When Japanese cars were first introduced to the American and European market, they received quite a cold welcome. As time went by and Japanese carmakers fine-tuned their skills, they release some sports cars that were directly competing with some of the most legendary European and American cars.
Nissan has perfected the art of manufacturing small and powerful sports cars. In fact, some customized Nissan cars are the sort of modified Japanese cars car fans cannot stop staring at. Among all the Nissan cars out there, the Z-Series definitely stands out. They are beautiful cars that can look even better when souped up.
10 Classy 240Z
In most instances, timing is key. If Datsun had released some of its classic sports cars a bit later, the defunct carmaker could have been one of the most prominent Japanese automakers out there. Nissan realized the potential of the Skyline and Z-Series early on, and as a result, decided not to kill off the cars.
The 240Z is the type of Japanese sports car that annihilated their competition. Not only they were fast, but they were relatively light and very stylish. This particular 240Z inherited the infamous 2JZ inline-six from a Toyota Supra, which was modified to produce a staggering 600hp.
9 Fast And Furious
When the very first Fast And Furious was released, gearheads worldwide saw themselves driving down skid row (yes, that is where most of the scenes were shot) in either the neon green Eclipse, the orange Supra, or the blown Charger. Production realized how lucrative the franchise was and decided to produce more movies.
The last decent Fast And Furious movie is hands down Tokyo Drift, where one of the main characters is seen drifting around in a 350Z. Well, this 350Z was up for sale a couple of years back. The 430hp 350Z was going for $133,683. The 350Z is one of the quickest Japanese cars people can buy for less than $15,000.
8 Stanced 300ZX
The 1990s saw the apparition of several cool-looking targas. From Porsche to Toyota, automakers released some decently powered vehicles that ended up being iconic. Nissan did not fail to release its own version of the two-door targa. The 300ZX is an absolute beauty.
This 300ZX is one classic Japanese car stanced to perfection. Though the car did not receive an insane amount of modifications, the deep dish rims with the low-profile tires give the car the little extra aggressiveness it desperately needs. Given the fact that the twin-turbocharged 3.0L V6 produces 300hp and 283ft-lb of torque, the 300ZX is a powerful car that may not require mechanical modifications.
7 Japanese Monster
Datsun's Z-Series are some of the most stylish and affordable Japanese-made cars. Moreover, though this may require some foresight, the cars were most likely to age well. Modern tuners know the potential of the car, and some of them are simply abusing it.
By looking at the engine found under the hood, anybody can easily tell that this 260Z will destroy any modern muscle car on the quarter-mile. The turbocharged Toyota 2JZ engine was tuned to produce 1,000hp and 900lb-ft of torque. It is important to underline the fact that the car was equipped with a roll cage and also shed some weight.
6 Track-Ready
There are times when cars just do not seem to cut it. Despite being decently designed and powered, they are not received well by the public. The Dodge Charger sedan is a prime example. However, the Charger ended up being accepted and appreciated as time went by. The exact same process happened to the 370Z.
This track-ready 370Z was modified by Z1 Motorsport, in collaboration with Nissan Motorsport. A modified 3.7L V6 is lodged under the hood. The Garrett twin-turbo system, among other goodies, helps the 370Z deliver 750hp. This insane 370Z race car was featured at SEMA.
5 Fairlady Z06
There are very few cars out there that as modular and custom-ready as Japanese cars. When looking at the amount of street-legal modified Supras, EVOs, Skylines, and STIs, it is quite fair to say that Japanese sports cars have a little something that tends not to exist in American and European cars.
This monstrous 240Z could be the centerpiece of an action movie. As its owner is a former FBI special agent, this widebody 240Z could definitely be zooming through the streets of Los Angeles John Wick style. What truly makes this car incredible is the fact that it received a modified Z06 LS7 engine. A stock LS7 produces 505hp.
4 Stanced 350Z
The JDM scene gained a lot of traction since the release of the very first Fast And Furious movie. Several car enthusiasts have realized that a plethora of Japanese cars had a lot of potential. The 350Z is already quite powerful. However, this decent Nissan two-door car can be turned into a real race car.
The 350Z comes with a 3.6L V6 that develops 308hp. However, it is possible to turn the 350Z into a 650hp monster. The back information on this 350Z is unfortunately unavailable, but it is fair to say that the car looks absolutely stunning and may develop a lot more than just 308hp.
3 Fire Flame Spitter
The automotive scene is made of a lot of different people. A large portion of those people truly enjoy newly released, stock, sports cars. A smaller portion enjoys seeing the same cars being modified to produce insane amounts of power. Then, there is a niche. These car enthusiasts want to see flames shooting out of the engine.
The fire-spewing cars seem as if they are coming straight out of a Michael Bay movie. This 280Z is pure madness. The streetcar is equipped with a huge twin-turbocharged LSX that cranks out about 1,000hp. Modified by Rock Solid Motorsport, this 280Z is unlike most 280Z's found out there.
2 Special Edition 370Z
The 370Z is the last sporty two-door coupe released by Nissan. Despite a very mitigated success, the 370Z did not fail to attract a decent amount of both amateur and professional tuners. As a result, the slightly boring sports cars have been turned into something very impressive multiple times.
The Nissan 370Z comes with a 3.7L V6 that produces at most 350hp. It is highly impressive for a $30,000 Nissan. This Nissan Motorsport Project Clubsport 23 was fitted with a twin-turbocharged 3.0L V6 that cranks out 400hp. Unfortunately, this amazing 370Z was just a one-off thing. Dream on.
1 American 300ZX
The best part about the technology available today is that any vehicle can now be turned into a supercar killer. The most basic, mass-produced cars can get a second life, and become some serious race cars. This Nissan 300ZX is the living proof that a car is not completely dead unless it is totaled.
This 300ZX saw its broken 3.0L V6 replaced by a 6.2L LS3 V8. The XTZ twin-turbo system installed, combined with a plethora of other modifications, helps this wonderful modded engine crate develop 1,287hp at the crank. It is unclear how the car handles on a track, but it must for sure go down the strip in less than nine seconds. Easily.