While Western sports car and supercar brands tried to produce the fastest and most powerful cars to showcase their dominance, Japanese brands were more interested in making consumer-friendly sports cars that looked great. Since the ’90s, the Land of the Rising Sun has produced some of the most beloved driver’s cars on the market, and this includes proper sports cars and supercars. However, even some of the wildest-looking Japanese sports cars are surprisingly affordable when you compare them to Western supercars with exorbitant price tags and nightmarish maintenance costs.
The Japanese cars
on this list come from a variety of brands and include everything from the world’s first daily driver supercar to bona fide sports cars, grand tourers, and even a tiny, quirky Kei car.
For this list, HotCars looked at Japanese sports cars that look like supercars but cost a lot less as per Classic.com’s average values for models auctioned in the last five years.
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9
Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 (Series 1)
Average Used Value: $19,562
Specs
Engine
3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6
Transmission
5-speed manual, 6-speed manual (1993)
Power
300 hp
Torque
308 lb-ft
Source: Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 is one of the most underrated and forgotten Japanese performance cars of the ’90s. The series 1 version of the car looked fantastic, with its smooth lines and the added cool factor of having pop-up headlights. It had pretty good performance for its day, thanks to a 300-hp 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6. It was also pretty technologically advanced, featuring active aerodynamics and a sophisticated all-wheel drive system derived from Mitsubishi’s successes in rallying.
Thanks to it being a bit of a forgotten car, the Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 is still pretty cheap to buy on the used market. The average used value for a series 1 is $19,562. A car that has a ’90s supercar look for under $20,000? That’s one hell of a bargain!
8
Autozam AZ-1
Average Used Value: $21,356 (here)
Specs
Engine
0.7-liter turbocharged inline-3
Transmission
5-speed manual
Power
63 hp
Torque
63 lb-ft
Source: Mazda/Autozam
The Autozam AZ-1 is perhaps one of the quirkiest sports cars ever made. A by-product of Japan’s Kei Car regulations that give special tax and parking status to cars that fit very specific parameters, it’s an attempt at making a fun sports car that can be registered under those rules. As a result, the Autozam AZ-1 is by far the tiniest car on this list. It’s also the least powerful by far, as it only produces 63 hp from its tiny turbocharged 657 cc engine. The tiny engine and lack of power are another one of those Kei Car mandates, as engines can’t be bigger than 660 cc and can’t produce more than the advertised 63 hp of the AZ-1.
Where the Autozam AZ-1 lacks in size and power, it makes up for in styling. Impressively, it’s got a feature that was a status symbol for many supercars in times past. That’s the addition of gullwing doors! The Autozam AZ-1 is possibly the smallest car ever made to have this type of door, and they certainly make it stand out from the crowd.
As you might expect, the Autozam AZ-1 is one of the most expensive of the Kei sports cars to buy used. But, it’s still a bit of a bargain compared to the other cars on this list. If you want to buy one, you can expect to spend around $21,356. If nothing else, it has to be one of the cheapest cars out there to have gullwing doors.
7
Toyota MR2 Turbo (W20)
Average Used Value: $23,365
Specs
Engine
2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4
Transmission
5-speed manual, 4-speed automatic
Power
222-241 hp
Torque
224 lb-ft
Source: Toyota
The Toyota MR-2 has become one of the most legendary small sports cars ever made. There’s a very good reason for that. It’s light, affordable, cheap to run, and cheap to maintain. It also looks great. The best-looking of all the MR-2 generations is the W20. This generation was often called “the poor man’s Ferrari,” due to how similar it looked to the Ferrari 308 and Ferrari 328 from the 1980s. It had fantastic handling thanks to its mid-engined layout, and even though the Turbo model only had 241 hp at most it still had blistering performance thanks to its light weight.
The W20 Toyota MR-2 Turbo has to be one of the best performance car bargains on the market. One of these can be yours for only $23,365. That’s expensive in MR-2 terms, but compared to many of the other cars on this list, that’s very cheap. It’s also a lot cheaper than the ’80s Ferraris its design tries to emulate.
6
Nissan Silvia (S15)
Average Used Value: $26,811
Specs
Spec-S
Spec-R
Engine
2.0-liter inline-4
2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4
Transmission
5-speed manual
6-speed manual, 4-speed automatic
Power
163 hp
247 hp
Torque
133 lb-ft
203 lb-ft
Source: Nissan
When it comes to Japanese sports cars, there aren’t many that are as beloved and iconic as the S15 generation of the Nissan Silvia. Its rear-wheel-drive powertrain, which is very easily tunable, made it a favourite with the drifting scene, and it’s generally regarded as a pretty good-looking car as well. The S15 Silvia had two trim levels available, the Spec-S and the Spec-R.
The Spec-S was powered by a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, while the Spec-R received a turbo for more power. The naturally aspirated engine in the Spec-S was good for 163 hp and 133 lb-ft of torque, while the turbocharged one in the Spec-R had 247 hp and 203 lb-ft of torque. That’s from the factory, anyway. When these were tuned, they often produced a lot more than that.
A S15 Nissan Silvia is typically worth around $26,811 on the used market. While it’s not the dirt-cheap tuner-friendly sports car it once was, it’s still a lot less than a supercar. You’ll probably even end up spending a lot less in total than you’d pay for a supercar if you modded it into the 500+ hp range.
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5
Nissan 300ZX/Fairlady Z (Z32)
Average Used Value: $14,804-$28,998
Specs
Engine
3.0-liter V6, 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6
Transmission
5-speed manual, 4-speed automatic
Power
222 hp (3.0-liter V6), 276-300 hp (3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6)
Torque
283 lb-ft (3.0-liter V6), 307 lb-ft (3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6)
Source: Nissan
Another incredibly iconic Japanese sports car, the Z32 Nissan 300ZX (known as the Fairlady Z in Japan) has been one of the most popular JDM imports for decades now. It was also decently well-regarded in the export markets it was sold in, although it never managed to fully compete with American and European offerings. It was available with naturally aspirated and twin-turbocharged versions of its 3-liter V6, and both units were decently powerful for the time. The naturally aspirated V6 produced 222 hp and 283 lb-ft of torque, while the twin-turbo V6 was advertised as producing anywhere from 276-300 hp and 307 lb-ft of torque. Since the 276-hp rating was only for the Japanese market due to JAMA’s gentleman’s agreement on the maximum advertised power of Japanese-made cars, the Japanese versions probably had the 300 hp output that export cars were advertised to have.
The Z32 Nissan 300ZX isn’t the super-cheap car it once was. But, it’s still relatively affordable, and definitely much cheaper than any ’90s sports car it went up against, such as the Porsche 911. A naturally aspirated one will cost you around $14,804, while a twin-turbo will set you back around $28,998. The twin-turbo versions won’t stay relatively cheap forever, though. They’ve gained proper modern classic status, so they’re likely to skyrocket in value. If you want a twin-turbo Z32 300SX, now’s probably the best time to get one!
4
Toyota GR Supra (A90/91)
Average Used Value: $52,927
Specs
Engine
2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4, 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6
Transmission
6-speed manual, 8-speed automatic
Power
255 hp (2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4), 335-382 hp (3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6)
Torque
295 lb-ft (2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4), 365-368 lb-ft (3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6)
Source: Toyota
The A90 Toyota GR Supra has been somewhat controversial ever since it was announced. Its looks aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, even though you can’t deny how fantastically aggressive the design is. Many enthusiasts don’t regard it as a true Supra because it shares so many components with the current BMW Z4. A lot of enthusiasts were also not happy that it was only available as an 8-speed automatic. But, the A90 Toyota Supra is definitely a proper sports car. Both its engine options are decently powerful. Both options are notoriously underpowered and make more power than advertised, and Toyota listened to the buyers and even added a 6-speed manual option for the 3.0-liter models in 2022.
This generation of the Toyota Supra hasn’t been around for long enough for it to be a proper bargain. But, you’re still going to get a car with supercar-like looks for a fraction of a supercar’s price. An A90 3.0-liter GR Supra can be yours for around $53k. Is it cheap? No. Is it controversial? Yes. But, it is a very good used buy that turns heads wherever it goes.
3
Mazda RX-7 (FD)
Average Used Value: $33,303-$55,871
Specs
Engine
1.3-liter twin-turbocharged twin-rotor
Transmission
5-speed manual, 4-speed automatic
Power
252-276 hp
Torque
217-231 lb-ft
Source: Mazda
The FD Mazda RX-7 is a car that’s spoken of in hallowed words among Mazda and JDM enthusiasts. It’s considered to be the zenith of what Mazda was able to do with its rotary-engined sports cars. Its 1.3-liter twin-turbocharged twin-rotor unit could produce up to an advertised 276 hp, with all the braps and bangs you get from having a high-powered rotary engine. It’s also easily the best-looking of the RX-7 generations, thanks to its more rounded lines and those oh-so-’90s pop-up headlights.
How much an FD RX-7 is worth depends on what model you want to go for. The cheapest model of the FD RX-7 is the Type R, which is worth around $33,303. The base model is a bit more expensive at $42,159, while an RX-7 Touring would cost you around $45,151. The R1 and R2 models are the most expensive, setting you back around $55,871 on average, as per Classic.com. While this is pretty expensive compared to the other cars on this list, it’s still a lot cheaper than a modern supercar.
2
Acura NSX (NA1)
Average Used Value: $73,567- $82,476
Specs
Engine
3.0-liter V6
Transmission
5-speed manual, 4-speed automatic
Power
252 hp (automatic), 270 hp (manual)
Torque
210 lb-ft
Source: Honda
The Acura NSX is the only car on this list that could legitimately be considered a supercar. In fact, some people think that the NA1 generation NSX is the father of all modern supercars. It was also used as a benchmark for how the McLaren F1 (arguably one of the greatest supercars of all time) should drive, as Gordon Murray is a huge fan of the car. The early versions of the NSX may only have 270 hp, but don’t let those low power figures fool you. The NA1 Acura NSX is still an absolute blast to drive, and its more analogue feel might be a breath of fresh air compared to many supercars that came after it. It also still looks great. Its wedgy design has aged very well, and you can’t discount the cool factor of those pop-up headlights.
The NA1 Acura NSX is a pretty expensive proposition. A coupe version will cost you around $73,567, while a targa is worth around $82,476. That actually is used supercar territory in terms of prices. But, it’s still much cheaper than buying a brand new supercar. It’ll probably be a lot more reliable than most brand-new supercars, too.
1
Lexus LC500
Average Used Value: $93,640
Specs
Engine
5.0-liter V8
Transmission
10-speed automatic
Power
471 hp
Torque
398 lb-ft
Source: Lexus
The Lexus LC500 is one of the most underrated cars in its class, if not in general. It’s a futuristic-looking grand tourer that’s available in coupe or roadster body styles and powered by a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 made entirely in-house. This engine produces 471 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough for some seriously good performance (Lexus claims a 0-60 time of just 4.4 seconds), with plenty of that classic V8 character alongside it.
This car is by far the most expensive to buy on this list; 2018 models will set you back around $77k on average, depending on condition. However, it’s one of the most impressive luxury grand tourers at and above its price point, and it looks and sounds like a proper modern supercar without the price tag.
Sources: classic.com
AloJapan.com