Modern Roadsters
The 1990s saw the resurgence of sports cars, as fears that legislation would ban open cars receded. Manufacturers were divided on whether the best sporting solution was the traditional front-engine rear-drive, mid-engine rear-drive, or front-engine front-drive. Rounded styling returned, along with the arrival of retro—and luxury, including folding hardtop roofs.
Nissan Figaro, 1989
| Origin | Japan |
| Engine | 987 cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 106 mph (171 km/h) |
Nissan popularized retro styling with this Micra-based two-seater with roll-back sunroof and three-speed automatic transmission. It was fun, but not sporting.
Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet, 1989
| Origin | Germany |
| Engine | 2,990 cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 149 mph (240 km/h) |
The final development of the 1976 Porsche 924 was the 944 S2, which was also at last available as a convertible-but production ended in 1991.
Porsche Boxster, 1996
| Origin | Germany |
| Engine | 2,480 cc, flat-six |
| Top speed | 152 mph (245 km/h) |
Almost 50 years after its first mid-engined prototype, Porsche finally introduced a mid-engined road sports car, which became its fastest-selling sports car ever.
BMW Z3, 1996
| Origin | Germany |
| Engine | 1,895 cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 123 mph (198 km/h) |
BMW’s first-ever volume sports car had retro looks, rear-wheel drive, and an uncompromized roadster feel. The Z3 was fitted with 1.8,1.9, 2.0, 2.2, 2.8, 3.0, or 3.2-liter engines.
Mazda MX-5 MkI, 1989
| Origin | Japan |
| Engine | 1,597 cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 114 mph (183 km/h) |
Inspired by the 1960s Lotus Elan, Mazda reintroduced the world to traditional sports-car fun with the twin-cam, front-engined, rear-wheel drive MX-5 (also called Miata/Eunos).
Morgan Plus 8, 1990
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 3,946 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 121 mph (195 km/h) |
The ultra-traditional Morgan, with its wood-framed body and separate chassis, started using Rover’s 3.5-liter V8 engine in 1968. It got the 3.9-liter version in 1990.
Suzuki Cappuccino, 1991
| Origin | Japan |
| Engine | 657 cc, straight-three |
| Top speed | 85 mph (137 km/h) |
Restricted to 85 mph, the Cappuccino was designed to give fun motoring within Japan’s Kei car tax regulations. Front-engined and rear-driven, it is a real mini-sports car.
TVR Griffith 400, 1992
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 3,948 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 148 mph (238 km/h) |
The best British sports car of the 1990s had stunning lines and effortless Rover V8 power (with the ultimate soundtrack), but reliability issues dogged it, like all TVRs.
Renault Sport Spider, 1995
| Origin | France |
| Engine | 1,998 cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 131 mph (211 km/h) |
Renault wanted to inject some sporty excitement into the brand, so it commissioned this roofless, mid-engine, aluminum-chassis roadster for road and track use.
Alfa Romeo Spider, 1995
| Origin | Italy |
| Engine | 2,959 cc, V6 |
| Top speed | 140 mph (225 km/h) |
Available with 2-liter or 3-liter engines, Alfa’s Spider for the 1990s was a striking front-wheel-drive sports car designed by Pininfarina, with a high tail but small trunk
MG RV8, 1992
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 3,946 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 136 mph (219 km/h) |
The car MG should have built 25 years earlier finally entered limited production in the 1990s, with a pumped-up MGB bodyshell, Rover V8 engine, and leather trim.
MGF, 1995
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 1,796 cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 130 mph (209 km/h) |
The first serious, new MG sports car for over 30 years was a pretty mid-engined two-seater with clever packaging and good handling from its Hydragas suspension system.
De Tomaso Guara Spider, 1994
| Origin | Italy |
| Engine | 3,982 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 170 mph (274 km/h) |
More commonly sold as the Coupe or Barchetta (just five Spiders were built), this was the last project of founder Alejandro de Tomaso and used BMW running gear.
Lotus Elise, 1996
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 1,796 cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 124 mph (200 km/h) |
Using a Rover K-series engine in an extruded aluminum chassis with fiberglass body, the Elise weighs just 1,599 lb (725 kg), giving superb handling and performance.
Mercedes SLK 230K, 1997
| Origin | Germany |
| Engine | 2,295 cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 148 mph (238 km/h) |
Mercedes’ answer to the BMW Z3 and Porsche Boxster was a more civilized sports car (almost all those sold were automatics) with an electric hardtop and a supercharger.
Audi TT Roadster, 1999
| Origin | Germany |
| Engine | 1,781 cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 138 mph (222 km/h) |
Built in Hungary with either 4X2 or 4X4, Audi’s TT uses Volkswagen Golf technology. It suffered bad press due to high speed instability, prompting recall modifications.
Honda S2000, 1999
| Origin | Japan |
| Engine | 1,997 cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 150 mph (241 km/h) |
This rear-wheel-drive sports car was built to the highest standards to mark Honda’s 50th birthday celebration. It had the world’s highest-revving production car engine.
Fiat Barchetta, 1995
| Origin | Italy |
| Engine | 1,747 cc, straight-four |
| Top speed | 118 mph (190 km/h) |
Fiat built the Barchetta on the Punto platform but, with a brand new twin-cam engine and beautiful, in-house-designed body, it’s a far better sports car than many expect.
It is a quote. The Definitive Visual History Of The Automobile 2011
