American V8s and European V12s set the stage for high horsepower divas several decades ago, but Japan has fought back with a vengeance using its smaller and wildly powerful engines. Nissan, Toyota, and Honda have all squeezed tons of horsepower from very little displacement, and the RB26DETT is a prime example where Nissan was able to coax over 300 horsepower from 2.6 liters.

Japanese engines are among the most efficient in automotive history, and it's only in the last couple of decades that American V8s have started to catch up, but it doesn't look like Japan is letting up any time soon. And while some of these horsepower numbers seem underwhelming, all of the Japanese engines below are built to handle significantly more power than they advertise.

8 VR38DETT (GTR)- 600 HP

nissan-gtr-engine-bay
Via: Wikipedia

Possibly one of the most notorious engines to hail from Japan is the GT-R's very own VR38DETT. It's 3.8-liters overflowing with 600 horsepower from six cylinders pitched at 60-degrees. It has two turbochargers helping to create that power. It's undergone massive improvements, where the VR38DETT only made 480 horsepower when it debuted in 2007.

Pandem R35
Via Reddit

An increase in boost pressure from 11 to 13.5 psi helped the engine to that 600 horsepower mark. The VR is especially popular among the tuning community, where because of its construction it's possible to eke out even more horsepower with a simple ECU tune.

7 JNC1 (Acura NSX)- 573 HP

jnc1
Via: Twitter

The first generation Honda NSX made 270 horsepower from its first engine, a 3.0-liter naturally aspirated V6. It got a slight bump to 290 when the 3.2-liter V6 arrived in 1997. For 2020, the revival of the NSX saw it equipped with the JNC1, a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6, making 573 horsepower.

Auction Dilemma: Acura NSX Vs BMW i8
bringatrailer.com

Where the first car could be considered slightly underpowered for its looks, the new NSX closes the gap to rival supercars with vigor and confidence, thanks to its new power plant, and not to mention its amazing design.

RELATED: 10 Japanese Cars That Obliterated The American Competition In The US

6 1LR-GUE (Lexus LFA) - 563 HP

1lrgue
Via: ClubLexus

When Lexus unleashed its LFA in 2010, criticism abounded regarding its hefty price tag and was only produced for two years. After all, there are plenty of cars you can get for $400,000. Power certainly wasn't the LFA's problem, with a 4.8-liter V10 that produced 563 horsepower.

Lexus LFA

The 1LR-GUE had high 12:1 compression, and even though the car was relatively heavyset at 3,500 pounds, it shed tires to get 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. The LFA still hasn't sold completely, with one model left to purchase.

5 VRH35L (Nissan R390 GT1) - 550 HP

The R390 GT1 In Action At The 24 Hours of Le Mans
via WallpaperUP

Nissan developed the VHR35L to go into its R390 GT1, a race car that competed in Le Mans for 1997 and 1998. The VHR35L was a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that produced 550 horsepower for the R390 GT1's only road-going car but was never sold.

Via YouTube

It gets to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, the quarter-mile of 11.9 seconds, and has a claimed top speed of 220 mph. The VRH35L uses an aluminum, closed deck block, and a forged steel crankshaft, with dual-overhead camshafts. Earlier iterations of this engine produced upwards of 800 horsepower in race trim.

RELATED: 10 Coolest Mid-Engined Japanese Cars Ever Made

4 2UR-GSE (Various Lexus) - 471 HP

Toyota 2ur-gse engine
Toyota

As a perfectly reasonable and powerful option that can be bought for little money, the 2UR-GSE exists in various Lexus models, notably the IS-F. It is a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 that produces 471 horsepower.

2008-lexus-isf
Via: Bring A Trailer

Engineers took great care to make sure this engine operated smoothly and quietly, minimizing vibrations as best as they could. This engine was used in the RC-F, GS-F, and LC 500 coupe, where F denotes performance models. An IS-F from 2008 can be found for less than $20,000.

3 4B11T I4-T (Mitsubishi Evolution X) - 440 HP

4B11T I4-T
Via: Pinterest

The first nine generations of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution all used the same engine, the 4G63T, a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four, which made about 300 horsepower in the Evo IX. Mitsubishi enjoyed great success at the whims of this iron block powerhouse, but when the Evo X came around Mitsubishi opted for a different engine, the 4B11T I4 T.

Stanced Mitsubishi Evo X gold wheels
via Pinterest

It's a mouthful, but essentially it's still a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four, but the UK got a special model of the Evo X, dubbed FQ-440 MR, which made 440 horsepower, thanks to a tune, high flow fuel injectors, new intercooler piping, and exhaust system.

RELATED: These 10 Japanese Sports Cars Should've Sold Way Better Than They Did

2 OX99 (Yamaha OX99-11) - 400 HP

yamaha-ox99-11-engine
Via: Wikipedia

Yamaha was steeped in ambition when it decided to enter Formula 1 in the late 1980s as an engine manufacturer. When they developed the OX99, a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V12 that revved to 10,000 RPM and produced 600 horsepower for Formula 1 racing, Yamaha decided it wanted to make an F1 car for the road.

ox99-11
Via: Youtube

Yamaha detuned the OX99 to 400 horsepower, mated it to a six-speed manual transmission, and put it into a 2200 pound sports car, named the OX99-11. Only three were made, and eventually, the project was canceled.

1 1993-1998 2jz-gte (Toyota Mark IV Supra) - 325 HP

2jzgte
Via: JSpecAuto

Certainly one of the most iconic Japanese engines ever built is the 2JZ-GTE, a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six that, by the end of its tenure, was able to produce 325 horsepower. It can be found in Toyota Mark IV Supras from 1993-1998.

White Toyota Supra
Via YouTube

This engine is widely credited with being able to hit ridiculous horsepower numbers without changing any of its internals. The 2JZ was originally built to handle upwards of 600 horsepower, but Toyota opted to lessen the output, rendering it decidedly overbuilt. Owners have reported 900 horsepower on stock internals.

NEXT: 10 Of The Best Japanese Sports Cars Ever Made