9 Modified Japanese Heroes In The Car Throttle Garage

1. Supercharged Mazda MX-5

It’d probably be quicker to list what hasn’t been modified on Steve Durman’s formerly owned MX-5, but the important ones you need to know are as follows: Jackson Racing MP62 Supercharger, TDR intercooler, and Tein Basic Coilovers. Oh, and it looks pretty sweet on those Rotas.

2. Nissan 300ZX

There are no details on the Garage page for Jeffrey Beeler’s 300ZX (if you’re reading this Jeffrey, please let us know!) but we’re happy just to sit and gawp at it for a bit.

3. 'IceHound Z' Datsun 240Z

This list wouldn’t be complete with what is the CT Garage’s official ‘hottest’ car. With almost 2000 votes (at time of writing), it has double the score of the next hottest Garage car, and we can see why. With the flared arches and new wheels it looks the part, while the L28 straight-six under the bonnet is good for a useful 200WHP.

Owner ‘IceHound’ says that he “shed a tear as the new owner drove it away.” Right in the feels.

4. Toyota GT86

Julian Chandra’s GT86 may not have any serious engine mods just yet (we’re sure those will come in time!), but it looks sensational with Work Cr Ultimate GTS 18-inch rims filling the arches. It’s also running a new front splitter, rear diffuser and side skirts, plus a set of BC Racing coilovers.

5. Nissan Silvia S12

CT user ‘RWDFTW’ says he constantly has to tell people that this isn’t an AE86. However, that’s a price worth paying for S12 ownership, particularly if the example is as nice as this one. Other than a modest suspension drop, different rims and a US number plate (RWDFTW is actually based in France), it’s fairly standard. But if you ask us, it looks damn-near perfect as it is now.

6. ST205 Toyota Celica GT-Four

The Celica GT-Four is one of many cars we reckon Toyota needs to build a successor for. But, instead of getting sad about the lack of such a thing, let’s just feast our eyes on Anoruc’s amazing ST205 example. Standard ST205s are getting hard to come by, but we appreciate a modified example if it’s executed as tastefully as this. The obvious outward changes are the Work CR Ultimate 17-inch wheels, but underneath it’s running Fortune Auto 500 series shocks and is rocking a Gizzmo boost controller.

A Toyota Cressida isn’t the sort of thing we’d usually get excited about, but this is no ordinary Cressida. For one, this example - parked in the CT Garage by Fredrik Sørlie, who we saw drifting the Nurburgring like a boss last year - runs a 2JZ-GE straight-six, plus a first-gen Celica Supra rear axle with a welded diff. The suspension has been extensively modified (head over to the car’s Garage post for a detailed run-down), and the whole shebang is finished off nicely with a set of 14-inch ET0 SSR XR4 Longchamp wheels.

7. V8-swapped Honda S2000

Like the S2000 but not into the whole ‘VTEC kicking in, yo’ thing? Follow the lead of Carl Bourbon, who squeezed a 6.0-litre LS2 V8 under the bonnet of his S2K to create what he calls an ‘S6000’.

8. Subaru Impreza WRX STI

The fairly hefty suspension drop this facelifted second-generation WRX STI has received won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but we love it, and we’re not alone: the car has received 721 ‘hot’ votes so far. It has a long spec list (which you can see here), which includes a Garrett GT30R turbocharger, Supertech pistons and DeatschWerks injectors.

9. Nissan Skyline R33 GT-S

Sure, it may not be a full-blown GT-R, but with 369whp on tap, Jeremy’s modified GT-S is pokier than the standard R33 GT-R anyway. That firepower is thanks to - among other things - a Garrett Stage III turbocharger running at 16psi, a GReddy intercooler and an ISIS (no, not that ISIS) intake.