1990s

Yamaha is one of the biggest names in motorcycles, but its history with four wheels runs much deeper than most people realize. Long before the company showed futuristic concepts at the Tokyo Motor Show, Yamaha had already designed its own sports cars, engineered engines for other automakers and experimented with everything from lightweight city cars to a Formula 1-powered supercar. Some were created entirely in-house, others were developed with major Japanese automakers, and

There was a time when a concept truck did not need to look 90 percent ready for production. Automakers used pickups as rolling experiments, testing everything from Viper-powered roadsters and mid-engine car-truck hybrids to hydrogen-burning V10s, washable cargo areas, four-wheel steering, built-in generators, and cabins that doubled as mobile offices. Some of these trucks introduced genuinely useful ideas. Others existed mainly to stop people in their tracks at an auto show.

One of the strangest American performance cars of the 1990s has surfaced for sale in an equally unexpected place: Facebook Marketplace. The purple car is listed as a 1992 Mosler Raptor prototype, with an asking price of $125,000. According to the seller, it is an original V8 development car from Consulier Industries/Mosler Automotive that was later fitted with the Raptor's unmistakable V-shaped windshield. Today, it reportedly runs an early MT900-era Chevrolet LS6 V8 paired w

Most concept cars are designed to grab attention at an auto show before quietly disappearing into history. They showcase new technology, radical styling, or a brand's vision for the future, but few ever make it to production. Some, however, found a second life somewhere unexpected: video games. Whether officially licensed or serving as inspiration for unforgettable virtual machines, these concepts introduced millions of players to cars they may never have seen otherwise. From

The automotive industry is full of comeback stories. Some brands survived wars, economic downturns, bad management decisions, and near-bankruptcy thanks to a single vehicle arriving at exactly the right moment. In some cases, these cars generated desperately needed sales. In others, they attracted investors, secured new ownership, or gave struggling automakers a product people actually wanted to buy. Here are 10 cars that helped save their companies when the future looked unc

The Amphibious Idea That Isuzu Capsized 1991 Isuzu Nagisa Concept By the early 1990s, Japanese automakers were building some of the strangest concept cars the industry had ever seen. Then Isuzu revealed the Nagisa. Unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show, the Isuzu Nagisa Concept attempted to combine a road car and a boat into a single vehicle. It wasn’t simply styled to look aquatic—it was fully amphibious, designed to operate both on land and in water. And somehow, Isuzu treated t

The 1996 Renault Spider Trophy stands out as one of Renault Sport’s most distinctive and experimental racing machines of the 1990s. Originally designed as a lightweight, open-roof “sports car for the year 2000,” the Spider was built to deliver raw performance through simplicity—no roof, no frills, and a focus on pure driver engagement. The competition-spec Spider Trophy took this concept even further, forming the backbone of the one-make Renault Sport Spider Cup series across

The 1990 Renault 5 GT Turbo Gr. N remains one of the most authentic surviving Group N rally cars of its era. Presented today exactly as it crossed the finish line at the 22nd Ivory Coast–Bandama Rally on 1 November 1990, this R5 captures a rare moment in motorsport history. Driven by Alain Oreille and co-driver Michel Roissard, the car won Group N and secured an impressive second place overall—a remarkable result in one of the world’s toughest endurance rallies. Its survival

From wild mid-engine experiments and Italian coachbuilt one-offs to aviation-themed charity cars and record-chasing EVs, the Ford Mustang has spent six decades living a double life: one you see in showrooms, and one that exists in design studios, wind tunnels, and race shops around the world. This article is a complete tour of that hidden history—a chronological guide to Mustang concepts, prototypes, and specials that never made it to mass production but helped shape the cars

The General Motors Micro CDS-2, introduced in 1990, was an experimental concept that explored the future of compact and efficient urban transportation. Designed by Gérard Gauvry, the CDS-2 embodied GM’s forward-thinking approach to lightweight vehicle engineering during a period when automakers were increasingly focused on fuel efficiency, reduced emissions, and urban mobility solutions. Its small size, aerodynamic shape, and advanced engine technology made it a standout in G

The 1990s were a golden age of automotive imagination — the perfect blend of analog purity and digital experimentation. Car companies...

The Renault Zoom was a highly innovative electric concept car developed in partnership with Matra and introduced at the 1992 Paris Motor...