There’s the Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ, Nissan 370Z, Subaru WRX, Honda Civic Type R, and Mazda MX-5. Look at the current crop of Japanese sports cars and you could count them with one hand. The only way to buy a Lamborghini when you’re young usually involves dealing with Bolivian, erm, businessmen. You could save up and buy a Silvia or Integra if you really put your mind to it. Sure, everyone wants a Ferrari, Porsche, or Lamborghini but what these Japanese sports cars offered was something the Europeans couldn’t attainability. Stuff like the Mitsubishi Evo and 3000GT, Nissan Z and Skylines, Mazda RX-7, Honda S2000, NSX, various Type R models, and about half a dozen Toyota sports cars were the stuff of bedroom posters. It’s crazy to think now, in 2016, that something with a Honda or Mitsubishi badge could be something a small boy or girl would aspire to have. I’m more from the S2000/350Z/RX-8 generation but even then, I do remember a time when Japanese cars were still exciting and appealing to young people. I’m not old enough to remember the glory days of affordable Japanese sports cars flocking the market, that was 80s/90s stuff. Frustration of Japanese manufacturers (some, not all) for ignoring fun and exciting affordable sports cars, news of new cars that are coming and ones that won’t be, and reminiscing an old Honda advert. We only wish Mazda would come out with another rear-wheel-drive coupe to follow up this beauty.There are several reasons for prompting this article. It featured a sporty exterior, unique suicide door design and, most importantly, a wankel engine. It might not have the same level of notoriety as the RX-7 before it, but the RX-8 is just as cool. Although the current STI is markedly faster, we love the one from the early 2000s because more people bought it in the proper Subaru World Rally Championship color scheme: blue with gold wheels. This was the first iteration of the STI that ditched the round bug eyes of Imprezas from yesteryear, giving it a more attractive, and more purposeful-looking front-end. Hard-core Subaru fans might prefer the first-generation STI because it was the start of an iconic performance model, but we prefer the second-generation - more specifically, the face-lifted version of the second generation. It’s a shame Mitsubishi decided to pull the plug on the Evo after 2015. And, much like the Evolutions before it, it was a true rally-bred sports sedan. The Evolution didn’t change much from the eighth to the ninth-generation, which was fine by us, because Mitsubishi nailed the styling with the Evo VIII. That’s why some of these have been selling for more than $40,000 at auction lately. In its day, the Integra Type R was considered one of the best-handling front-wheel-drive cars you could buy. with a Honda badge, but Type R debuted stateside with the Integra. The new Nurburgring record-holding Civic might be the first Type R sold in the U.S. The Skyline was, and still is hugely popular among American JDM fans, partly due to its inclusion in “2 Fast 2 Furious,” “Gran Turismo” and “Forza.” Even though the R34 is nearing its 20th birthday, it still looks good, even by today’s standards. And, despite the Miata’s resemblance to the RX-7, the S2000 arguably was even better looking.Īlthough it was never sold in the U.S., we’d be remiss if we excluded the GT-R R34 from this list. If you wanted a two-seater roadster with a bit more power than the MX-5, the S2000 was likely your go-to. Thankfully, we’re beginning to hear rumors Toyota is planning to resurrect the MR2. The MR2 is one of the most unique, as it was the only mid-engine car the company made. Even though the second-generation didn’t have the popup headlights of its predecessor, it still managed to look more similar to the iconic RX-7 thanks to its lines.īefore it earned a reputation for making boring family vehicles that can easily surpass 100,000 miles, Toyota was well-known for its sportier models. You might mock the Miata for its lack of power, but there’s no denying every iteration of the MX-5 have been some of the best-handling small roadsters on the market. Here are eight of our favorite Japanese sports cars from the early 2000s: And once the new millennium rolled around, they all had multiple generations to refine their creations, resulting in some iconic sports cars. In the early 2000s, however, they reigned supreme.īy the 1990s, seemingly every automaker from Japan was churning out performance vehicles of all shapes and sizes, from all-wheel-drive sedans, to rear-wheel-drive coupes. Nowadays, Japanese sports cars are out numbered by their rivals from Germany and the United States. Sox Transactions, Trades, and Free Agents.Japanese Sports Cars Ruled Early 2000s Here Are Eight Of Our Favorites.
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