The Coolest Cars From 1989 That Are Still Awesome Today

30 years is a long time when it comes to cars and 1989 was a great year for new models and updates to existing marques come out. Get ready fellow Petrolheadz as we have a look back at the coolest cars to hit the showrooms in 1989. Nissan 300 ZX (Z32) 1989 saw the launch of the all new 300ZX from Nissan and boy is it a beauty. The grand tourer was a huge step up from the still awesome Z31 and the flagship model was the Twin Turbo with 300 BHP, 0-60 in 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 155 MPH coming from a 3 Litre V6. The 300 ZX came with tons of tech including Super HICAS steering and ABS and had a long production run of 11 years. With looks like this its easy to see why it did. It’s timeless. Ferrari 348 Image Source: Flickr The Ferrari 348 replaced the iconic 80’s 308/328 GTB/S line of V8 Ferraris made famous in movies like Cannonball Run and TV Shows like Magnum P.I. Gone are the round lights and in are a grilled rear light cluster and Testarossa looking side air intake and a more rounded design that helps kick start the 90’s look that all sport cars received. The engine was larger, upping it to 3.4 litres and performance went up to with a top speed of 170 MPH and a mid-5 second 0-60. It came in the classic Berlinetta, GTS and Spyder versions too and was superseded by the Ferrari 355. If you couldn’t stump the cash for a Ferrari you could have got the next car instead. Toyota MR2 (SW20) Image Source: I-Jam Media Eschewing the angular design of the first generation of MR2’s the SW20 was bigger and with the Turbo version was much better with a top speed of 137 MPH and a 0-60 of 5.5 seconds. Even the Normally Aspirated version had a decent 0-60 of low 7 seconds. It was known as the poor mans Ferrari but you know what, it came close to performance too, at a fraction of the price. The ’89 model had twitchy yet rewarding handling, you just had to be very careful coming in to corners. Want to know more about what its like to own an MR2 today? Retroheadz has you covered. Alfa Romeo SZ Image Source: Flickr We all know Alfa Romeo’s are beautiful cars and none more so than the incredibly rare Alfa Romeo SZ. It was limited produced between 1989 and 1991 and they are a rare sight indeed but just look at it. Performance wise it has a top speed of 152 MPH and a 0-60 of 7 seconds from its 3 litre V6 which seems tame today but its really the looks that make it stand out and if you ever see one in the wild it will blow you away. BMW 8 Series Image Source: Flickr The 8 series BMW is utterly stunning and had a 10-year production run and still gave future cars a run for their money looks wise BMW’s aggressive looking grand tourer came with a stonking huge 5 litre V12, pop-up headlights and was a flagship model that came in at a heavy price tag but with that you got a top speed of 155 MPH and envious looks from all other road users. Nissan 200SX The 200SX replaced the Nissan Silvia (S12) and is a stunning car to look at even today. It was light, nimble and handled well. This car is now a firm favourite of drifters today and came packed with tech as you would expect from a Japanese manufacturer at the time including a heads up display as an optional extra and of course, pop-up headlights! Porsche Carrera 4 (964) 1989 saw the all-new 911 come out replacing the iconic 80’s 930 model called the Carrera 4. The 1989 911 came with a more rounded and neater look, a variable rear wing, 4-wheel drive, ABS and whole host of other tech and cues borrowed off the Porsche 959 supercar. The engine size jumped up to 3.6 litres and they still look stunning today. Mazda MX-5 (Eunos Roadster) Image Source: Wikipedia 1989 saw the launch of the Mazda MX-5 (or Eunos Roadster in Japan) and was loved for the pure fun that the highly balanced Mazda gave drivers which made it a global phenomenon. This is the MGB of the 90’s and is still massively popular in 2019 where it is still being produced. The MX-5 only had a 1.6 litre engine showing that speed and size isn’t everything, handling and pure driving joy is. Lotus Elan Image Source: Softmint Lotus came out with the Elan in 1989. Like the MX-5 it had a 1.6 litre engine with a top speed a smidge over 120 MPH. It cost more than the MX-5 so got outsold by it but it did have the awesome twin bulbed pop-up headlights from its Esprit big brother and has aged well. Fun fact it was also manufactured in South Korea and badged as the KIA Elan from 1995. Lancia Delta Intergrale 16V Image Source: Wikimedia 1989 saw the iconic Lancia Delta Intergrale rally car and Sega Rally favourite get an update from the 1987 model and with it came wider wheels and a raised bonnet to accommodate the 16V engine which gave it an even more aggressive look. The Lancia Delta Integrale 16V came with a top speed of 137 MPH and a 0-60 of 5.7 seconds which is not too shabby even today. Its a legendary car but is it as desired as the last car? Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32) Image Source: Wikipedia 1989 was a busy year for Nissan, not only did they relaunch the 300ZX but they also gave the world the Nissan Skyline GT-R. The Skyline GT-R came with a twin turbocharged 2.6 litre engine. A few years later became the stuff of legends when it became the car of choice on Gran Turismo on the Playstation where boy racers got to live their dreams of speeding around in a 1000BHP modified version of this stunningly awesome Nissan. Feeling Nostalgic? Which car from 1989 would you like most? Have you ever owned or driven one of the cars listed? Let us know in the comments below.

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