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Samurai Warriors – Japanese Cars That Conquered The World

Vukasin Herbez December 29, 2024

In the history of the car industry, Japanese sports cars have a special place. The combination of innovative engineering, lightweight construction, and exceptional build quality proved a winning ticket and established Japan as the home of legendary sports cars. From its humble beginnings to today’s sports car giants, JDM’s philosophy gained respect for its achievements. Today, we will present 15 best-known and everlasting Samurai Warriors on four wheels.

Mazda Miata

Small roadsters are car enthusiasts’ favorite types of cars, and what is better than a classic Miata? The Miata’s secret was simplicity, lightweight, and balance. Mazda didn’t try to invent something new; they just copied the basic concept of a classic British roadster, added modern materials and design, and made the whole thing reliable and agile. With 116 hp from a twin-cam 1.6-liter engine, it may not sound as much, but in a 2,200 lb car, it’s more than enough. When it was introduced in 1989, the Miata caused a sensation since it was the only roadster on the market, and it started one of the most successful lines of sports cars still in production.

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Toyota 2000 GT

This car was introduced in 1967 and turned the eyes of the car world to a small company from war-torn Japan. Unfortunately, due to high prices and poor brand recognition, the 2000 GTs sold were very low – exactly 351 cars until 1970. It didn’t even help that it was featured in a James Bond film. But we couldn’t call it a failure. The 2000 GT did precisely what it was supposed to do; it showed the world that the Japanese car industry was the next big thing in the car world and that they could produce fantastic sports cars.

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Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R Hakosuka

1971 Nissan Skyline Gt R Hakosuka 9 Oeizjm — Photo Credit: AutoWP

The first GT-R was called Hakosuka, a Japanese term for a box. The car was called that since it featured squared lines and a boxy profile. But underneath the sheet metal was some serious sports car technology, with a high-revving 2.0-liter six-cylinder engine and 160 hp. The Hakosuka GT-R had race-tuned brakes, steering, and independent rear suspension, which made it capable on the street and on the race track, too. Produced from 1969 to 1972, Nissan made just shy of 2000 examples.

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Datsun 240Z

The 240Z was the first highly successful Japanese sports car on the American market and a legend that is still highly desirable even today. The 240Z was a proper sports model with a bigger engine, better construction, and more power and performance than anything from Japan in those days. The demand was always fantastic, and when this first series of Z cars was discontinued in 1978, Datsun made over 300,000 examples, making it one of the most successful sports cars in history.

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Mazda RX-7

The first generation was introduced in 1978 and stayed on the market until 1985. During that period, almost 500,000 RX-7s were made, most of them sold in America. Under the hood was a 1.1 to 1.3-liter Wankel rotary engine, the RX-7’s most notable feature. The highly compact and light engine produced 102 to 135 hp, which was more than enough for the lively performance of this little coupe.

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Toyota MR2

Back in the mid-80s, Toyota shocked the automotive world by introducing the MR2, a small mid-engined sports car with great performance, superb road holding, and affordable price. In those days and today, Toyota was considered a dull manufacturer of economy models without exciting cars for enthusiasts. The MR2 changed all that since it was different from other Toyota models and appealed to all fans of spirited driving and dynamic handling.

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Toyota Supra Mk4

Supra 7k 001 — Photo Credit: AutoSport RL

This is one of the most iconic Japanese sports cars, and it has reached legendary status by appearing in many street racing movies (Fast and Furious franchise), racing games, and music videos. You may think that Supra’s popularity is based purely on media appearances, but you will be wrong. This is one serious machine, especially in the Turbo version. With just a few bolt-on power adders, a bigger turbo, and an intake system, you can go to 1000 hp on rear wheels!

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Acura NSX

The heart of the NSX was a 3.0-liter V6 with 274 hp and a 3.2-liter V6 with 290 hp later. Since the car was light, 0 to 60 mph was lightning quick 5 seconds, and the top speed was over 170 mph. The introduction of the NSX stunned the competitors and the car market. Nobody expected such a bold move and such a composed and complete car. The NSX was capable and highly balanced thanks to the mid-engined layout and clever engineering.

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Toyota Corolla AE86

1984 Toyota Corolla SR5 — Photo Credit: Toyota

The trick was that the AE86 was just a version of the standard Corolla model. Since the 8th generation was also the last rear-wheel drive model, engineers thought they should put a high-revving 1.6-liter engine in it and see how it transformed the car. Due to its rear-wheel-drive platform, stiff suspension, and optional limited-slip differential, the AE86 soon became a drift legend, and it is still used in drift events worldwide.

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Honda CRX

Japanese brands dominated the market for affordable performance models in the early ’80s. The Honda CRX is the perfect example of one of the most memorable cars of that era. Built from 1983 to 1991, the CRX was based on the Civic but had a lower and sportier body and only two seats. Since it was light, elegant, and with precise steering, the CRX was an actual sports car, although with front-wheel drive and up to 140 hp.

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Subaru BRAT

You might think this is a pickup, and it sure looks like one, but if you look close enough, you will see two rear-facing seats mounted in the bed, transforming this compact truck into a passenger vehicle. The Subaru BRAT (“Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter”) was conceived in the late ’70s and designed to take advantage of the popularity of compact trucks in America. The Subaru BRAT was one of the most popular Subaru models during the ’80s and a cool classic today.

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Toyota Land Cruiser FJ 40

The car that made the Land Cruiser nameplate world-famous entered the automotive market in 1960 as a purely practical short-wheelbase off-roader. As previously mentioned, the J40 can offer phenomenal off-road performance and experience, but be sure to find a four-wheel drive model to squeeze the most out of this car, although these models will come with a higher price tag.

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Toyota Landcruiser J60

Introduced in 1980 and discontinued in 1989, the J60 was sold all over the world and very popular in America. It combined the ruggedness of the classic FJ40 with a durable 4.2-liter inline six-engine and a more significant, more comfortable body. The combination proved influential, and J60 is now the focus of collectors worldwide.

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Toyota Previa

The first-generation Toyota Previa is a quite popular ’90s minivan that’s common on American roads. From the outside, it looks pretty ordinary and outdated, and you might ask what is with this family car that puts it on the list of strangest and most interesting Japanese vehicles? Well, the answer is the technical layout. You probably didn’t know, but Previa has a mid-engined 2.4-liter four-cylinder tilted at 75 degrees, making it almost flat and low, which helps the center of gravity. The engine is positioned below the driver’s seat and, in some versions, equipped with the supercharger.

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Nissan Skyline GT-R R32

Eneos R32 Gtr 01 2500x1250 — Photo Credit: Pinterest

In the late 80s, Nissan installed this advanced system into its legendary Skyline. For those who want the facts, let’s say this. It’s a two-door coupe with intelligent all-wheel drive, a 2.6-liter turbocharged engine with 276 hp stock, and a lot of tuning potential. The R32 also had big racing success, and as soon as it hit the track, it proved to be a competent and victorious car. Unfortunately, all R32 are right-hand drives

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