Underrated JDM cars #blogpost

There are certain JDM cars which have become very well known on the internet, thanks to the Grand Turismo games, F&F films, or Initial D. These well-known JDM cars include the Nissan Skyline GTR (particularly the R34), the Toyota Supra, the Toyota AE86, and more besides. Today, we will concentrate on the lesser-known cars.

Toyota Celica GT4

Like the Subaru Impreza WRX STI and Mitsubishi Evo, the Toyota Celica GT4 was a successful rally car. So why does this car not get the recognition of the Evo and Subaru’s? Probably because Subaru and Mitsubishi kept on producing their rally-homologation cars, whereas Toyota stopped in the late 90’s, allowing for it to be forgotten.

Mitsubishi 3000GT (Mitsubishi GTO in Japan)

This was Mitsubishi’s answer to the Nissan Skyline GTR. Like its arch rival, it claimed to have 276bhp, had AWD, and had 4WS. Unlike the Skyline GTR, it also had a computer-controlled suspension (a new technology back then), as well as active aerodynamics. However, the Skyline felt better to drive, was faster, and became much more desirable. However, the 3000GT was almost as good, and can easily improved with some mods. And while a good stock Skyline GTR costs around £30k today, a pristine 3000GT can be bought for £10k.

Toyota Chaser (X90 and X100 generations)

In stock form, these look like a normal 4dr saloon car. But available with the 2JZ engine, it was no slouch, and due to being rear wheel drive, it handled very well too. It is a popular drift car in Japan, and is still very popular for illegal Touge racing.

Toyota MR2 SW20

The SW20 MR2 costs about the same to buy as a MX5/ Miata, is much faster, and mid-engined, yet everyone is obsessed with the little Mazda. Yes, it can be a bit tricky to drive, but its not too bad, and I just don’t get why these are so often overlooked.

Mazda RX7 FC3S

Despite being featured in Initial D, the FC RX7 seems to be ignored, in favour of the FD RX7. Which is a shame, as like the FD, it handles very well, and has a fantastic rotary engine. And thanks to low demand, a good FC can be bough for around £5k. Good luck finding a good FD for that price.

Honda Civic

Due to being associated with ricers, Honda’s, but in particular Civics, have become one of the most hated cars on the Internet. However, older civics handle very well, despite being FWD, because they’re very lightweight. Adding some mods (proper mods, not fartcans) can turn this thing into a track weapon. Some civics have been modified to put out 700whp. That would be unusable 99% of the time, but an EG6 Civic with 300hp, some suspension mods, better wheels and tyres, and a LSD would make a great track car, while still being usable and reliable.

Thanks for reading! Any cars I missed out? Feel free to leave any suggestions in the comments below.

This content was originally posted by a Car Throttle user on our Community platform and was not commissioned or created by the CT editorial team.