DETROIT — Thousands of Dream Cruisers are descending on Woodward this week for America’s annual auto reunion, and this year we celebrate the great Class of 1998.
In honor of surviving 26 years, ‘98 model cars are now eligible for Michigan antique plates (You thought 25 made your ride antique? The Secretary of State disagrees). The honor means you just have to pay $30 every 10 years for vehicle registration — not to mention the insurance savings. In return for the special plate, your antique can’t be used as a daily driver — only for special occasions like, well, the Dream Cruise.
As the world rushed to the 2000 millennium, 1998 was a memorable year. Google was founded, “Titanic” dominated the Oscars, the hit TV series “Seinfeld" wrapped up, President Bill Clinton denied having an affair with intern Monica Lewinsky, Israel celebrated 50 years of statehood, John Glenn became the oldest person to travel to space at 77, 15-year-old American skater Tara Lipinski became the youngest Olympic gold medalist in history, the Red Wings annihilated the Washington Capitals to win the Stanley Cup, Shania Twain crooned “Still the One,” Pamela Anderson divorced Tommy Lee, Daimler bought Chrysler, and a gallon of gas cost $1.06. Whew!
Here are the 1998 models that left a mark.
Chevy Camaro
By 1998, the fourth-generation Camaro had already been on the road for five years. For the ’98 model year, the Camaro fascia was refashioned with bigger peepers to replace the brooding, scalloped headlights of the previous model. Engineers also went rummaging in big brother Corvette’s toy box, which was all-new the year before.
The result? Chevy stuffed the same, 5.7-liter LS1, V-8 engine in Camaro as Corvette. That made the Chevy the first aluminum-block Camaro since the 1969 ZL-1. Operated by both manual and auto transmissions, the ‘Maro produced an impressive 305 horsepower.
Pontiac Firebird
Oh, how we miss Pontiac. The Firebird was Camaro’s twin and received similar upgrades for its 1998 model year including a new fascia and that sweet LS1 mill. The dramatic new wardrobe would carry the Firebird to the end of its life in 2002. The anteater nose got twin, menacing nostrils sandwiched by retractable headlights. Dressed in black and it made you jump if you saw one looming in the rearview mirror. The new model returned the ‘Bird to its ground-pounding roots (after the regulatory detours of the 1970s and '80s) but with sophisticated features including standard dual airbags and anti-lock, four-wheel disc brakes.
Jaguar XJ
Jump in the time machine and Jaguar was part of the Ford stable in the late ‘90s. The XJ was the Brit brand’s four-door icon. You knew it by its signature, four headlights. For 1998, it received a major update with leaner, more rounded lines while ditching the 12-cylinder powerplant for a 4.0-liter V-8 engine. The V-8 was further enhanced with a supercharger for the earth-pawing, 370-horse XJR performance model. Modern electronics came into play as well with a computer-controlled active suspension. Media raved about the new sedan, including a Top Gear talent named Jeremy Clarkson who remarked that XJ was "faster, in the real world, than a Ferrari F355 (and the) fastest saloon I've ever seen.”
Porsche 911 (996 generation)
Heresy! The 996 was the first generation of the iconic sportscar to ditch its air-cooled, flat-6 engine. Purists grumbled ... at first. Armed with its modern circulatory system, the 3.4-liter flat-6 engine pumped out nearly 300 horsepower, launching a new era of power culminating in today’s Herculean, all-wheel-drive, 640-horse Turbo S. Not so enduring, however, was the 996’s controversial headlight design. The new chariot ditched the traditional, simple, oval headlights and integrated them with amber indicator lights. Really? Derisively called “fried egg” headlights, the design didn’t last long.
BMW Z3 M Roadster
BMW added to its iconic lineup of performance sedans and coupes with the wee Z3 Roadster in 1996. The car was a joy to drive topless with its smooth, inline-6 engine and short wheelbase. Like night follows day, an M performance model was introduced in 1998. The drop-top boasted a steroid-fed, 240-horse, inline-6 ripped from the M3. The lighter M Roadster was more nimble than the M3 and could pin you back in your seat reaching 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds. You’ll know it by its quad exhaust under the rear bumper.
Oldsmobile Intrigue
As Olds drew its last breaths at the turn of the 20th century, the stylish Intrigue would only last one generation from 1998-2002. The sedan shared the same bones as the Buick Regal and was marketed as an upscale Bimmer/Acura fighter. It became a TV star in the popular “X-Files” series watched by a younger, upscale demographic the Intrigue was trying to reach. A sporty Autobahn trim completed the Intrigue’s Euro-appeal.
Lincoln Navigator
The Dream Cruise is not just a celebration of muscle cars, it also pays homage to land yachts that have plied the highways going back to 1960s Lincoln Continentals and finned Cadillac Eldorado Broughams. Mega-utes like the Navigator are the new, 21st-century land yacht and Navigator pioneered the segment in 1998. It stood tall on the Ford F-150 truck chassis shared with the Expedition. Navigator added luxury goodies like rear-seat entertainment and air suspension, and customers gobbled ‘em up.
Dodge Durango
Dodge introduced its own three-row land yacht in 1998, built — like the Navigator and Expedition — on a truck chassis, this one shared with the Dodge Dakota. To accommodate eight passengers, the Durango fitted the third-row seat backwards so that passengers were looking out the back window. V-8 engines are in Durango’s blood (see the outrageous, 710-horse Hellcat engine that powered the ‘23 Durango SRT) and the OG was powered by a pair of eight-holers.
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