Not all JDM cars, despite what the Fast & Furious franchise wants us to believe, cost you an arm and a leg. Some can be quite reasonable, though you may later need to spend money on them to turn them into your version of a "10-second car."
Today, the world is a lot smaller than what it was before. And despite the 25-year hiatus that JDM cars need to have, there are plenty of JDM importers in the US today who are ready and willing to get you your kind of car, for their kind of price. Some people also resell their JDM cars, especially if they have no knowledge of what goes under the hood of the car, and find it a pain to maintain or tune them.
So, In case you still have a hankering for a great JDM, here go some cool finds that are so cheap they're hard to pass up!
15 1988 Honda CRX Si: Yours For $2,425
The Honda CRX Si was a three-door coupe made between 1983 and 1991, replaced by the Honda CRX del Sol in 1992. The best engine option was 1.6-liter inline-four that came in the later years and made around 135 horses, for a car that weighed less than 1,900 lbs. It’s a great buy for $2,425, considering it has always been popular in motorsports.
14 1993 Mazda Roadster: Yours For $4,100
While the Mazda MX-5 Miata was available in the US, this is the JDM version, marketed as the Mazda Roadster, that was first introduced in 1989 and continues to date. The first generation of the Mazda Roadster came with a 1.6-liter inline-four engine, good for about 110 horses, which made this light little car fly.
13 1996 Honda Prelude SR-V: Yours For $2,000
Also known as the Honda Prelude Si, as in Sports Injected, the second generation of the Prelude first came with a 100-horsepower engine, though later the 2.0-liter engine raised this to 160 horses. While the Prelude was a sports car, its size and driving made it more of a mini Gran Turismo than anything else.
12 1993 Nissan Pulsar GTiR: Yours For $4,500
The sporty hatchback of the Nissan Pulsar, the Pulsar GTiR came with a turbocharged 2.0-liter power mill that made a cool 227 horses and 200 ft-lb torque. A standard GtiR could sprint 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds and reach top speeds of 230 mph or more, making it a great buy for under $5,000.
11 1991 Autozam AZ-3: Yours For $2,350
The Autozam AZ-3 was also sold as the Mazda MX-3, from 1991-1998. Autozam was Mazda’s marque, aimed at a younger and more youthful crowd. The engine in this one was a 1.6-liter mill, making 88 horses. While this was not a very powerful car, it is a rare car, and a great classic JDM to own.
10 1984 Nissan Fairlady Z: Yours For $4,900
The Nissan Fairlady Z in Japan is what the US calls the Nissan Z or ZX- series and is one of the coolest cars around. The 1984 Fairlady Z was the Datsun 280ZX with a powerful inline-six engine. According to the engine type, and whether they were turbocharged or not, these cars made between 135-180 horses.
9 1989 Nissan 240SX: Yours For $3,500
Known in Japan as the 180SX, the Nissan 240SX is amazingly popular as a drift car, and not easy to find under $5,000. The 1989 model came with a 200 horsepower engine and some stunningly good looks. Look hard enough, and you may find one for cheaper... maybe with some mods in place.
8 1991 Honda Beat: Yours For $4,700
A rear-wheeled, mid-engined Kei car, the Honda Beat ran as good as it looked, from 1991 to 1996, despite the less-than 660-cc engine in it. It made just 60-ish horsepower but is a tiny and light car, with an electronically limited top speed of 85 mph. Later, it also spawned the Honda S660, its spiritual successor.
7 1993 Suzuki Cappuccino: Yours For $4,700
Together, the Autozam AZ-1, the Honda Beat and the Suzuki Cappucino completed the ABC triad of the Japanese Kei cars of the '90s. Small and adorable, these cars came with engines no bigger than 660cc and had size restrictions as well. The Cappucino, made from 1991 to 1998, is perfectly named: small, zippy and makes for an energizing drive.
6 1991 Toyota MR2 G-Limited: Yours For $6,950
Available as a coupe or Targa-top, the Toyota MR2 was a cool enough car. But when it became the MR2 G-Limited, it came with a top-of-the-line naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter engine that made a cool 200 horses. Getting this poor man’s Ferrari is a good idea, with its electronically limited 120-mph speed that can go higher if tuned.
5 1995 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO III: Yours For $8,700
Rather aggressively styled, the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO-III lasted from 1995 to 1996, in its third generation. The new turbocharger compressor now made 270 horses and a cool 230 ft-lb torque. As such, it presents perhaps the greatest bang for the buck of any EVO on the market. With the new rear wing to reduce drag, as well as better molding everywhere, this car looks raring to go, as do all JDM cars.
4 1994 Nissan Skyline GTS: Yours For $8,900
The 1994 Nissan Skyline GTS is called the Nissan Skyline GT-R32 in the States, and it was made from 1989 to 1994. The 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-six made around 210 horses as well as 190 lb-ft of torque, and as we all know, this is a tunable miracle from Japan we’d all love to have.
3 1993 Toyota Mark II Grande 2.5: Yours For $9,995
Unlike the sports cars and coupes listed till now, the Toyota Mark II was a four-door sedan and looked more like a family car than something that drove like a bat out of hell. The Grande option came with a 3.0-liter inline-six engine that made over 190 horses and 185 lb-ft of torque. The car ran very well and handled like a dream.
2 1989 Mazda Familia: Yours For $9,250
For 1989, the Mazda Familia, now in its fifth generation, came in hatchback, cabriolet, sedan, and pick-up body styles, though the listing on JDM-Expo shows a hatchback. The GT-X was a fully-trimmed-up four-wheel-drive version, and looks so cool in red, even if its more of a classic than JDM, with 120-150 horses made.
1 1990 Toyota Supra: Yours For $ 12,950
It’s a Supra. Need we say more? The 1990 Toyota Supra came with an amped-up interior and a cool rear wing, along with engines that ranged from 158 horses to a whopping 276. Maximum speeds were more than 150 mph, while it accelerated 0-60 mph in a cool 6 seconds. This was also Paul Walker’s car, albeit in the 1994 avatar.