Street racing is exactly as it sounds – a bunch of people coming together to race their cars on public roads. In most cases, there are no rigid structures or legal regulations, and it is for these reasons, coupled with its incredibly dangerous nature, that street racing is banned almost everywhere. Unfortunately, this has not stopped people from engaging in the activity and there have been countless cases of mishaps during street races.

UPDATE: 2023/10/15 By Ron FP

18 Most Popular Cars For Street Racing In 2023

Although street races aren't exactly allowed in most parts of the world, this adrenaline-filled activity has undeniably created a global culture that can be seen and felt on the streets, in video games, in blockbuster movies, and in TV shows. In fact, street racing has also influenced how many automotive companies design and produce their cars, SUVs, and even pickup trucks.

Using vehicle specifications, performance data, and reviews from manufacturer websites, online car clubs, Edmunds, Consumer Reports, and Kelley Blue Book (KBB), we've updated this article to give you 18 popular cars in the street racing scene.

Certain sports cars have emerged as the most popular choices as far as street racing is concerned. These well-known models - like the Toyota Supra and the Nissan GT-R - may not be the fastest cars in the world right now, but they usually possess one or more factors that make them ideal for the harsh treatment that street racing entails. Such reasons include the ability to easily tune the car at minimal cost in order to get a boost in performance over the stock form. Others include ease of maintenance, affordability, and of course, cars with superior handling characteristics.

In this article, we look at some of these sports cars that – through a combination of one or more of the reasons identified above – have become rather infamous for their involvement in the dark arts of street racing.

18 1993 - 2002 Toyota Supra MK IV

The fourth-generation Supra is one of the most popular cars on the street circuit; a cult legend made even more popular by movie franchises like The Fast and the Furious. The cars are built to be tough and can take on a lot of tuning parts making them even more potent on the roads. The iconic 2JZ-GTE engine found in these cars is famous for being able to handle ridiculous power, and a modified Supra hitting 2,000 hp on a dyno is not an uncommon sight.

Engine Specs And Performance

17 2023 Honda Civic Type R

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R, as the Japanese carmaker claims, is the fastest FWD car to ever lap the Nurburgring. Although the 2023 Honda Civic Type R's Nurburgring run has been met with skepticism and controversy, there's no denying that this hot hatchback is indeed a performance powerhouse. With a 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 engine (315 hp, 310 lb-ft) sending power to the front wheels through a slick-shifting 6-speed manual transmission, the 2023 Honda Civic Type R can launch from 0 to 60 MPH in 5.0 seconds and achieve a top speed of 170 MPH.

Engine Specs And Performance

16 2005 - 2007 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, also called the Evo or LanEvo series, is one of the most influential JDM sports sedans of all time. Originally intended for rally racing, the 1st-generation Mitsubishi LanEvo came out in 1992 exclusively for Japan. However, sometime around 1998, the demand for the Evo began increasing substantially in the US and UK gray markets. Spurred by the international clamor for its masterpiece, Mitsubishi officially exported the 8th-generation Evo to the US beginning in 2003.

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX debuted in 2005 and is considered by many Evo enthusiasts to be one of the best in the iconic series. The Evo IX featured many significant improvements over the previous generation, particularly a revised turbocharged system that resulted in higher horsepower and twist ratings.

Engine Specs And Performance

15 1991 - 2002 Mazda RX-7 (FD)

The 3rd-generation Mazda RX-7, dubbed the FD3S in Japan, went into production from 1991 to 2002. The Mazda RX-7 FD was the final generation of the nameplate, and it was powered by what many considered to be the holy grail of Mazda's rotary engines - the 1.3-liter twin-turbocharged, twin-rotor engine called the 13B-REW. Straight out of the factory, the 13B-REW generated 252 to 276 hp, but RX-7 FD tuners and enthusiasts have been able to crank the output up to 1,000 hp.

Engine Specs And Performance

14 2002 - 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

The original Subaru Impreza "World Rally eXperimental", or WRX, was a versatile all-wheel-drive performance machine that was made to rival the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Like the Evo, the WRX also has the rallying success to support its claim to fame. The initial WRX and the more powerful WRX STI variant didn't reach US shores until more than a decade after their launch. Subaru had to go through a lot of campaigning to get the Impreza WRX STI into the US domestic market in 2004, but the wait was well worth it for Subie fans.

Engine Specs And Performance

13 2018 Toyota GT86

The Toyota GT86 first came in 2013 as the successor of the Toyota AE86 Corolla, more popularly known in the JDM scene as the Hachi Roku (literally meaning "Eight Six"). True to its bloodline, the 2018 Toyota GT86 maintained its lineage as a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (FR) sports car that generated decent power (205 hp, 156 lb-ft) from its 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated Subaru boxer-four powerplant. With a light body, a 53/47 front-biased weight distribution, and a low center of gravity, the Toyota GT86 can either hug the apex or drift around it.

Engine Specs And Performance

12 2001 Honda S2000

The Honda S2000, manufactured from 1999 to 2009, was Honda's celebratory model for its 50th anniversary in the industry. Taking inspiration from the 1960s Honda S-series roadsters, the Honda S2000 got its name from the 2,000-cc displacement of its FC20 engine. This powerplant was and still is special today. Capable of churning out 124 hp per liter of displacement, the Honda S2000's FC20 engine produces one of the highest specific power outputs derived from any naturally-aspirated factory car engine ever built. Not impressive enough? Here are a few benchmarks. The legendary Lexus LFA generates 117 hp per liter, while the 2023 C8 Corvette Z06's revolutionary flat-plane crank V8 engine puts out 121 hp per liter of displacement.

Engine Specs And Performance

Related: 10 Muscle Cars Favored By Street Racers

11 2023 Volkswagen GTI

The 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI marks the 8th generation of what many enthusiasts regard as the archetypal hot hatchback. The 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI boasts a 241-hp turbo-four powerplant that sends power to the front wheels through a six-speed M/T or a 7-speed dual-clutch A/T. Despite the 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI's excellent power and handling that will excite spirited drivers, the car also provides a comfortable ride and a decent 27-MPG fuel economy rating for more toned-down MPG misers.

Engine Specs And Performance

10 2023 Volkswagen Golf R

Volkswagen's hot hatchback offering goes beyond the already-impressive Golf GTI. The Volkswagen Golf R is an even more capable beast, and it is a treat for hot hatch enthusiasts who will not be placated by anything that produces less than 300 horses. Now on its 20th model year, the 2023 Volkswagen Golf R uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 engine that produces 315 hp and 295 lb-ft of twist, to be sent to all four wheels through a 6-speed M/T or a 7-speed dual-clutch A/T. According to Zero To 60 Times, the Volkswagen Golf R has a 0-60 MPH sprint record of 4 seconds flat

Engine Specs And Performance

9 2002 - 2009 Nissan 350Z / Fairlady Z (Z33)

Since the 1960s, Nissan has developed two major front-midship (FM) sports cars - the GT-R and the Z-car. The Nissan Z33, nicknamed the Fairlady Z in its home country and branded as the Nissan 350Z outside of Japan, heralded Nissan's Z-car line into the 21st century. The Nissan 350Z, produced from 2002 to 2009, drew power from a 3.5-liter naturally-aspirated V6 engine that generated 287 hp and 274 lb-ft of twist during its first production year. By 2009, the same engine had undergone upgrades to allow it to churn out 308 horses and 268 lb-ft of twist.

Some performance tuning experts claim that the Nissan 350Z's VQ35DE powerplant can be turbocharged to reach 400 hp without any effect on the machine's reliability and durability. However, some of the most aggressive tuners have brought the Nissan 350Z's power rating up to 1,000 hp.

Engine Specs And Performance

8 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata

The MX-5, also known as the Miata, is a small sports car that flaunts a precise acceleration response, agile steering, and a lightweight body that makes it the darling of the Mazda lineup. With its near-perfect 50/50 weight distribution, the 4th-generation (ND) Mazda MX-5 makes its 2.0-liter I4 engine (181 hp, 151 lb-ft) feel more powerful than it actually is. The 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata is a bit more special than other models in its ND generation because it's the 30th-anniversary model, and it generates 26 more horses compared to the 2018 Miata.

Engine Specs And Performance

7 1997 Chevrolet Corvette C5

Produced from 1996 to 2004, the fifth-generation Chevrolet Corvette - or the C5 as it's lovingly known to Corvette fans - is still very much an active car in street racing today. Chevrolet gave the C5 Corvette's chassis, engine, and transmission a complete redesign over the previous generation to achieve more stability and power. The base C5 Corvette trim came with a 5.7-liter V8 that generated 350 hp, which is enough power to propel the iconic car from naught to 60 MPH in roughly 4.5 seconds. The C5 Corvette generation also includes the Corvette 50th Anniversary Edition, which was released in 2003.

Engine Specs And Performance

Related: 15 Sick Pics From Japan's Underground Car Scene

6 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse

The 2024 Ford Mustang kicks off the 7th generation of the original American pony car. The base trims of the 2024 Ford Mustang use a 2.3-liter turbocharged EcoBoost I4 engine, capable of producing a very decent 315 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. The all-new Ford Mustang Dark Horse, in turn, tops the lineup as the most powerful non-Shelby Mustang ever made. Using the renowned naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine, the Mustang Dark Horse boasts 500 hp and 418 lb-ft of twist.

Engine Specs And Performance

5 2011 BMW Z4 Roadster sDrive35is

The 2011 BMW Z4 belonged to the nameplate's 2nd generation, which was the first BMW Z series to offer a retractable hardtop. This BMW Z4 generation (2009 - 2016), produced exclusively in Germany, was the last of the pure BMW Z4s that did not have ties to the current-generation Toyota Supra.

The range-topping 2011 BMW Z4 sDrive35is drew out 335 hp and 332 lb-ft of twist from the Bimmer group's revered N54 engine. A 3.0-liter twin-turbo I6 powerplant, the N54 is one of the best forced-induction engines that BMW ever built.

Engine Specs And Performance

4 Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32/R33/R34)

The Nissan Skyline GT-R received an immense following in the street racing scene due to its unprecedented supercar-slaying performance that can be had for a fraction of a supercar's price. Although the pioneer Skyline GT-R generation (1969 to 1973) gained some touring car race success, the 1989-1994 Nissan Skyline "R32" GT-R was responsible for the model's "Godzilla" nickname - a moniker that has stuck to the succeeding generations. In its final R34 iteration in 2002, the Nissan Skyline GT-R received the legendary RB26DETT engine, the acclaimed ATESSA E-TS Pro AWD system, and the innovative Super-HICAS 4-wheel steering system.

Due to the unwritten agreement among Japanese automakers at the time, the domestic R34 Skyline GT-R's was limited to 276 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque in its stock form. However, R34 GTR owners have been known to tune their engines to generate over 1,000 hp.

Engine Specs And Performance

3 2024 Nissan GT-R

As the 16th installment of the R35 generation, the 2024 Nissan GT-R is already long in the tooth. However, the 2024 R35 GT-R comes with many performance and aesthetic upgrades that still make the car a worthy contender among today's more modern sports cars. The 2024 GT-R comes with new front and rear fascias as standard across all trims. Nissan claims that these exterior updates will increase the desired downforce without increasing the unwanted aerodynamic drag. At the top of the lineup, 2024 GT-R NISMO now comes with a limited-slip front differential - a helpful component in taming the GT-R's 600 horses.

Engine Specs And Performance

2 2024 Chevrolet Corvette

The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette is the sophomore model year of the 8th-generation (C8) Corvette, which is the first in its history to sport a rear mid-engine configuration. For 2024, the C8 Corvette's lineup is composed of the base Stingray, the high-performance Z06, and the E-Ray - the first hybrid Corvette.

Engine Specs And Performance

1 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170

Last on our list is the Dodge Demon 170 - the fastest and quickest production muscle car in history. Dodge claims that the 2023 Challenger SRT Demon 170 can complete the 0-60 MPH sprint in just 1.66 seconds, although this sprint time does not account for the wheel rollout during launch. Stellantis also claims that the 2023 Dodge Challenger Demon 170, with its 8.91-second quarter-mile time, is the first 8-second factory-tuned muscle car ever.

Skepticisms about the 1.66-second sprint time aside, the Dodge Demon 170 is undeniably a monster. Dodge tuned the Challenger Hellcat's supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 to deliver 1,025 hp and 945 lb-ft of torque - its highest factory power output to date.

Engine Specs And Performance