Compared to most carmakers around the world, Japanese manufacturers are some of the best vehicles to get for your money. A real 'bang for your buck', if you will. They've also got a lot of variety in brands and models; ranging from economy cars to supercars from companies like Nissan to Toyota.
Today, we want to focus on the latter: Toyota. To be specific, some of their best creations to-date, analyzing our favorite Toyota sports cars from the beginning of the company up until now!
So, without further ado, we introduce the eight greatest Toyota's ever made, ranked.
8 Toyota AE86 Trueno
Deja vu. Feel like you've been in this place or seen this car before? Well, you probably have, if its popularity in the media, car culture, and everywhere else is any indication. We present to you the Initial D Toyota Corolla AE86 'Trueno.'
Aside from the cult following from the Initial D anime, the AE86 is a very competent and aesthetically pleasing car. The small frame is perfect for all sorts of motorsports categories (drifting, Autocross, etc.). Plus, the boxy shape and black-on-white paint scheme ensure the AE86 looks good, regardless of what it may be doing at that time.
7 Toyota Soarer
No, your eyes are not deceiving you. This is no Lexus LC300. Nope! It's something very different, but similar at the same time. This is the Toyota Soarer - the authentic JDM version of America's Lexus sports car, the LC300.
Although the Soarer was a strange-looking one-off for Toyota, it still sported one of their greatest engine: the 2JZ (same as in the Supra). As such, it became a great entry-level JDM car for enthusiasts who wanted the power and performance of a Mark IV, just for less money.
6 Toyota Celica GT Liftback
A short time ago, we here at HotCars delved into the muscle cars of Japan. With America being such a major producer of such a category, few look overseas for their share of antique muscle cars. However, with vehicles like the 1977 Celica GT Liftback, it's shocking that more haven't viewed Japan as another muscle car-making superpower.
Even without the mods pictured above, the stock Celica GT/GT Liftback is a very cool car. It embodies that 1970's style, while still maintaining a reasonable size characteristic of Japanese sports cars.
After seeing a few on the road and even more on the internet, we'd be lying if we said we weren't interested in getting one ourselves.
5 Toyota GR Yaris
We're not a huge fan of surprises, but a good one here and there can be nice, especially if it's a good shock. That was the case for us earlier this year when we heard of Toyota's latest (and among the greatest) creation: the 2021 Toyota GR Yaris.
Up until now, the Yaris was nothing more to us than a boring front-wheel drive daily. The new GR Yaris, on the other hand, is what the Ford Focus RS wishes it could've been. It's small, extremely maneuverable with an ideal handling setup, great looking, and - above all - fast. For less than $40,000, that's a steal!
Now, all we have to do is bide our time. That is if Toyota actually makes one for us in the US. God willing they do!
4 Toyota 2000GT
Before the late-1960's, Japan's position in the world of performance cars was limited to a handful of small sports cars (such as the Datsun 211). All that would be flipped on its head when Toyota came out with this bad boy: the 1967 Toyota 2000GT.
Often referred to as 'Japan's first supercar', the 2000GT marked a turning point in Asian sports car manufacturing. The 2000GT was a very fast car for the time; hitting a top speed of 128 MPH. Not much today, but mind-blowing in 1967.
3 Toyota Supra Mark III
Getting overshadowed by a newer, faster version of itself isn't the greatest experience for an older sports car model. Nevertheless, it's bound to happen as technology improves and standards increase. This is the exact situation the Mark III Toyota Supra finds itself in today.
With the following Supra model having gotten the most attention since its release, some car enthusiasts will overlook the Mark III in favor of the IV. A tempting proposition, but it can't be overstated how amazing the Mark III is on its own. The 1JZ-GTE may not have the power of a 2JZ, yet, its engine-note is arguably superior (along with the turbo sounds accompanying it). As far as looks go, we can't decide which is better, as both the III and IV are literal works of art.
Also, who doesn't love some good ol' fashion pop-up headlights and that '80s and early-'90s styling?
2 Toyota 222D
Don't worry if you've never seen or heard of this particular Toyota before. Many haven't, since it was never officially used in competition. Unfortunately, before this car could hit the dirt trails, the Group B series was prematurely cut short. Still, at least we got a couple of concepts and test-models out of the whole debacle.
This is the '222D' - a Group B rally car made from an original Toyota MR2 chassis. The mid-engine layout was popular in rally racing, which meant the 222D could've been a real heavy hitter (especially with help from T.R.D.). Alas, it wasn't destined to be.
1 Toyota Supra Mark IV
What kind of car enthusiasts would we be if, when discussing the greatest Toyota models ever built, we didn't bring up the Mark IV Supra? Not very good ones, that's for sure. So, it's time to do just that; discussing the details and reasons behind why we hold the A80 Supra in such high regard.
As we alluded to during our Mark III entry, the Mark IV is faster in almost every way. On top of the better 2JZ-GTE engine, both the interior and exterior have a one-of-a-kind design that still holds up to this day (over two-decades later). The inside makes you feel as if you're a fighter pilot in an F16, while the outside cuts through the air in the same manner.
No Toyota has ever captured our attention as much as the Mark IV Supra. In fact, we'd go so far as to say, out of all the JDM cars out there, the Mark IV/A80 Supra is our favorite and will likely remain that way for the foreseeable future!