The Fastest Japanese Cars in the World
Let’s be real — there’s a large segment of car fans who are wrong about Japanese cars. For a lot of people, only one or two things come to mind: reliability and value. This misses a huge part of Japanese car culture, the vehicles that are always, as Tesla would put it, in ‘ludicrous mode’. It’s always been that way too, with Asian wonders ranked under European supercars and American muscle hulks in the public mind. But this shouldn’t be the case, and let me show you why these cars should stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their western rivals.
Nissan GT-R Nismo
While it might be a few years old now, the Nissan GT-R for sale still stands as an incredible achievement for Nissan. Improving on the already intricate GT-R, the Nismo ramps everything up to 11, then goes on to around 20. It ramps up from 0-60 in 2.7 seconds, and is capable of hitting 196mph. It’s a joy to drive too, reflecting the many man-hours of work that went into making it. It’s as driftable or as precise as you want it to be, with an uncanny ability to produce far more power than you’d think possible from a 3.8 litre V6. It’s the best example of what can be done when engineers come together.
Lexus LFA
For many years Lexus’ were unfairly viewed as boring. The sort of car a middle-manager buys to celebrate climbing another rung in the fast-paced world of cardboard boxes, that sort of thing. It’s an image that, luckily, Lexus are starting to shake, and this car is a great example of why that should be. Produced from 2010-2012, the Lexus LFA for sale throws a 4.8 litre V8 under the hood, this car was designed with one thing in mind — speed. It was built from the ground up to tear around the Nurburgring, the notoriously tricky German race circuit, as fast as possible. It did just that, setting a 2011 laptime of 7:14.640. That’s 11 seconds faster than a Ferrari Enzo, and 12 seconds faster than a Corvette. Acceleration to 60mph is handled in 3.7 seconds, and its top speed of 202mph pushes it squarely into supercar territory.
Acura NSX
The original Acura NSX for sale paired Italian design with Japanese engineering and advice from the great Ayrton Senna, producing a truly special sports car. That’s a lot for the new model to follow, but it somehow manages it. The 2017 model boasts sleek, futuristic design and a 3.5 litre V6, producing 573hp, paired with three electric motors, making it the hybrid car you’ve always wanted. The car is extremely responsive too — even at low revs, you’ll have fun driving it, and there’s a real feeling of connection between car and driver. Truly a car of the future.
Honorable Mention:
Mazda RX-8
While it may not be as fast as the cars above, the Mazda RX-8 was a fascinating car. Produced from 2003-2012, the RX-8 was the last production car to use Mazda’s rotary engine design, which managed to make a 1.3L engine take the car up to 150mph. It is also fun, first and foremost, while also remaining relatively cheap. The rotary engine has its quirks, requiring very regular servicing, but it remains a great example of unusual technology being put to good use.
