42k-Mile 1992 Dodge Stealth R/T Twin Turbo

The Stealth is a nameplate Dodge doesn't even bother using anymore. That's a shame, because in the 90s it had potency - thanks to the VR4 AWD.

In actuality, the Stealth was no triumph of American engineering. It was a triumph of American dollars and bargaining power. Chrysler made a deal with Mitsubishi and were able to sell cars using their mechanical components. One such car was the Mitsubishi 300GT, from which Chrysler/Dodge made the Stealth.

I guess it was a good deal if you really had to have that American design pen touch...but even then, it was very similar looking to the 3000GT. Still, that's not a bad thing. These are classics of the 90s, all smooth corners, globular shapes and swishy swoopy lines. The big benefit to the driver is aerodynamics and efficiency.

So what were the mechanicals that Chrysler wanted to get their hands on so badly? The Stealth has a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged 6-cylinder engine good for almost 300 horsepower. That was a big deal then and remains impressive today. It'll be a gas guzzler, but damn this thing will haul on the highways.

As if that wasn't enough, it's got not only four-wheel drive, but four-wheel steering to keep you in total control, glued to the road with the utmost confidence. The 3000GT/Stealth cars were laboratories of 90s Japan hi-technology. The basic fact is that you just don't get this kind of package anymore, at least not for under, what, $40k?

The interior is also impressive, swathed in black leather. This one is mated to a manual transmission and seems to have an aftermarket DVD player upgrade.

I wouldn't expect anything less from a 2-owner, 42k-mile car. Look for accidents, rust and maintenance history. The engine is complex and I imagine would need oil changed religiously.

But if you want a big, safe, powerful sports car from the 90s, this packed with similar power as a 300ZX but has more technology and is less common.

Available here on ebay for $12,500.

Long Lost Sedan: 32k-Mile 1989 Maserati 430

It's really hilarious how Maserati cars from the 1980s have plummeted in value and are staying there. Any given day on ebay, there's at least 3 or 4 Biturbo Coupes with under 100k miles for under $5k. Why? I guess they weren't driven much by their initial yuppie owners, then when they broke (as they usually did) the expensive repair costs (as they usually were) made the notion of storing it in a garage more attractive than fixing it and using it.

What you don't see everyday is the rare sedan version. Even if the rest of the story is the same.

Only 1,000 430 sedans were ever built, making this car an extreme rarity. I think it's better looking than the Bi-Turbo coupes, which were too short and stubby. The four doors of the 430 fill out the length and heighten the sharp edges and clean lines. The grooved taillights recall the Mercedes W116 and R107. This one looks particularly nice in two-tone red and grey and futuristic full-faced alloys.

The real beauty (or should I say beast?) is underneath the hood. Maserati put a 2790cc twin-turbocharged V6 engine that pumped out a very respectable 225 horsepower to the rear wheels. A lot of them were also mercifully given stick shifts as this one has. I really can't quite picture what it must be like to drive, but it's got to be fast, and could have smoked a similarly powered BMW or Mercedes-Benz from the era. Four exhaust pipes peak from the rear. You can picture it hustling the presidente del consiglo to and from court.

The luxurious black leather interior is a nice place to be, although there are some odd details, like a weird brown-burgundy plastic steering wheel and blue-faced instrument gauges. Still, everything is where is should be and it manages to look both comfortable and a little sporting at the same time. Note the trademark ovaloid Maserati clock in between the air vents.

The seller is a dealer and provide absolutely no back story but list the mileage as just 32,116. It could very well be original. The Italians had mastered speed and style but not yet build quality and innovative engineering, so these cars were plagued with electrical and mechanical issues. Ask for any history and maintenance records, then have it checked out by a reputable vintage European car specialist. If it's all set to go, by all means enjoy. You'll have my sincere envy.

Available here on ebay in Longwood, Florida with bidding at $2,280 and a Buy-It-Now of just $4,800.

Supercar Alert: 1994 Jaguar XJ220 on Ebay

The XJ220 is easily one of the coolest and most beautiful cars ever made. So-called for its targeted top speed of 220 miles per hour, it was never originally intended for production, but was so well-received at the 1988 British Motor Show that Jaguar did make just 281 examples for public consumption. One can imagine the awe it inspired as Thatcher-era yuppies licked their lips and feasted their eyes on it.

The original concept had a V12 and all-wheel drive. For production, a twin-turbocharged V6 was used instead to reduce weight and complexity and increase balance. It was mounted in the rear of the car and pumped out 542 horsepower to just the rear wheels.

Keith Helfet's styling is truly something to behold, a masterpiece looking both back and forward at the same time. It almost reminds me of something Luigi Colani might create. In the 80s, Jaguar was moving away from their luscious curves of the 50s and 60s and towards harder edges and boxy shapes in vogue at the time and employed to great effect by the Germans and Japanese. But when the XJ40 debuted in 1986 with large rectangular headlights, it backfired, and almost killed the brand, along with quality and reliability issues. The XJ220 revived association of Jaguar with sensuous curves and did so in a manner that was futuristic and classic at the same time. It's a huge home run and is one for the ages.

Inside, occupants are surrounded by sculpted leather racing seats, stitched leather dashboard and extra analog gauges on the door.

The seller says this example has just 960 miles on the odometer and is clearly a near-mint museum-quality collector's piece. The XJ220 is amazing to look at, very fast, and extremely rare. It is a classic supercar from the late 80s/early 90s heyday of supercars, and is a high point in Jaguar's history.

Available here on ebay in Barrington, Illinois for $300,000 or "reasonable offers".