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Thanks to legendary German engineering, you can still rely on these '90s performance cars as your daily drivers.

The '90s will go down as one of the best decades for gearheads. Cars got faster, more powerful, and some of the world's most legendary sports cars and supercars broke cover. Regular every day rides given a handful of performance tweaks transformed sedans, coupes and even the odd wagon or two in to seriously quick cars.

From turbocharged to finely-fettled big displacement engines, German carmakers had a head start over the competition. We could have listed dozens of 911 variants here and called it a day, but the iconic sports car isn't the only '90s German hero to dip its nose under 5-seconds in a sprint race.

Alpina branding over gearheads favorite M3 might seem like an odd choice, that is, until you compare like for like. In the U.S. spec E36 M3, you got six cylinders that pumped out 240 hp. In Europe, it made 286 hp.

However, opting for the Alpina B8 (E36) netted owners a 4.6-liter V8, both larger and with two additional cylinders sending 333 hp to via a Getrag 6-speed manual to the rear axle. The power gains aren't huge, but the V8s less-stressed design means it can handle more abuse. A foot hard down off the line sees 60 mph in 5.6-seconds.

A front engine Porsche to get excited about. Much of Stuttgarts previous attempts at cheaper models fell on deaf ears, but this track-focused coupe can withstand the abuse on track equally well as being a daily driver.

The 968 itself is an evolution of the outgoing 944. Though, the two shared little in common, with Porsche thoroughly reworking the body, chassis and drivetrain. At a push, 20% of the 968 parts were interchangeable. Engine wise, lower spec 968s used a 16v 3.0-liter inline four, the later more hardcore 968 Turbo S halving the valve count, adding a KKK turbo resulting in 305 hp.

RELATED: A Detailed Look Back At The Porsche 968

If we're brutally honest, BMW's Z-badged cars have been a bit of a let-down. The Z8 fast, gorgeous and frail; likewise the quirky Z1, despite daring to be different, missed the mark, failing to attract large numbers of sales. However, all is not lost. You can have a Z—one that not only looks good but goes well, too.

Think of the Z3M as a hotter version of the standard car, itself a re-skinned E36 retaining much of its chassis and drivetrain. Naturally adding the all-important M Bagde brings performance upgrades, with BMWs S54 motor enlarged to 3.2 liters producing a healthy 315 hp in US spec.

Best known as Mercedes in-house performance division, AMG knows exactly what its clients desire: real world usability combined with supercar-humbling levels of power and speed. In 1995, AMG delivered on gearheads' wishes, producing a cosmetically subtle SL crammed with one of the biggest engines ever fitted to a road car—a 7.3-liter V12.

Remembering the R129 SL73 AMG didn't resort to forced induction, Mercedes instead stuck to a quirky twin-spark triple valve cylinder design that generated a colossal 525 hp. Big numbers for sure. Nail the throttle in one of these, and by the time the lazy V12 spins past 4000 rpm, you'll be riding a 537 lb-ft wave of torque.

Ten years in the making, BMW started work on the E31 as far back as 1981, progressing to production development in 1986 before debuting the E31, which would become numerically at least the range topping 840/850CSi for 1990. If anything, BMW didn't cut any corners, and the resulting CAD developed performance GT used every resource at the German carmaker's disposal.

Thirty years on, the 805CSi is still a formidable long-distance cruiser, more so with BMWs M7 series V12 engines under the hood. Produced for just over five years, the CSi boasted a larger 5.6-liter engine generating 375 hp, in independent testing cracking 60 mph in 5.9-seconds.

RELATED: These Are the Best Features Of The BMW 850CSi

Fast Volkswagen hatches have to be a Golf GTI, right? Not necessarily, while the Golf stole gearheads' hearts for its affordable and fun performance, those in the know looked elsewhere. A forgotten hero, the Corrado G60 had nearly all its smaller brother's practical traits bolstered by a fantastically manic supercharged 1.8-liter four-pot.

It's by no means the hottest Corrado, with just 158 hp under your right foot. But it's thrilling how VW's simple 1.8-liter engine extracts the best from its front-drive chassis, delivering instant pulling power through the bends and catapulting you towards the next twisty section with ease.

The best long-distance GT bar none? There are a lot of big names in the motoring world who won't argue the 928 GTS was an insanely fast, comfortable cruiser capable of devouring miles countless miles of tarmac with the minimum fuss.

Soldiering on well into the '90s, Porsche's once-destined 911 replacement carved out a niche for itself, with lazy V8 engines upfront promising supercar performance without a backbreaking ride. Under the hood of later GTS cars, 5.4-liter naturally aspirated engines generate 345 hp—enough to reach 171 mph flat out.

Not a Porsche, and yet the Stuttgart wizard played a big role in the RS2s inception. Launched in 1994 and taking the world by storm, the RS2 recording a top speed of 163 mph was enough to capture the imagination of every family man who desired speed, even this astonishing achievement falls by the wayside compared to a sub-five second sprint to 60 mph.

Porsche knows how atop Audi's 2.2-liter inline five-cylinder kick-started a trend of fast otherwise ordinary Audis, and the RS lineage lives on today in the RS6 Avant. Without question, the 311 hp on tap is the star here, but Stuttgart's involvement goes much deeper—brakes and suspension components are pure Porsche design.

RELATED: Here's What Everyone Forgot About The Audi RS2

Any gearhead in the market for a fast four-door sedan with bombproof reliability need look no further than BMW's M5. Arriving towards the back end of the '90s, E39 M5s are the best of the bunch—fast, powerful and understated. Badges aside, you wouldn't give it a second glance.

Aluminum struts and multi-link suspension front/rear takes care of any twisty roads you care to throw the M5 in to, leaving gearheads to savor one of the best sounding European V8s ever. BMW's decision to adopt electronically controlled throttle bodies and double VANOS system ups the S62 V8s power output to 400 hp.

Hanging on in production until late 1991, Audi's original go-anywhere at break neck speeds Ur Quattro is a legend both on and off-road. The car was immensely successful in rally, securing drivers' titles, constructors titles, and countless race wins before Audi eventually fell fowl of the FIAs decision to ban Group B cars.

Naturally, on road, Audi couldn't unleash the turbocharged five-pot engine's full 600-hp potential, so gearheads forced to make do with a mere 215 hp. However, less power under your right foot is not a bad thing, and even in a dumbed-down road state of tune, the Ur Quattro can still hustle itself to 60 mph in under 7 seconds.

Raised in a car-obsessed environment from an early age ensured a keen interest in anything car-related. first and foremost an F1 fan, but also an avid follower of other motorsports. Professional background working closely with a well established UK based Supercar manufacturer in recent years.