Honestly, I picked it because I Googled for Corvette price (it was about 40k in 1999 at top trim, I think), and decided rich parent (and we are talking billionaire rich) wouldn’t go “much” over that, because he doesn’t want to spoil the kid (joking reference to specific event). I really couldn’t think of many other sports cars besides the cheaper Camaros and Mustangs and the too-expensive Porches. Like I said, not a car person. And I know there was some talk of Corvettes being an “old man’s car” but I’m not sure when that started. Or how much of it was the car actually being undesirable the young v. being unaffordable to the young.
It really depends on whether the rich kid is more of a car guy or more of a status guy. You say he wants the car more to show off than to race or work on. But is he a kid who spends a lot of time thinking about cars and following the car world, or is he just a kid who wants his car to scream “I’m rich!”? Because if it’s the latter, I think he’s more likely to want a Lexus sedan or a Cadillac Escalade or a Range Rover. Those were the vehicles that rappers were name-dropping in the late 90s, that pro athletes and celebrities were seen getting out of outside clubs. Luxury SUVs were particularly big in the late 90s. If a kid in high school is not a “car guy”, chances are he just wants to have one of those vehicles.
The electrical engineer, in my mind’s eye, if he’s in his early 40s in the late 90s, is more likely to want a European roadster - BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, or even an MG or Triumph or something, and I don’t envision it being a new one either. I imagine he’s been tinkering with it in the garage for the past 10 years and just takes it out on nice days.
As a guy who owns a couple of sports cars, my experience and observation tells me that in their 30s to 40s, a lot of guys want the car they couldn’t afford as a teenager.
So, look for the cool cars of the 50s & 60s for the engineer. If they don’t want an older car, look for the modern replacement. All bets are off if they want the car mostly for status or masculine enhancement…
I’m kind of car nut and was a young man during that era. I bought a mustang cobra and then a Corvette C5. Dream cars at the time would have been a Ferrari 355 or a Diablo.
My dream car in 1996 was a Pontiac Bonneville SSEi. That’s the time I was transitioning from the low pay of the military to being able to afford things on an entry-level engineer’s salary.
My dreams are always practical, though. Some of my fellow, young engineers bought ridiculous things, like a giant GMC diesel pickup; one bought a Corvette; and another one bought a Dodge Viper (I think, or some other ugly Dodge with dragster-type front end).
I was a poor kid (thus the military early on), so I didn’t dare to dream of a car beyond my 1985 Escort. I’m not kidding when I say that some of my fellow soldiers were envious that I had it.
The late 90’s was the reign of Japanese sports cars - both genuine and in looks/sound only. So Toyota Supra Turbos, Mazda Rx-7s, Acura NSX, and the Holy Grail - The Nissan Skyline GT-R.
Really, for your needs, answered in one. The RX-7 and 300zx were huge among the car guys I hung around with. The Acura is a good answer for the older person, also Infiniti’s and Lexus’s were taking off then. If your older characters want a vintage model, well, you have the entire world open to you. Corvette and Mustang are the go-to default answers here, especially if the guy is wanting to relive his teenage years.
I’m the outlier here but as an 80s teen the car I lusted after was the Volvo 850 Turbo wagon, or the Countach. 
I also reallly wanted the Twin turbo Stealth when it came out, as well.
Back at that time, I remember most of my “car guy” friends were enamored with the Subaru WRX. One of them bought one in 2003 and I drove it a few times. All I really remember is the gearing was incredibly short and it was scary fast, scarier than a Ferrari or a Lambo, which I’ve also driven, because as opposed to those cars, the Subaru’s interior felt extremely cheap and flimsy.
If we’re talking about the late 90’s I’d go with the Corvette. The 1997 'Vette was a completely new and refreshing model design from the by then stale design that hadn’t been significantly updated since 1984. I vividly remember the commercial for the new '97 Corvette featuring the song Rock n Roll by Led Zeppelin and being pretty impressed with the look of the car. I think '97 was somewhat limited production, not extremely rare or anything, but would be a nice feather in your cap if you snagged one of the new ones.
Yeah I remember more than a few rich car kids drove those during my high school days. I always thought they were pretty stupid looking.
The early 90’s Dodge Viper slightly exceeds the upper limit given in the OP (~50k+ vs. 45k), but I agree it was the “drool factor” car at the time for guys in the 30ish age bracket. The NSX was even farther out of the given range at $60-90K. Given that, I’m going to go with the RX-7 (why, yes, I am the guy who tried to convince my wife that a car seat would indeed fit in the fold down rear seats of an RX-7).
Hmmm… I personally have never known an electrical engineer with a Jaguar. To me, as an engineer, a Jaguar screams engineering manager more than engineer.
In my experience, many more engineers I have worked with were going for old 70s era muscle cars than sports cars in the 1990s. These were the cars they dreamed about when they were younger and couldn’t afford them, and now they could afford them.
One engineer I know got an old Chevelle. Another collects old T-birds (mostly 60s and 70s eras). One had about a dozen old cars from the 50s through the 70s. He used to park a lot of them at work because he didn’t have room for them where he lived. One bought a Triumph Spitfire. One had an early 70s Mustang. That’s just a few examples. I have known plenty.
For what it’s worth, I work on the east coast (Baltimore area). I started out in the defense industry and did a few other jobs in between before ending up spending the last couple of decades designing industrial controls. What industry you work in matters. Your daily driver isn’t going to be a sports car if you work in a steel mill or a chemical plant.
Another pair from the early 90s: GMC Syclone (sic) & Typhoon. I haven’t seen one out in the wild in years. I’ll bet an original condition example goes for a fortune today.
I remember admiring Buick Grand Nationals and GNXs still in the mid 90s. The Ford Taurus SHO wasn’t particarly desirable to teens but one that was car-aware at the time would notice them. Firebird Trans-Ams were cool.
Nissan Skyline. Peugeot 106 GTi, VW GTI all qualify, the last two were popular due to budget constraints. Old Honda CRXs were valued. Mazda Miatas.
I guess my joke went over a lot of heads. Jaguars are absolutely notorious for horrible electrical problems.
I know Jaguars are notorious for spending more time in the shop than out of it. I wasn’t aware that electrical issues were a part of that mix.
Wasn’t the “routine” maintenance at something like 60,000 miles on an older Jag basically a complete engine rebuild?
Software engineer here. I was in my 20’s in the 90’s and into cars. Early 90’s I had a '75 Camaro (hot rodded). Mid 90’s I got a brand new '96 Camaro Z28 6-speed. Late 90’s I added a '71 Corvette (still had the Z28).
22 years later the Z28 is long gone, but I still have the '71 Corvette.
Yep. Lucas Electronics was the supplier for Jaguars. Plenty of jokes regarding lucas. “Inventor of the intermittent wipers - sometimes they worked, sometimes they didn’t”. “Lucas - invented darkness and perfected the short circuit”.
The correct answer is “it was the late 90s. Gen-X did not care for such Bourgeois displays of conspicuous consumerism.”
Yes, those were some of the cars I conspicuously didn’t care about.
Also the Mitsubishi 3000GT and Dodge Stealth.
I also remember not liking the 5-series BMW convertible my college roommate had on loan from his girlfriend.