What do the rarest JDM sports cars and even rarer muscle cars have in common? Other than the fact that both have a dedicated auto enthusiast following, they are both about pure performance. While one is homegrown and arouses patriotic sentiments, the other is about exotic HI-PO, banned in the US because of this very surfeit of power.
Today, both are classic cars. While the muscle car run ended in the ‘70s, mostly, because of cataclysmic horsepower cuts and the malaise era, the JDM cars can only be imported once the 25-year waiting time ends.
So whichever of the two cars you get, they are old. But then again, this old truly is gold because if you love classic power, then the rarest JDM sports cars are likely to catch your fancy. If not, there are always five even rarer muscle cars, to appeal to you. Which of these do you long for?
10 Rarest JDM Sports Car: 1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata NB Coupe Concept
The Mazda Miata is not a rare sports car. It’s not even a JDM, to begin with, because it was sold in the US. But there was a special Japan-only Miata that qualifies as one of the rarest JDM sports cars, given only 179 were made. This was the NB generation of the Miata and a coupe offered in four different versions.
Out of the 179 cars, there were 53 base trims with a 1.6-liter engine. Then came 63 Type-S and 53 Type-A models, styled differently but with both carrying 1.8-liter engines. Finally, there were 10 Type-E models with a very different body kit.
9 Rarer Muscle Cars: 1970-71 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible
The Plymouth Barracuda trumped the Ford Mustang by a few days although it could never achieve the sales and utter popularity of the ‘Stang. That said, when it comes to muscle cars, especially muscle cars that are even rare, the ‘Stang does not count.
It’s the Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda convertible that takes the cake, considering only 21 of these were made between 1970 and 1971, each with a 7.0-liter Hemi V8 powering it to the maximum. Considering one of these rarer muscle cars sold for $2.6 million, the closest we can get to it is a poster or a Hot Wheels. Sigh.
8 Rarest JDM Sports Car: 1998 Subaru Impreza 22B STi
When Subaru turned 40, Subaru turned to the Impreza to celebrate by launching a special limited-edition 424-model run. The car was called the 22B STi and was an Impreza WRX STi coupe running on a 2.2-liter turbocharged flat-four engine.
It wore a widebody kit, and Bilstein shocks. 400 were sold in Japan with another 24 reaching Europe, out of which 16 went to the UK. None came to the US making it one of the rarest JDM sports cars ever, and very vaunted as well.
7 Rarer Muscle Car: 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T 426 Hemi Convertible
How rare is a 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T 426 Hemi convertible? Some say, only four of these were ever made though more could have come out of the later run, till 1970. A total of 30,000 R/T-badged Coronets were made, from 1967 to 1970. Out of these, it's the convertibles that are truly rarer than the rarest JDM sports cars.
With a 7.0-liter Hemi V8 “widow-maker” engine, everyone thought a Coronet R/T was better off as a hardtop. Either way, they are rare to spot on the classic car market, and even if they do, you better own a bank to afford one.
6 Rarest JDM Sports Car: 1997 NISMO 400R
The Nissan R33 Skyline GT-R did not impress the home crowd all that much. It was heavier than the R32 and less aggressive than the R34, so it has not been a JDM favorite per se. But when Nissan Motorsports International (NISMO) homologated the R33 for racing at Le Mans, the NISMO 400R was born.
With a 99-only run, it is one the rarest JDM sports cars, limiting its power to only 276 horses. If you do get your hands on one of these cool JDMs and know a good tuner, the sky is the limit for the NISMO 400R, and it’s well-deserving of its price tag.
5 Rarer Muscle Car: 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 Super Snake
In 1964.5, the Mustang arrived and took the muscle car market by storm, by establishing it as big monies and sales. And with the success of the Ford GT is not just one but all three major racing trophies, Ford was now a big name in performance.
So it was natural for Ford to rope in Shelby for the Mustang, giving rise to many special editions, including the GT500 Super Snake bearing a 7.0-liter V8 and capable of going 170 mph. Only two were made. One was crashed beyond repair, the other sold for $2.2 million in 2019.
4 Rarest JDM Sports Car: 2005 Honda NSX-R GT
The NSX-R was a cool Japanese sports car, with a 3.2-liter VTEC engine. Plus, it came tuned by one of racing’s best, Ayrton Senna. The NSX-R claimed another first by being the world’s first production car to come with an aluminum chassis. It was vaunted, with good reason.
But once the sales blew over and the NSX-R began to get dated, Honda gave it the best send-off ever with the NSX-R GT. All the GT had over the NSX-R was the appearance and a whopping price. But then again, only five were ever made, making it one of the rarest JDM sports cars ever.
3 Rarer Muscle Car: 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle 454 SS LS6
When you think of Chevrolet cars, the one thing that does not strike the mind is the rarity. There were so many Camaros, Novas and even Chevelles made that one thinks of these cars as being near endless. But it’s not the case with the Chevelle 454 SS LS6 that carried a 7.4-liter V8.
This is one of the rarer muscle cars of America, and made 450 horses and 500 lb-ft torque but came so pricey, few could afford it. Only 20 were made which is for these, it's a seller's market.
2 Rarest JDM Sports Car: 1994 Toyota Supra TRD 3000 GT
One does not think of the Toyota Supra as being a particularly rare car, because it’s not. But when Toyota decided to enter the Japanese Grand Touring Championship (JGTC) in 1994, they had to homologate the Supra. And so came the Supra TRD 3000 GT, all 35 of them.
All came with many a performance upgrade on the already venerated 2JZ GTE and breathed so much better, it nearly breathed fire. It also has aerodynamic parts and geometric vents and looked like the 10-second Supra everyone fell in love with, in the F&F movie. But it’s a rare and elusive beast.
1 Rarer Muscle Car: 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 R-Code
The Ford Fairlane was born as a full-size model but over the years, and due to public demand, it turned into a mid-size one. When the ‘60s arrived with its muscle car mania, Ford saw the potential in it and it soon turned muscle forming the base of the Torino and Cobra nameplates.
In 1964, Ford launched a 100-unit performance version, called the Thunderbolt. But even rarer was the Fairlane 500 R-Code, with only 57 examples made. It wore the 7.0-liter Cobra V8 and jet 425 horses and 480 lb-ft of torque. Rare and stunning, this muscle car demands high prices on the classic car mart.