17. Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R Hakosuka
Possibly the most famous model name in the whole history of Japanese performance and sports cars is the Nissan Skyline GT-R. Nissan presented it in 1968 as the performance version of the upscale Skyline model. However, they gave it significant design and mechanical changes, transforming it into a JDM performance legend.
They called the first GT-R the Hakosuka, which is a Japanese term for a box since it featured squared lines and a boxy profile. But underneath the sheet metal, there was some serious sports car technology with a high-revving 2.0-liter six-cylinder engine pumping out 160 HP. Also, the Hakosuka GT-R had race-tuned brakes, steering and an independent rear suspension.
And all that made it capable on the streets and on the race tracks, too. Unfortunately, they never imported this model to the states. But today, it is highly collectible, expensive and desirable, especially since they only produced it in a right-hand configuration. Nissan built them from 1969 to 1972, in slightly less than 2,000 examples.