QOTD: What's Your Favorite German Car From the 1990s?
Ah the Nineties. Lots of cylinders, reliable new technology, and wide-track styling. But enough about Pontiac and the 3800 V6, because we’re talking today about German cars from the era.
Which German vehicles from the best decade really caught your eye?
For your author, German cars of this decade stood out from a styling standpoint most of all. Refined metal kept the same basic shapes from the 1980s, but with increased attention paid to aerodynamics. Consumers demanded larger vehicles to match their growing bank accounts; most vehicles grew when they were restyled from their 80s form into their 90s one. Time for Exhibit A.
Mercedes-Benz SL (R129) 1990-2002
Hitting the scene in 1990, the fourth-generation Mercedes SL replaced the R107, which was long in the tooth after a run from 1972 to 1989. Wider, and with a much more modern shape, the R129 is peak SL for me. And the peak of peak SL is the SL 73 AMG. Just 85 were made, and all used a 7.3-liter V12 engine which would go on to power the Pagani Zonda. 525 horsepower lies underneath the still-unassuming body.
Mercedes-Benz S-Class W140 (1991-1998)
I’ll probably be accused of bias in the comments, but my other 90s German favorite is also a Mercedes. A more controversial restyling than the SL, the W140 S-Class was taller and wider than the world-renowned W126 model that carried the S-Class name since 1979. The W140 was a technological tour de force for the brand, and development costs were estimated at over $1 billion. Commonly known as the last Mercedes model to be “over-engineered,” it was also the first S-Class bestowed with an optional V12. There was an S 73 AMG with the same engine as the SL above, but most V12 models had a 6.0-liter engine producing 389 horsepower — enough to power the large sedan to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds.
My selections were probably a bit obvious, so perhaps the B&B might be able to go a bit more obscure in their selections. What are your picks?
[Images: Mercedes-Benz, Porsche]
Interested in lots of cars and their various historical contexts. Started writing articles for TTAC in late 2016, when my first posts were QOTDs. From there I started a few new series like Rare Rides, Buy/Drive/Burn, Abandoned History, and most recently Rare Rides Icons. Operating from a home base in Cincinnati, Ohio, a relative auto journalist dead zone. Many of my articles are prompted by something I'll see on social media that sparks my interest and causes me to research. Finding articles and information from the early days of the internet and beyond that covers the little details lost to time: trim packages, color and wheel choices, interior fabrics. Beyond those, I'm fascinated by automotive industry experiments, both failures and successes. Lately I've taken an interest in AI, and generating "what if" type images for car models long dead. Reincarnating a modern Toyota Paseo, Lincoln Mark IX, or Isuzu Trooper through a text prompt is fun. Fun to post them on Twitter too, and watch people overreact. To that end, the social media I use most is Twitter, @CoreyLewis86. I also contribute pieces for Forbes Wheels and Forbes Home.
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The BMW 850 for me, but, Honourable Mention to both the Corrado VR6 and the Calibra AWD that was my trusty wingman for a short time in 1997.
The only really good things to come out of Europe in the 90's were cars that were originally designed on the 80's and then improved upon until most of their 70's parts/design-features/interiors were gone. It was a horrible decade for cars in general, but a necessary one. With one small exception in Audi, because unlike everyone else they already had the expertize in bland boring cars, so they felt more 'right' doing it. (same goes for several Japanese cars)