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The Top 25 Japanese Sports Cars That Enthusiasts Crave!

For those of you who have owned a Japanese sports car, you know that they have the perfect balance of performance, practicality, and speed.  My dad drove a 1970 Datsun 240Z, one of the most sought-after Japanese cars – ever!  It was fast, barrels of fun, reliable, and easy to drive (if one didn’t mind the light, loose rear end).  It was fast in the curves, but it could win in a straight line, as well.  He could get 1/4 mile times in the 11.5 second range.  He would pass Ferrari’s, Porsche’s, Lamborghini’s, and just about every other super car of the early 1980’s.  But, he would be smoked by the time he reached 1/2 of a mile.  He was topped out by then.  He didn’t mind.

One of our family friends owns a 1967? Datsun Fairlady Roadster.  It’s a sight to see!  It looks like a Triumph, but it’s way better!  It seats the same amount of people, yet it weighs almost 300 pounds less.  It’s also infinitely more reliable, and faster.

I have compiled a list of the top 25 Japanese sports cars that enthusiasts give the thumbs-up to.  Enjoy my list.

  1. 1969 Toyota 2000GT:  The Toyota 2000GT was Toyota’s answer to the Porsche 911 and Jaguar E-Type.  It was the unspoken answer.  James Bond drove one in You Only Live Twice.  To this day, that chase scene is one of the best in movie history.  The Toyota 2000GT looked like a Jaguar E-Type Coupe that sat two.  However, it’s high price and exclusivity prevented it from becoming the Japanese Jaguar E-Type.
  2. 1970 Datsun 240Z:  The Datsun 240Z was designed to be an affordable, faster, better-looking competitor to the Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche 911.  The Datsun 240Z was powered by a 2.4-liter inline 6-cylinder engine making somewhere close to 200 horsepower.  It weighed about 2500 pounds, so it went everywhere in a hurry.  It could keep up with Ferrari 250 GTO’s on the track all day long, and shame a Camaro Z/28 in a drag race.  This car was a rocket.  Today, 240Z’s sell for about $25,000 for a good example.  But, don’t buy one at an auction – Barrett-Jackson sold one in Monterrey for $155,000 in 2012.
  3. 1985 Toyota MR2:  The Toyota MR2 was one of the smallest sports cars of the 1980s.  It was also like looking at a race car.  It had a mid-mounted 1.6-liter 4-banger that pumped out 125 horsepower.  It revved to 9000 RPM, and had a cam for every 3000 RPM.  It had a top speed of 154 mph, and it was stable in almost every condition.  It tipped the scales at 1900 pounds.
  4. 1999 Toyota Supra:  The Toyota Supra was the last true Toyota-built sports car.  It was also a massive change in technology and direction for Japanese sports cars.  It was powered by a 3.0-liter inline six cylinder engine that was boosted by twin turbos that ramped power up to a raspy 220 horsepower.  It was fast, and it looked like it came out of rally-car racing.  It had a massive rear wing, a raspy engine note that turned into a bellowing howl at redline, and meaty tires that wouldn’t look out of place on a Dodge Viper.  This puppy wants to play.
  5. 1986 Toyota Celica AE86:  The 1980s were the peak of lightweight sports cars.  The Toyota Celica AE86 was no exception.  It was based off of the AE86-generation Corolla economy car (that generation was the only generation of Corolla that was fun to drive!).  It was light, insane, relatively powerful, good-looking, and fun to drive.  My dad wanted one (he ended up buying a Honda Accord).  So did most teens and young adults.  That’s how good the Celica AE86 was.  It left a lasting impression on everybody who drove it.
  6. 1996 Nissan Silvia S15:  The Nissan Silvia S15 was the last generation of the wildly popular Nissan Silvia.  It boasted a powerful 250-horsepower six-cylinder engine that was helped out by a massive turbocharger.  At full throttle, it sounded like a F/14 Tomcat fighter jet.  Tuners adored it.  Paul Walker, star of the Fast & Furious series movies, owns a 580-horsepower S15 Silvia.
  7. 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata:  The 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata turned the world around.  Safety standards in the U.S. were so strict that it was almost impossible to build a light roadster.  Mazda had the RX-7 (but it was powered by a rotary engine), but it was too heavy and large.  Mazda built the Miata out of forged aluminum, which brought the car’s weight down to 2000 pounds.  Other automakers were building cars that weighed 3500 pounds, because they thought it was more expensive to build cars out of forged aluminum.  Mazda proved them all wrong.  The 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata is still one of the most amazing cars in the world to drive.
  8. 1993 Mazda RX-7 CSL:  The Mazda RX-7 is one of the few cars to be powered by a rotary engine.  The RX-7 CSL was a lightweight version of the popular RX-7.  It was faster, and all models were built for Japan (right hand drive).  Except for one.  The only Mazda RX-7 CSL to have left-hand drive is at Mazda USA’s headquarters in California.
  9. 2007 Toyota MR-S:  The Toyota MR-S is viewed to be the last sports car that Toyota built.  Yes, Lexus and Scion build sports cars, but Toyota doesn’t anymore.  Anyways, the Toyota MR-S paid homage to the MR2 of the 1990s, with a mid-mounted engine and front-wheel drive.  While it may look like a chick magnet, it is one fast chick magnet.
  10. 2000 Acura Integra GS-R:  The Acura Integra was one of the best-selling Acura’s ever.  It had a high-revving I4 engine, a five-speed manual transmission, it was practical, and it was fast.  All of that was put together into a tidy, sleek package.  The final iteration of the Integra introduced the world to something called VTEC.  While VTEC is standard on all four-cylinder Honda’s and Acuras, altered valve timing and valve lift was F1 stuff in 2000.
  11. 2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed 3:  The Mazda 3 was already a popular economy car, but Mazda knew that they could get far more out of the car.  They turned to their in-house tuner, Mazdaspeed.  Mazdaspeed turbocharged the engine, put big, aluminum rims, sticky tires, a big rear wing, and torque steer.  Torque steer is what Mazdaspeed is associated with nowadays.
  12. 2000 Mazda RX-8:  The Mazda RX-8 may have ended production in 2011, but that doesn’t stop it from being on this list.  It had suicide doors (now only seen in pickup trucks), a rotary engine, and good looks.  It also happened to be heavy and under powered.  Nothing stopped people from loving, however.
  13. 1998 Nissan 240SX:  The Nissan 240SX was popular here in the States.  Not only did it have stunning looks, but it had performance to match it.  Unfortunately, the only engine we got here was a 2.4-liter four-banger from the Frontier pickup truck.
  14. 1986 Nissan Pulsar GTI-R:  This car could not be built again.  It was a subcompact hatchback that could barely squeeze two adults into the tiny cabin.  The GTI-R took performance to a whole different level.  It was built to satisfy World Rally Championship homogilation rules.  Only 5,000 baby Godzilla’s were built, but they were fast.  Fast as a bat out of hell.  It had a turbocharged engine, AWD, and lots of bodykit add-ons.
  15. 2009 Nissan GT-R:  The Nissan GT-R has been around for over 40 years in some form or another.  Godzilla was Motor Trend’s 2009 Car of the Year.  It packed a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6.  Nissan has come out with various iterations of this generation of the GT-R.  The most recent is the 2013 Nissan GT-R Track Pack (the fastest stock Nissan to date).
  16. 1988 Honda CRX Si:  The Honda CRX was one of the fastest econoboxes of the 1980s.  It was light, extremely fun to drive, and stylish.  Plus, it was based off of the wildly popular Civic.  The CRX Si was the final CRX.  In the U.S., it came with a less powerful I4 than Japan’s.  That ushered in the era of Honda shade-tree mechanics.
  17. 2003 Nissan 350Z:  The Nissan 350Z brought back affordable, quick, sportiness to the world.  It was about the same size of the 300SX, but it didn’t have two turbochargers.  It had a powerful naturally-aspirated V6 that garnered praise from automotive journalists around the world.  The engine was so sweet that Nissan still uses it for many of their V6 cars.
  18. 2000 Acura Integra Type-R:  Yes, I know that there are two Acura Integra’s on this list.  They deserve to be.  Especially this one.  The Integra Type-R was the last Integra made.  It got the Type-R treatment (lower weight, more power, more looks, more chassis-stiffening).  It was also the most stolen Acura to date.
  19. 2000 Honda S2000:  Most people celebrate their 50th birthday with lots of friends and family.  Honda built a very special car.  The Honda S2000 was a track-oriented beast of a car.  It had a 237-horsepower engine, rear-wheel-drive, and perfect balance.  A manual transmission helped a lot, as well.
  20. 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STi:  Subaru took the hum-drum Impreza, turned it into a rally-rocket with a turbocharged engine, a manual transmission, and lots of bodywork.  Then, Subaru’s rally team got their hands on it.  They built the raucous Impreza WRX STi.  STi stands for Specially Tuned Impreza.  It is fast, practical, and barrels of fun.  It’s the equivalent of a bouncy ball coming out of a gumball dispenser.  Unfortunately, it’s ending production.  Buy one while you can.
  21. 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO MR/GSR:  This is possibly the most radical Mitsubishi ever.  It has a 291-horsepower turbocharged I4.  It also has a dual-clutch transmission pulled from rally cars.  AWD is standard.
  22. Datsun 510:  The Datsun 510 closely resembles a BMW 2002 Tii.  Why?  Why not?  Japanese automakers used to build their cars in a similar fashion to their European competitors.  It came with fully independent suspension, a Positraction rear end, a five speed manual, and a high-revving four-banger.  It was a hoot to drive.
  23. Acura NSX:  The first widely produced Japanese exotic car sent Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, and Chevy scrambling for the drawing board.  It changed the definition of super car.  In my eyes, it’s the most influential Honda ever.  If that wasn’t a big enough slap to Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, and Chevy, F1 driver Ayrton Senna assisted in the development of the car.
  24. Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ:  The Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ may only have 200 horsepower, but they are so perfect at what they do that it’s not even funny.  They are rear-wheel-drive beasts on winding roads and tracks.  Just don’t drag race anything other than a Smart Car.  You’ll lose.  Badly.
  25. 1993 Honda Prelude:  The Honda Prelude was one step behind the Acura NSX in terms of looks, performance, and just about everything.  It had front-wheel-drive, VTEC (shhh!), seating for four, and stunning good looks.  It revved to 10,000 RPM in some versions, and power was always there.  It is still a collector’s item for Japanese car fans. I can only wonder why…
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What’s a Carson Top, Grandpa?

We’ve all seen the souped-up 1930’s Ford convertibles with the huge Weiland blowers and Cragar wheels.  The tops that you sometimes see are Carson Tops.  Nowadays, many tops are retractable tops that can be stored in the trunk with the push of a button.  The old school tops are Carson tops.  A Carson Top is a removable, but non-folding padded soft top that is most often chopped a few inches, and is used on many old school heavily customized convertibles and roadsters (my favorites!).  The original Carson Top was developed by Glen Houser of the Carson Top Shop in Los Angeles.  The original Carson top was produced by Carson Top Shop from 1935-1965.  Nowadays, the only way to get one is to buy one via eBay.  The color of the top usually corresponded to the color of the car that it was mounted on.  According to a 1953 issue of Motor Trend, buyers could get the top in:  Blue, green, maroon, tan, black, and white fabric.

 

The shop is long gone, and the tops a great reminder of another era.

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What’s a Loud Pedal?

If you are wondering if a “Loud Pedal” refers to the musical percussion instrument called a “Piano,” think again!  The loud pedal on a piano makes the piano go louder, and the loud pedal on a car makes it louder AND faster (the latter of the two the piano CANNOT brag about!).

With cars, when you press the “Loud Pedal,” more gas and air flow into the engine, making it spin faster and rev higher.  This makes the car louder, hence the name “Loud Pedal…”

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What’s a Love Tap?

If you’re thinking that I’m referencing some affectionate term, think again!  In the car world, a “Love Tap” is something quite, quite different.

In oval (or circle) track racing, a love tap is the pushing and shoving and bumping that constantly happens with all the cars going together in the pack.  A love tap is usually a sign to pull off to the side, speed up, or get run over!  I’ll speed up. . .Sorry Mom (NOT!)!

Here’s a picture of a Love Tap in NASCAR:

That is the love tap where somebody has to find a new car. . .Tony Stewart hit Jeff Gordon back in 2001 (I know!) and sent Gordon spinning into the wall at Bristol Motor Speedway.

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I Think That It’s Time for Summer!

I don’t know what the weather is like in other parts of the country, but where I live, it’s time to bring out the cars that have tops that go up and down (gasp)!  Let’s talk roadsters.

A roadster can refer to a two passenger car with a (typically) skimpy cloth (canvas, vinyl, etc) top that barely keeps the elements out of your face.  They used to have removable side curtains rather than glass windows.  Brrrrrr!  But, roadsters have evolved much over the past 50 years.  Today, there are fun-to-drive roadsters that are every bit as easy (thank G-d for ABS and rack and pinion) to drive, as they are plush and costly (I’m talking to you Mercedes-Benz SL, Chevy Corvette, and Porsche Boxster!).

The term can also relate to the IndyCars of the late 1950s-early 1960s which had their powerful engines at the front tipped sideways, which forced the driveshaft from the transmission to the rear wheels ran right next to the driver’s seat instead of underneath it (both VERY bad ideas!).  What the designers came out with was a lower, wider car which looked like a two-seater, yet barely accommodated the driver.  Here’s some examples of both types of roadsters.

Indy Roadster


1957 MERCEDES 300 SL


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What’s A Replicar?

You’ve probably got some sort of idea on what a replicar is; as it combines two words, replica and car, and the word “replicar” was invented.

A replicar is an car with modern mechanical parts, but has special body work.  This special body work is usually made of fiberglass, and is designed to resemble one of the great cars from years past.  Some cars which inspire replicars range from Auburn speedsters and Mercedes-Benz roadsters of the 1930s to Porsche speedsters of the 1950s to the most popular, the Shelby Cobra roadster of the 1960s.  Also, the Excalibur cars of the 1970s and 1980s are replicars.  Here’s a picture of a replicar (just in case you don’t believe me…).

2008 Carlisle Import - Kit/Replicar Nationals

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I Smell a Rat…

You are probably thinking of the pesky mammal that squeaks, eats any food that you left out, and is a general annoyance.  I’m thinking of the rat motors, built by Chevy in the 1960’s.  The rat motor was Chevy’s big-block V-8.  They were offered in 396 ci, 402 ci, 427 ci, and 454 ci regular production engines.  There were also the special aluminum-block 427 ci, 430 ci, 465 ci, 495 ci, and 510 ci rats, built especially for race cars.  Built in factories, they were genetically engineered rats (or at least mechanically engineered!)  Now for the interesting part…  The name was coined by drag racers and tire-smoking teenagers (NOT me), who called it the rat because it was an outsized companion to the small block “mouse” engines, and the rat’s ability to scare the Chrysler Hemi “elephant” motors. Trivia moment:  The Chrysler Hemi was called “the elephant” because it was so heavy!  So, inevitably, the Chevy rat has gone down in history without many of the nicknames it deserves.

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Lay on the Iron – Not Literally!

You’re probably thinking, “What the heck is Zoomvroom talking about now?”  Well folks, Zoomvroom is talking about a popular racing manuever.  ‘Lay on the iron’  can be roughly translated as an act during a race, where a driver will cut inside another car’s lane, thus forcing the other car to swerve away to an outside lane.  This has the byproduct of reducing the speed of the aforementioned car considerably.  Check this out in the Steve McQueen movie, Le Mans.

Note: Never, ever try this on a public road.

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The World’s First Airplane Car Thing… the Terrafugia Transition

So, remember how I’d said that I’d announce a very lucky winner today?  Well, I think we’ve waited long enough…Are you ready?  I’m sorry, I must be deaf! I said, ” Are you ready?”  I thought so!  Our lucky winner is…………Carolyn Boyles!  Congratulations Carolyn!  Please contact me with the address you’d like the subscription sent to.

What the %#&! IS Terrafugia, let alone the Terrafugia Transition?  I thought the same thing!  Well, if you’re interested (which I’m sure you are!), the Terrafugia Transition is the FIRST flying car available to the public.  Available, as in July of 2011, NHTSA cleared the Terrafugia Transition for legally driving on public roads.  The Transition is a milestone in terms of cars that can fly!  FYI: That doesn’t include jumping a Jeep off of a huge pile of rocks!  But, don’t expect to see Transition’s for at least another 5-6 months. Though Terrafugia has been around for about 13 years, they don’t have a factory big enough to commercially produce the $250,000 flyable car.  The Terrafugia will cost about $250-60,000, a company spokesperson said in September 2011.  Powering the 970-pound Terrafugia is a Rotex 912S engine makes 100 horsepower.  Guzzling only 35 mpg on the ground, a driver/pilot can go up to 300 miles on the ground, fill up with 23 gallons of premium unleaded automobile fuel, and take off from a local airport, go about 425 miles, fill up, and repeat the process.  When on the ground, the Transition is rear-wheel-drive, and when in the air, the Rotex 912S engine acts as a pusher engine.  The one small problem with the Transition is that it only can hold two people and 100 pounds of luggage.  Terrafugia is thinking of making a larger model for oil companies to use, as the Transition only needs about 300 feet to take off.  When on the ground, the Transition can go up to 65 mph.  When in the air, it can go 112 mph, with a stall speed of 45 mph.  The one thing the Transition is NOT meant to do is aerobatics.  The steepest angle it can go at is about 70 degrees in any direction.  This also applies to when going on a road, so don’t plan on going on narrow, hilly roads – you probably won’t make it…

Also, don’t expect to see a Transition take off from a long stretch of road or freeway; it’s required to take off and land from an airport.  That also means that if you have a long, straight driveway, you cannot take off from it!  One of the many things that NHTSA granted Terrafugia (which means “escape from land” in Latin) was to use RV tires, but Terrafugia is now asking to use equally safe motorcycle tires, as they are lighter, and as safe, if not safer.  Terrafugia’s MIT trained engineers designed the folding wings of the Transition to be only 6’8″ tall; short enough to fit into an average garage.  Terrafugia estimates that the Transition, which has been in development since 2006, to cost only $60,000 a year to maintain.  The estimates for how much money will be spent on gas for the Transition are about $28,000 a year, as it is as efficient as a Honda Insight.  American made, this car is good for people who want to buy local.  All you have to do is wait for one to be produced and have $250,00 in the bank!

As Edmund’s InsideLine said “That’s one small step for mankind, one giant leap for Terrafugia.”

Enjoy looking around on the Terrafugia website, impress your bos, and lose yourself in the land of Terrafugia!  http://www.terrafugia.com/index.html