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Though a late-bloomer in the auto industry, Japan has since become a world leader in the production of automobiles. Japan's global automotive expansion started in the 1970s. In the 90s, the decade many automobile enthusiasts consider JDMs' "golden era," the Asian country was churning out some of the world's finest cars. Japanese cars saw a surge in popularity for their impressive performance, sweet handling, unbelievable prices, and incredible dependability. Several stand-out models garnered cult-like followings. Even today, Japanese cars continue to be among the most coveted on the market.
Of particular note, Japanese cars were also top-rated among gearheads because of their highly-tunable engines. People could easily extract enormous power to unlock new performance levels without spending much. Nowadays, that's no longer necessary. Most Japanese cars come with decent power out of the box, performing exceptionally and handling like a dream. While Japan does not have a never-ending horsepower war like America, its automobile engineering for immense power has improved significantly. The Japanese remain unrivaled in producing tremendous horsepower numbers with non-guzzling engines. We rank the ten most powerful Japanese cars ever made.
10 Toyota Century (3rd Gen) – 425 HP
There is no more luxurious Toyota than the Century. It outclasses even high-end cars built by its Toyota's premium offshoot, Lexus. With a potent engine, elegant design, and high level of refinement, the Toyota Century often gets compared to the British Rolls-Royce. Since it is almost entirely "hand-built," the company limits the production of this JDM-only luxury limo to 50 units/year.
Debuting in 1967, the Century featured the first mass-produced Japanese V8 engine. In its 2nd-generation, it became the first and only front-engine RWD Japanese vehicle with a V12. Today, energizing this top-of-the-range Limousine is an all-new 2UR-FSE 5.0-liter V8. Backed by a hybrid powertrain, its combined 425 hp output earns it a spot on this list.
9 2023 Toyota Sequoia – 437 HP
In every way, the all-new third-generation 2023 Toyota Sequoia is an improved SUV over its predecessor. It has been very well received. And for that, we can thank the brand-new, enticingly attractive design and the interior's plusher space with modern technology and connectivity options. But even more important is its punchy yet efficient Toyota Tundra iForce max hybrid powertrain.
Consisting of a front-mounted 389-hp 3.4-liter V6 engine combined with an electric motor, the 2023 Sequoia has an impressive 437 hp and 583 lb-ft of torque at its disposal. It is not only the most powerful Japanese SUV today; in its class, only the Ford Expedition with a 440-hp engine upgrade makes more juice. Furthermore, the new Sequoia's 583 lb-ft of torque remains unmatched by anything else in its class.
8 2015 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X FQ 440MR - 440 HP
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To commemorate its 40th anniversary in style in 2015, Mitsubishi unveiled the FQ-440 MR, the ultimate Lancer Evolution. The automaker produced 40 units only, and they were entirely offered in frost white, and a standard AWD system.
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Concealed under the hood was a tuned 2.0-liter four-cylinder 4B11 turbocharged engine that gave it an incredible 440 hp. To harness all the power, it got a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission which helps it zip to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, topping out at 155 mph.
7 2022 Lexus LC 500/Lexus RC F – 470 HP
Luxury, performance, and sport all come together in the LC 500. The Lexus convertible grand tourer features a jaw-droppingly gorgeous design and a cozy, lavishly-equipped interior designed with drivers in mind. On the other hand, the RWD Lexus RC F is a high-performance sports car designed for ultimate track performance.
These two are the most powerful Lexus models on sale today. They use the same 5.0-liter V-8 engine, codenamed the 2UR-GSE. It pumps out 471 horsepower and 398 lb.-ft of torque in the LC 500, and 472 horsepower and 395 lb.-ft of torque in the RC F.
6 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R Nismo Z-Tune– 493 HP
Nismo, the official tuning arm of Nissan, developed the GT-R Z Tune as a goodbye to the legendary R34 Skyline. It produced 19 units only, including two prototypes, for $153,500. Nismo painted all units in silver with the exception of one car left in its original Midnight Purple III finish. Today, the Skyline GT-R Z Tunes are among the world's most valuable R34s.
Because the R34's manufacturing run had ended when the Z-Tune entered production in 2003, Nismo handpicked used Skyline R34 GT-R V-Spec models to serve as the basis for the Z-tunes cars. Nismo rebuilt the RB26DETT engine with new and improved components, including better turbochargers, and increased its displacement from 2.6 to 2.8 liters. The Nissan Skyline GT-R Z Tune could finally make 493 hp and 398 lb.-ft of torque and rev up to 8,000 rpm.
5 1998 Nissan R390 Road Car – 550 HP
Nissan needed a homologated road-going version for its R390 GT1 racer to be eligible for the 1997 and 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans races. So, the automaker built a single R390 GT1 road car in RWD and right-hand-drive configuration. The Japanese automaker keeps the car stored at its Heritage Collection facility in Zama, Japan.
Touted a true race car for the road, Nissan claimed a 0-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 220 mph. It featured a mid-ship mounted engine developed in partnership with Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR). During its unveiling, Nissan also stated that the 3.5-liter VRH35L V8 engine (with two turbochargers) produced an astounding 550 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque.
4 2011 Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition – 563 HP
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This Lexus LFA made its debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor. The letter A in its designation, which stands for "Apex," denotes the pinnacle of the Lexus LF range. Lexus produced only 500 copies between 2010 and 2012. The luxury carmaker limited the competition-oriented Nürburgring Edition making 10 more horses than the standard LFA to 64 cars.
Motivating the Lexus LFA is an exclusive 1LR-GUE engine co-developed with Yamaha. The 4.8-liter even-firing V10 engine that revs up to 9,000 rpm produces a healthy 563 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. While at it, the 202 mph capable supercar makes one of the most sensational exhaust sounds.
3 2022 Acura NSX Type S – 600 HP
The 2022 Acura NSX Type S is a farewell to the second-generation car introduced in 2016. It features a slew of improvements in aerodynamics and performance inspired by the NSX GT3 race car. This exceedingly gorgeous and insanely fast supercar uses a hybrid powertrain, making it the most potent production Acura of all time.
There's a 3.5-liter V6 twin-turbo making 520 hp and 442 lb.-ft combined with a three-motor hybrid system bringing the total output to 600 hp and 492 lb.-ft of torque. The insane power is on par with Japan's other most potent car, the Nissan R35 GT-R Nismo. Acura only made 350 units of NSX Type S, all already sold.
2 Nissan GT-R Nismo – 600 HP
Nissan introduced the first-ever GT-R R35 to the US market in 2009. It had a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine with an impressive 480 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque. Power from this hand-crafted engine has since swelled to today's 565 hp.
The GT-R Nismo trim raises the bar even further with track-ready performance. Larger turbos taken directly from the GT3 racing car give it 600 horsepower and 481 lb.-ft of torque. It can blast from 0-60 in 2.7 seconds and top out at over 200 mph.
1 1998-1999 Toyota GT-One Road Car – 600 HP
The 1998-1999 Toyota GT-One is the most extreme road-legal Toyota ever built. Codenamed TS020, Toyota made only two copies of this GT1-class homologation special for the streets.
Powering the Toyota GT-One road cars was an updated version of Toyota's early 1990s Group C racecars engine. The twin-turbo 3.6-liter V8 engine has a power output of 600 hp and 531 lb-ft of torque, still keeping this supercar top on the most powerful Japanese car lists.