There is not just one way of modifying a classic car. Even it was the case, the world would have a much more boring place. Cultural differences, though sometimes difficult to overcome, makes this world such a vibrant and interesting place. Asia is one of the most exotic and mind-blowing continents for people in the US thanks to the culinary, linguistic, and cultural diversity that exists between the two places. Japan is by far the Asian country that has been able to export several aspects of its culture successfully.
Stanced cars, that is cars that are extremely lowered or with insane negative cambers, originated from Japan. Though somewhat unpopular in western countries, it is quite common to bump into a crazily stanced ride in California or Washington, for example. Some people claim stanced cars look ridiculous. Well, haters gon' hate. Just ask what Japanese tuners think of donk style and spinners. Ok. Arigato.
10 Datsun 510
Datsun, a semi-defunct then resurrected Japanese manufacturer, is now part of Nissan. From the late 1960s until the late 1980s, Datsun released cars for different usage. The 510, though marketed as a middle-income family car, became quite popular among car fans with an inclination for mind-blowing restomod work.
Thanks to its successes as a rally car, the 510 started getting shipped around the world and became an immediate hit. Its affordable nature and gas-efficient engine conquered a swath of people that were getting hit hard by the oil crisis. Its 96hp and 100mph top speed were more than enough for the vast majority of people.
9 Lexus GS300
Lexus, the luxury brand owned by Toyota, has been a beacon of success in the US. Unlike Kia or Hyundai, Lexus is a serious contender to most German brands widely available on the market. The GS Series is the larger mid-sized sedan manufactured by the Japanese company. Its very Japanese design makes it among the favorite car to customize.
The GS 300 is so beautifully designed that tinted windows, some deep-dished BBS looking rims and some low-pro tires give it a nice look. Add to this is some negative cambers and the car looks like the perfect ride to cruise down the streets of Tokyo on a Friday night. Notice that the stock bumpers and exhaust tips are a telltale sign that the car is American owned.
8 Nissan GTR
Liberty Walk was made famous thanks to its widebodied Nissan GTRs. Giving them a more aggressive look, Liberty Walk seems to be highly inspired by the Nippon modding style. The sun rays on the door kind of give it away. This specific GTR looks like its coming straight out of the remake of Akira. It would be nice to see this GTR in anime driven by the neither good nor bad protagonist.
It is unclear whether this Liberty Walk received any upgrades under its hood. However, the body kit, the tastefully chosen black rims, and the polished exhaust tips give the car a very aggressive look. The outrageous amount of stickers is mandatory given the fact that the car was obviously customized with Japan in mind.
7 Mazda RX7
The Toyota Supra's main rival: the Mazda RX7 and its infamous rotary engine. Though this car goes through oil faster than a McDonald's deep fryer, it is nonetheless a classic in the world of imports. The RX7 with its 1.3L R2 prudent 255hp is another marvel coming out of Japan.
This RX7 with its BBS rims is lowered with a slight negative camber. Even car fans that have a disdain for stanced rides must admit that this RX7 is simply and stylishly modified. It is debatable whether the car is still capable of rivaling with other modified RX7s tuned for the track, but what is sure is that this RX7 will not fail to turn some heads.
6 Toyota Crown
The Toyota Crown, although never commercialized in the US, has been a huge hit in Japan for more than four decades. It is believed that the Crown is the equivalent of the Camry. Wrong. The Crown was originally commercialized as a luxury car for executives. As time went by, the car became more mainstream and now even include a sport version that is far from being disappointing. The hybrid 3.5L V6 Crown develops a cool 295hp.
Given its VIP nature, the VIP style stemmed from modifying it. Japanese car fans have been lowering and stancing their Crowns for years. VIP style Crowns are a staple in the Japanese scene. This particular Crown looks absolutely beautiful. Traveling to Japan might the only way for you car fans to have the chance to see a large number of modified Crowns.
5 Nissan 350Z
The Nissan 350Z is the younger, though not the youngest, sister of the Datsun coupes that came out during the previous decades. Also known as the Fairlady, the Nissan two-door is equipped with a 3.5L V6 that cranks out 287hp. In other words, the 350Z is an already fast vehicle without any engine upgrades.
One of the best features of the 350Z is its potential to be customized. Some rims and a suspension kit is enough to turn a normal 350Z into a mean machine. This particular 350Z inherited a widebody kit, a humongous spoiler, and some lips here and there. What is absolutely scary is the super deep dish rims. It gives the car such a racy style that it just made you, 350Z owner, thinking that stanced rides are not that bad after all.
4 Toyota AE86 Trueno
This Toyota is an absolute legend. Though only popular among a niche of car fans worldwide, the AE86 Trueno is the equivalent of the Shelby GT500 in the US. In Japan, there is an anime centered around this particular Toyota, drifting down some Japanese hills. Let that sink in for a minute. When Japanese people are passionate about something, they go all the way.
The modifications on this car are so subtle that they seem factory made. However, they are not. The owner of this classy Trueno has what can be called "gentlemen tastes". Not too much, not too little. Just the right amount. The car that is currently being restomodded in the same fashion is the 1980s BMW 6-Series.
3 Nissan Silvia S15
The Nissan Silvia S15. The queen of the drift track. The S15 is such a drift machine that owners either turn in into a racecar or modify it so it looks like a drift ready vehicle. Purists will say that it is an absolute waste to lower the car to the ground and add some negative cambers to it. Well. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?
Some automotive fans will vomit after seeing this Silvia. Others will recognize the amount of work that was put into it and understand that cultural differences are not limited to food and languages. It is certain that this yellow-eyed devil is a major head-turner in the far east. This Silvia would also turn heads in the US, perhaps not for the same reasons.
2 Acura NSX
The Acura NSX is for sure one of Japan's supercars. Due to their rarity and hefty price, its is quite rare to see them on the street. Its design has been mesmerizing car fans since the early 1990s. The new version is also beautifully designed, but it is nothing as sexy and sporty as the old school versions.
This NSX is stanced to an acceptable level based on western standards. The room between the tires and the actual car is almost non-existent thanks to a lowering kit. It gives the car a very sporty look that is obviously inspired by the Japanese style custom NSXs.
1 Toyota Supra
A stanced Supra is a big no no for the vast majority of gearheads out there. Why? Simply because the Supra has been marketed as the Japanese sports car that could destroy both American and European sports cars. Aftermarket twin-turbo, oversized spoiler, racing suspensions, and all the other goodies are the common parts found on a modded Supra.
To each their own. That is something car fans must live by if they do not want to have tears coming to their eyes whenever they see their dream cars being modified in a way that goes against their beliefs. That being said, this Supra is stylish in its own way and seems adapted to cruise around while listening to some dope tracks.