans from Germany, Europe and beyond. The automaker's debut car came out swinging with a 4.0-liter 250-horsepower V8 engine under the hood, supple leather in the cabin and tanklike build quality. A coupe version, the SC400, was offered in 1992.

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The Mazda Miata was brilliant because it brought Japanese design and reliability to the decidedly European small-roadster equation. Unfortunately called a girl's car by some early on, these first-generation Miatas have earned their stripes as serious, well-balanced and efficient machines that sparked a racing revolution, as evidenced by numerous racing series based on the Miata that have popped up nationwide.

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The Acura NSX was the common man's Ferrari, a reliable supercar capable of daily driving. Svelte and smooth, the NSX was all about balance, as the moderately powerful 270-horsepower midmounted V6 engine was no indication of the raw driving pleasure that awaited lucky NSX owners. As for further significance, the Acura was the first production car to feature a full aluminum monocoque body, and it served as America's introduction to Honda's innovative VTEC variable-valve-timing system.

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The GMC Syclone was the quickest slice of American pie short of a ZR1 Corvette that you could drive in 1991. Its 5.3-second zero-to-60-mph time made it unlike any pickup truck before or since. While the Syclone's black body and turbocharged 6-cylinder engine combo was reminiscent of the Buick Grand National, the GMC's 4.3-liter 280-horsepower LB4 engine had nothing in common with the legendary Buick.

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When the Viper concept hit the scene, many wondered if Chrysler had the audacity to bump such an edgy, big-engine beast to production. It did. This snake produces venom via a 400-horsepower 8.0-liter V10 engine that was a truck design cleverly recast in aluminum for the Viper. Known as the RT/10 Roadster, the Dodge was offered sans top at the beginning, but the lineup soon grew to include a coupe and 600 horses. The first vintage Vipers laid down 4.6-second zero-to-60 mph time and 12.9-second quarter-miles.

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A 2-door SUV with similar body cladding and the same powertrain as the Syclone, the GMC Typhoon kept the weather-beating GMCs on course. We once made a rebel charge from Yuba City, Calif., to Long Beach, Calif., in five hours, 35 minutes in a teal-over-gray Typhoon. MapQuest gives the 450-mile jaunt an estimated drive time of seven hours, 25 minutes. You get the idea.

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The 1992 to 1995 EG Civic makes this list because of its "founding father" effect in the import tuning scene. Honda produced dazzling engines and many parts from other Honda and Acura products could be easily swapped into the Civic; for example, the Acura Integra's B18C engine could bump output from as low as 72 horsepower to 170.

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The Humvee went directly from military carpools to civilian carports in 1992. Supremely capable, its planetary gear 4-wheel drive and low overhang meant the Humvee could scale inclines that would make Spiderman jealous. Something surprising about this Hummer is its skinny steering wheel; a thin Little Tikes toy wheel commanding a 6,000-pound behemoth does not compute. The Humvee would depart from its true military roots with the H2 and H3 models, based on GM trucks.

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The McLaren F1 is significant for its speed and price. At 242.95 mph and $970,000, the '92 F1 put the "super" in superexotic. Built as an enclosed, road-going Formula One racer, the McLaren featured a number of emerging high-tech materials of the day, including a carbon-fiber chassis — a first for a production car — and carbon body panels. And, because aluminum was not light enough, the 6.1-liter 627-horsepower V12 featured a number of cast magnesium parts to boost that power-to-weight ratio. The F1 is still the fastest naturally aspirated car in the world. The price of an F1 has swelled to $2.5 million.

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The twin-turbo FD-series Mazda RX-7 was the peak of Wankel rotary-engine development. The pressure-fed, 2-rotor 13B engine produced 255 horsepower but was supremely tunable and became a go-to player for gearheads of the day. The sound and power delivery of a properly boosted FD RX-7 is intoxicating.

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"Jaw-dropping," "ball-busting," "awe-inspiring" — such phrases fall short when it comes to the almighty Toyota Supra. The ultimate convergence of technology and turbocharging, its bulletproof 320-horsepower twin-turbo inline-6 engine could be pushed to 550 horsepower on stock internals and 800-plus on the street when properly fortified. Race-built Supra 2JZ-GTE powerplants netted 6.60-second, 200-plus-mph quarter-miles in full-bodied drag cars.

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Ferrari knows how to celebrate a birthday. The F50 was built to commemorate the Italian automaker's 50th anniversary. Ferrari got the party started by giving the F50 a 4.7-liter 520-horsepower normally aspirated V12 engine derived from its Formula One program, a sculpted composite body, a trick composite chassis and an open cockpit. What will top the cake when Maranello celebrates its 70th in two years?

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The retro Speedster-esque design of the Boxster and its pleasing driving dynamics made its low, practical price point all the more alluring to aspiring Porsche fans. The Boxster was Miata-like in its simplicity, execution and daily drivability. Motivation for the Porsche was supplied by a 2.5-liter flat-6 engine rated at 201 horsepower.

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The Tiburon was Hyundai's first trip outside the box from a design standpoint. The swoopy coupe laid the groundwork for the styling revolution the Korean automaker is putting on the road today.

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The "people's car" made a resounding comeback as the Volkswagen hit all the right notes by capturing the hippie chic, minimalist and righteous vibe of the original Bug, the fourth-best-selling vehicle ever at 21.5 million units.

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The '98 edition of the venerated Porsche 911 signaled the German automaker's transition from air-cooled to water-cooled versions of its stout flat-6 powerplants. The 996 iteration of the 911 was also significant because it was the first new 911 body shell in some time. Big spenders opted for the race-ready GT3, which featured lighter metal body panels, thinner glass, a stouter suspension and 60 more horsepower than the 300-horse 911.

Evan Griffey served as an editor of Turbo & High Tech Performance, a pioneering publication about sport-compact tuning. Today Griffey freelances for Import Tuner, Sport Compact Car, Car Audio and Siphon.