I’m dating myself here, but I graduated from high school in the brief period of hope between surviving Y2K and before the towers fell. Having been raised on American car mags, German car toys, and Japanese car racing video games, my understanding of the greater world of cars was already strong. Fittingly, my tastes were on the eclectic end of the spectrum.
My girlfriend’s dad autocrossed a C5 Corvette Z06 in yellow with the FRC, which is now my all-time favorite Corvette. I wonder what that means? While America offered up a number of interesting performance cars, The Fast and the Furious was soon to ignite the slow gas-line leak of interesting cars from abroad making their way into my consciousness.
The answer to this question may not be exactly the answer I’d have given upon receipt of my diploma, but at no time in my life would I ever be unhappy with my current choice of an FD RX-7. In particular, the English market version. My online pal Joana Fidalgo from The Intercooler has one and I can’t help but gawk at it every time she posts about it on Instagram. It is one of the most perfect silhouettes to ever come out of Japan, and the high frequency staccato yelp of its rotary engine gives it a soundtrack rivaled by few.
What about you? What was the coolest car from the year you finally nabbed your sheepskin?
My all-time favorite Ferrari was launched in 1996: The 550 Maranello. This car has really come into it’s own in the last 30 years, and as a front-engine V12 backed by a true 6-speed, it’s a true return-to-form in the post-Enzo era. Prices now reflect how wonderful and collectible a car this truly is.
If a leprechaun fell from the sky and granted me three wishes, one of them would be a for a 575 SuperAmerica. I’ll have Verde Silverstone over Cuoio, please. If you could include a gated conversion kit in the trunk, I wouldn’t complain, either.
1983 VW Rabbit GTI.
That was all I could come up with too.. Was that around the time that ad came out with the German language surf tune? The one with the GTI catching air?
It was the late 90s. Was at the Nissan dealer with my dad and the choice was between the S14 240SX MT or a Maxima, both 2-3 years used with low miles. I believe both were offered around 12-15k OTD. I chose the Maxima (teenage me said it’s got a V6! better than a 4cyl!) and knowing what we all know now probably was the worst car decision I ever made. The Maxima was great, but the 240SX would have been better.
2002 was the last year for the Camaro SS and Firebird and I still think those are some of the best looking vehicles from that era for the money.
I graduated in 2001 so I want to say it’s the final model year of the 5th gen Prelude but if we’re being honest, the answer is actually a tie between the PT Cruiser and the Pontiac Aztec.
I reckon the AWD Focus RS was the hottest car to come out the year of my graduation, with the M2 hot on its heels for that crown. I’d probably take the ND, though, that came out just the year before.
1980 – Delorean
Tough choice.
300zx, FoxBody Mustang, Iroc-z. However I was the odd ball liking the town car and grand marquis
I graduated the same year that Casino Royale was released, so obviously it was the Aston Martin DBS.
The year was 1987, and it’s a tie between the Porsche 959 and the Ferrari 288 GTO.
1987 as well. I completely agree.
In 1987 95% of the mega-buck buyers chose the 959, even though that amounted to only ~337 cars (reports differ on production, and apparently 7 959s were built from spare parts after the production run.
Ferrari struggled to move the 288 GTO since it no longer had the prestige Group-B series behind it. It was a homologated car for a homologated series that no longer existed, I seem to recall that most of the 272 produced were sold at large discounts.
Hindsight being 20/20, a GTO is worth far more now, with all recent sales fetching $3.5M or greater; the 959 struggles to get beyond $2.5M in today’s market. Some 288 GTOs were traded in the late 80s and early 90s for under $100k.
As a Ferrari guy – I know where my allegiance lies. Both are superb cars – but the GTO gets my vote.
If only I’d known where things would end up, I would have bought a Dino or 308 in the late 90’s when a driver-quality example might be under $25k. Alas, it was not to be. I spent my money on SCCA club racing back then.
As I mentioned, hindsight is always 20/20.
Could you imagine picking up a 288 GTO as a fresh partial trade-in on a Testarossa for $85k in 1989? That happened IRL.
Apple/Microsoft/Google/Amazon stocks – same deal…
1973, so the picks are kind of meager.
The Dino 246 or the Lancia Stratos HF Stradale with the same engine would have to be my pick.
Citroën SM wouldn’t get kicked out of my garage, I might even put in an apartment for its mechanic.
Oh, 911s were still pretty cool then, and Mercury dealers could sell you a Pantera and the BMW dealer could sell you a 3.0 CSi.
First year of the Honda Civic. Not cool yet.
Hmm, maybe not that bad.
Graduated in 1974 and this almost exactly my list! I would add a Porsche 914 because I was fascinated by mid-engined cars.
Well, I now own the 1970 914/6 that my uncle got a deal on from the Porsche factory with some special GTU sauce added in when my uncle blew the engine up and there was a shelf of obsolete parts for Peter Greg’s car. It was my highschool dream car then even though I had a $2000 Maserati.
It’s a seriously fun car but it really wants to do everything right now.
It needs the main bearings attended because it was a little to so it’s been resting the last few years.
I’m sort of gravitating towards a toss and recover British roadster for a toy. Throwing the 914 sideways is kind of a bad things happen RIGHT NOW proposition. And the limits are both fairly high and sudden.
Maybe bias ply tires would make it more fun if I keep it.
1990, so Miata or NSX.
1988, US brands – none. Like, none.
If I had to pick anything from that year on pain of death, maybe a 944s turbo?
The 88 Fiero. Pontiac finally got it right.
So GM took it out back and shot it. God forbid the Corvette have competition…
1993
McLaren F1
Honorable mentions to the FD RX-7 and Dodge Viper though. We had some good stuff in the early 90s.
Good choices. I would also add the Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4
2008. Right as the financial crisis when “kaboom.” Our senior song was “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, proving that A.) we had taste in music older than us, and B.) we were foolishly optimistic.
The coolest car, I’d say, was the ‘08 MazdaSpeed 3. I’m a sucker for a hot hatch.
Ended up with a 2008 Mazda3 hatch, myself, by the fall of 2009 as I headed off to college. It wasn’t the MazdaSpeed trim with the turbo, but it was still a lot of fun.
2005 – So it would be either the Aston Martin Vantage or the Ssangyong Actyon.
The Honda S2000 was the coolest in mine, beating such pedestrian competition as the DB7 V12, and the X5. Well, cool to me.
1967 427 Shelby Cobra has to be the winner although unobtainable to most. Big Block intermediates from Chevy, Chrysler, Ford were lusted after by almost everyone.
I don’t think of cars from 1987 much, so the first car that came to mind without seeing what others here are saying was the first gen Honda CRX Si.
In hindsight since I didn’t watch Initial D until the last five years, I’d add the AE86 tofu delivery car.
1989 5.0 LX.
1992
I admired both for being unique
Porsche 928 GTS
Subaru SVX
NJ in 1990 it was either a 5.0 or Iroc.
1998 here. For me, it was the Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited.
1998 300zx Twin Turbo. I still want one.
Delorean DMC-12, 1981