Think of sports cars and the first country that comes to mind in Italy, home of the Lamborghini and Ferrari supercars. Germany isn’t far behind thanks to the iconic Porsche brand, but very few people think of Japan as a hotbed of sports car design and manufacture.

Yet car manufacturers from Japan have now been building and selling sports cars for decades, since the launch in 1963 of what was thought to be the first Japanese sports car, the Honda S500, and Japanese companies have even created some vehicles that would give the Italians a run for their money.

Related: 15 Most Desirable Japanese Sports Cars From The ’70s And ’80s

10 1967 Toyota 2000GT

1967 Toyota 2000GT
Via carscoops.com

The Honda S500 may be thought of as the first Japanese sports car, but it was a few years before a Far East manufacturer managed to create a truly iconic vehicle – the Toyota 2000GT.

Only 350 Toyota 2000GT cars were built between 1967 and 1970 and it was the first time that a Japanese company showed that they could build sports cars just as well as the European firms that had already been manufacturing sports cars for decades. Examples of these rare cars have sold at auction for over $1 million.

9 2018 Lexus LC500

2018 Lexus LC500
Via thedrive.com

From the earliest days of the Japanese sports car industry to one of the most recent models; the 2018 Lexus LC500. The Lexus LC is a grand tourer sports car, and the LC500 is a more powerful version of the vehicle, with a V8 fuel injection engine.

There is even a hybrid version of the Lexus LC500 available, for drivers who want to be both environmentally friendly and super stylish. The exterior bodywork of the car is smooth and aerodynamic and features a carbon-fiber roof which helps to reduce its weight.

Related: 15 Best Japanese Sports Cars From The Last 20 Years

8 1998 Subaru Impreza 22B STi

1997 Subaru Impreza 22B
Via youtube.com

The Subaru Impreza is a compact car that has been in production since 1992, and which has been available as both a four-door sedan and five-door hatchback as well as the supremely sporty 22B STi models.

These two-door versions of the Impreza were created in 1998 as a limited-edition vehicle to mark the manufacturer’s third FIA World Rally Championship win in a row. Only 400 Subaru Impreza 22B STi models were ever made, and they were all sold within one hour, with Subaru only making a handful of export models.

7 1992 Autozam AZ-1 (Type A)

1992 Autozam AZ-1
Via thetruthaboutcars.com

Kei cars are a very peculiarly Japanese type of car, which was developed in the years after the Second World War to try and ensure that cars were affordable to all Japanese people. These tiny compact cars have a maximum engine capacity of 660cc and are often only large enough for two people.

There are kei trucks, kei SUVs, and even a kei sports car in the shape of the Autozam AZ-1. The Type 1 mode of this diminutive sports car even has gullwing doors that would look more at home on a Lambo.

6 Yamaha OX99-11

Yamaha OX99-11
Via carthrottle.com

One of the most intriguing Japanese sports care ever created has sadly never made it into production, despite the millions of dollars that were invested in the project. Yamaha, a name more closely associated with motorcycles, built three prototypes of the tandem Yamaha OX99-11 in 1992 powered by the same V12 engine that the company was providing to Formula One teams.

Sadly, those three vehicles are the only ones that were ever built. The project was shelved as Yamaha believed that they wouldn’t be able to find customers willing to pay the $1.3 million price tag.

5 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R

1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R
Via uk.motor1.com

The high-performance Nissan Skyline GT-R was first in production between 1969 and 1973, but it was the later incarnation, first sold in 1989, which captured the driving public’s imagination.

The fifth and final generation of the Skyline GT-R is generally thought to be the best example of this vehicle, which was never imported to the US. The Nissan Skyline GT-R was built with Japanese motorsports competitions in mind and later took part in iconic races at Daytona and Le Mans.

Related: 10 Japanese Sports Cars Everyone Should Drive (5 No One Should)

4 1993 Toyota Supra

1993 Toyota Supra
Via topspeed.com

Another 90s icon of the Japanese auto industry is the Toyota Supra sports car. The 1993 model saw a complete change in design direction, updating the original Supra which had been in production since 1978 and which looked as though it hadn’t changed much since.

The car may be remembered for its stylish looks, but it packed a punch under the hood too. The Supra became something of a cult classic, and Toyota recently decided to bring back the Supra name, launching a completely redesigned new model in 2019.

3 1967 Mazda Cosmo

1967 Madza Cosmo Sport
Via pinterest.com

In 1967, the same year that Toyota was launching its 2000GT sports car, another Japanese automotive company was also launching its assault on the sports car market, with the Mazda Cosmo. The Cosmo survived for almost thirty years until production finally came to a halt in 1996.

The Cosmo wasn’t just Mazda’s first sports car, but it was also the first Mazda model that used its proprietary rotary engine technology. Mazda continued using rotary engines until 2012 when the Mazda RX-8 sports car was discontinued.

2 2011 Lexus LFA

2011 Lexus LFA
Via pinterest.co.uk

Lexus is the luxury car division of Toyota, and while the company may be best known for its opulent executive cars, it has also created some exciting sports cars too. Only 500 of the stunning Lexus LFA roadsters were built in 2011 and 2012, and as well as looking good these cars have a top speed over 200mph.

This is possible thanks to the fact that b65% of the bodywork is made from a super-light carbon fiber material which means that it weighs just 3,559lbs compared to 4,400lbs for the Bugatti Chiron.

1 1991 Mazda Miata

1991 Mazda Miata
Via bestcarmag.com

The Mazda Miata is the most successful Japanese sports car ever built and remains an iconic vehicle more than thirty years after it was first launched in 1989. Known outside of the US as the Mazda MX-5, the Miata even earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records in 2011 as the best-selling two-seater sports car of all time.

As of 2016, more than one million Mazda MX-5 vehicles had been sold worldwide, with the company constantly updating the vehicle’s external design and internal engineering.

Next: 15 Japanese Sports Cars No One Wants To Be Associated With