Any gearhead visiting Japan for the first time is in for a culture shock. Despite the huge population, everything just works efficiently and on time, every time. The same level of reliability can be found in the nation's car industry.
How else could you explain the bomb-proof dependability of Nissan's RB26DETT or Toyotas 2JZ series of engines that have powered some of the greatest sports cars in recent years?
Any gearhead lusting after a fast car should consider buying Japanese, here are the 10 of the fastest cars from Japan ever.
10 Toyota GT-One - Race Car For The Road
The complex world of FIA homologation makes it hard to decide which came first, the all-conquering race car or the thinly disguised road car. Despite what Toyota execs might like gearheads to believe, this insane piece of engineering is never going to work in the real world, riding so low to the ground that we suspect even driving over a candy wrapper might be felt through the driver's seat.
However, for a brief moment where practicality gets chucked out the window, it would be hard to resist just sitting in the GT-One, knowing just behind the firewall sits a 600hp 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged V8 monster waiting to launch its occupants to 60mph in 3.2-seconds, screaming onwards towards a potential top speed of 236mph.
9 Nissan GT-R Track Edition - 600hp And 200+ Mph Performance
You might think Nissan's GT-R is getting a bit dated and past its prime, but the Japanese carmaker keeps on turning out more powerful track-focused models each year that keep gearheads coming back for more.
Anything Nismo has a hand in issue to be something special, the GT-R track edition is no exception. Boasting a tuned version of Nissan's 3.8-liter VR38DETT V6 motor churning out 600hp you know this GT-R is going to be quick, 60mph flashing by in 2.8-seconds, flat out topping 207mph.
8 Lexus LFA Nürburgring - Update Brings Small Power Gains
Fans of the Lexus LFA drooling at the prospect of a more track-orientated version might be a little disappointed to find that the Nürburgring package only adds a measly 10hp to the already potent 4.8-liter V10 engine.
Already a potent supercar, Lexus aimed their Nürburgring package at serious gearheads wanting a hardcore version. Bigger wheels, and stickier tires add more grip, boosted by the fixed rear ring for more downforce. That small 10hp power gain coupled with a revised transmission maintains a top speed of 203mph despite the added drag.
7 Yamaha OX99-11 - F1 Technology For The Road
Unveiled in the early 90s, when pretty much every carmaker jumped on the supercar bandwagon. Yamaha, at the time involved in F1, decided to grab a piece of the action. All too briefly, the much-hyped Ox99 supercar promised gearheads the closest thing to a Formula 1 car for the roads, without the need for a team of mechanics to start it.
A run of three prototypes emerged packing F1-derived 3.5-liter engines detuned to a more sensible 400hp but still capable of a verified 200mph top speed. A complicated working relationship between Yamaha, IAD and, Ypsilon was fraught with complications from the beginning, it would however be a downturn in Japan's economy that spelled the end of the Ox99.
6 Nissan R390 - Detuned To A "Mere" 550 Hp
High profile publicity stunt or genuine need to homologate the factory works team R390 GT 1 race car, the road-going version of which just two were built remains one of the fastest cars ever to come from Japan.
Bar the outrageous rear wing that would have probably been deemed illegal for road use, the R390 road car is basically the same, equipped with a 3.5-liter turbocharged V8 engine detuned to a mere 550hp, it was capable of propelling this one-off supercar to a top speed of 196mph against factory claims of 200mph.
5 Acura NSX - Second Generation Boasts More Power
As reboots go, Acura nailed the new NSX design perfectly, where the older car lacked grunt the newer offering has a modern gasoline hybrid drive train that should keep all but the most power-mad gearheads happy.
Up front, twin electric motors drive the front wheels leaving the rear under the command of a 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 delivering a combined 550hnp to all four wheels. While some might argue this highly complex layout detracts from the overall experience there can be no arguments against outright performance, hitting 60mph 2.9-seconds and maxing out at 191mph makes the NSX a genuine supercar.
4 Toyota Supra A80 - Supercar Rivaling 186mph Top Speed
On its debut, Toyota's A80 Supra was nothing more than another Japanese sports coupe, but little did the motoring world know or expect this one had a lot more performance than we had come to expect from Japan's auto industry.
Once gearheads had sampled the A80 equipped with a potent 3-liter turbocharged 6-cylinder engine there was no turning back, the world's supercar makers had just been put on notice there was a new contender on the market. For a fraction of supercar money, gearheads with a little tweaking to remove the Supra's limiter had a genuine 186mph supercar.
3 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X FQ-440 MR - The Most Powerful Evo Ever
Marking the end of the Mitsubishi Vs Subaru rivalry that had raged on for decades, the Japanese carmaker produced one last special edition of the Evo X. Not wishing to end without one last power statement, Mitsubishi UK gave gearheads the ultimate in all-wheel-drive supercar performance, the FQ-440 the fastest Evo ever.
As the name suggests this fire-breathing road car come rally monster produced an incredible 440hp from its 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder motor. On paper, Mitsubishi claimed a top speed of 150mph, but independent testers put this figure closer to 185mph given enough space and a bucketful of bravery from the driver. What does the FQ stand for? Unofficially F-Quick.
2 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec - Nissan "Lied" About Power Output
Any gearhead growing up in the early 2000s will instantly recognize the GT-R34, officially the last model to bear the Skyline name and the shape that gained big-screen fame with the Fast And Furious franchise.
By modern standards, the GT-R34 V-spec is still a potent weapon of choice, tried and tested Nissan RB26DETT engines are producing 276hp might seem a little on the pessimistic side, gearheads that have driven the GT-R34 knows this figure in on the low side. Regardless of the true power output, this all-wheel-drive monster can hit 60mph in 4.9-seconds, flat out reaching 165mph.
1 Toyota Supra - Officially Limited To 155mph
Taking a page out of the gentleman's agreement relating to power and performance, Toyota unveiled the current generation Supra in 2019 with a shared chassis and powertrain boasting between 335-382hp.
It didn't' take long for claims of more power than advertised to emerge, some suggesting as much as 450hp, which inevitably led to top speed claims being challenged also. Possibly to placate BMW who provided much of the Supra's engineering, Toyota claims a limited maximum speed of 155mph, this too also proved to be inaccurate, 170mph, in reality, is much closer to the truth.