Doing it differently
Cars from Japan are often thought of as reliable, no-nonsense and sensible, yet this country has also produced some of the most innovative and ingenious sports cars.
Japanese car makers have never been shy of trying new ideas in their sports cars, resulting in four-wheel drive, turbocharging and other technical revolutions making it to the showroom.
Not every Japanese sports car has been a success, but this collection demonstrates they have pushed boundaries as much as rivals from any other country.
The cars are presented here in chronological order.
1. 1962 Datsun Fairlady 1500
Datsun had offered its Sports 1000 and 1200 models in very limited numbers prior to the unveiling of the Fairlady in 1961 at the Tokyo motor show, the model going on sale to the public in 1962.
The Fairlady was a much more convincing machine to take on the MG Midget and Triumph Spitfire with its 70bhp, 1.5-litre engine.
Power was increased to 79bhp for 1963 with the addition of twin SU carburettors, giving the model peppy performance that endeared it to the US market.
Nissan also gave the Fairlady plenty of standard equipment to attract potential buyers, including a radio, a tonneau cover and a map light.
2. 1963 Honda S500
The S500 was Honda’s first passenger car and made a bold statement about the firm’s technical prowess with its engine design.
Using the company’s motorcycle experience, the S500 used a double-overhead-camshaft, four-cylinder engine that was just 531cc.
It might have been small, but the engine gave 44bhp to endow the S500 with zippy performance, while handling was another standout feature due to the car’s all-round independent suspension.
The S500 sold in small numbers. It was replaced in 1964 by the S600 that went on to sell around 13,000 roadster and coupé models.
3. 1965 Toyota Sports 800
Similar in concept to its rivals from Datsun and Honda, the Toyota Sports 800 was a compact, two-seat car with a small engine and rear-wheel drive.
The Sports 800’s distinctive looks set it apart, as did its 790cc, horizontally opposed, two-cylinder, ‘boxer’ engine.
With 44bhp, the Toyota Sports 800 could touch 100mph flat out, aided by the aerodynamic shape of its aluminium body.
Built between 1965 and 1969, around 3100 examples of the Toyota Sports 800 were sold.
4. 1966 Honda S800
The Honda S800 is possibly the most recognisable small sports car from Japan during the 1960s, delivering a serious threat to European rivals.
As well as its neat styling and details that built on Honda’s earlier two-seat roadsters, the S800 came with a revvy, 791cc, four-cylinder motor with 70bhp.
That was enough to take the S800 to 100mph and it was claimed to be the fastest 1-litre car in the world at its launch in 1966.
Agile handling and an engine that revved to 10,000rpm helped the S800 stand out against its competitors, though total sales of 11,536 trailed behind its more established European rivals.
5. 1967 Mazda Cosmo 110S
When Mazda decided to make the most of its work on the rotary engine design, it came up with the Cosmo 110S.
Under the bonnet was the first-ever, twin-rotor Wankel engine in a production car, just pipping the NSU Ro80 to that accolade.
This landmark, 1964cc unit provided 108bhp and it could propel the Cosmo 110S from rest to 60mph in 9.7 secs.
The car’s sleek design was undeniably Japanese and it helped the Mazda achieve its 120mph top speed.
Only 1519 examples of the Cosmo 110S were built during its six-year production run, but it laid down a marker for Mazda as a maker of serious sports cars.
6. 1967 Toyota 2000GT
If Toyota had never built another sports car, it would still be worthy of note because the 2000GT is universally acknowledged as a stunning-looking car.
The sleek coupé looks meant the 2000GT looked fast even at a standstill, and there was the added glamour of an appearance in the Bond film You Only Live Twice, albeit in a specially converted roadster form because Sean Connery was too tall to fit in the coupé.
The 2-litre, straight-six engine used twin cams and gave the 2000GT a 135mph top speed.
However, despite its looks and performance, only 337 Toyota 2000GTs were produced between 1967 and 1970.
7. 1969 Datsun 240Z
With the Datsun 240Z, Japan stopped knocking on the door of sports-car greatness and smashed it open.
Faultless styling by Albrecht Goertz gave the 240Z universal appeal, while the lusty, 2.4-litre, straight-six engine picked up where the Austin-Healey 3000 had left off.
Quick, fun and affordable, the 240Z could give more basic Porsche 911 models a fright, even if the Datsun’s handling was a little too tail happy.
The 260Z that followed in 1974 cemented the Z’s reputation and made this series the best-selling sports car in the world by the mid-1970s.
8. 1970 Toyota Celica
Just as Ford used the Cortina to create the Capri, Toyota turned the humdrum Carina’s base parts into the desirable Celica.
With styling that hinted at the Ford Mustang, the Celica was a huge hit in the important American market with just enough performance from its 1.6- and 2-litre engines.
Decent handling and strong reliability also added to the appeal of the Celica, which gained a Liftback hatch version in 1976.
The Celica became a mainstay of Toyota production all the way until 2006 across seven generations, which included four-wheel-drive models that earned the company World Rally Championship titles.
9. 1978 Mazda RX-7
If the Cosmo 110S was a technical tour de force from Mazda, the RX-7 was a determined move to take the rotary engine into the mainstream.
It worked, too, because Mazda sold more than half a million of the first-generation RX-7, with two subsequent generations adding to that tally.
The basic RX-7 concept was very similar to the Datsun 260Z, Ford Capri and Porsche 924 with its front engine, rear-wheel-drive layout.
Good looks, excellent handling and plenty of equipment also helped buyers overlook the RX-7’s poor fuel economy.
The model was used in motorsport, too, including at Le Mans and in Group B rallying. Highlights from its competition career include British Touring Car Championship titles in 1980 and ’81, plus victory at Spa’s 24-hour race in 1981.
10. 1980 Isuzu Piazza
The Isuzu Piazza promised a great deal but delivered little when it was launched in 1980.
Styling by Giugiaro was the highlight, but the basic suspension set-up was not able to cope with the 2-litre engine, never mind the turbocharged version that turned the wick up further.
Lotus was brought in to sort the chassis in 1988 and turned the Piazza into a decent car, though this was too late to save sales.
During its 11 years on the market, 114,000 Piazzas were built, rendering it a missed opportunity for Isuzu.
This model was known as the Isuzu Impulse in North America markets and as the Holden Piazza in Australia.
11. 1982 Mitsubishi Starion
Mitsubishi’s first proper sports car rocketed out of the blocks in 1982 thanks to its turbocharged, 2-litre engine, meaning it could achieve 0-60mph in around 7 secs, which made it noticeably quicker than a Ford Capri 2.8i.
Pleasingly, the Mitsubishi Starion could handle its power, which increased in 1985, thanks to the model’s well set up suspension and brakes.
A 2.6-litre version of the four-cylinder turbocharged motor was introduced in 1989 – a catalytic converter hurt its output, but it was still capable of taking this car from 0-60mph in 7 secs.
12. 1984 Honda Civic CRX
The first Honda CRX appeared in 1984, powered by a 1.5-litre engine, and it was warmly welcomed as an interesting alternative to the hot-hatch crowd.
However, the Japanese car manufacturer took things to a whole new level when the 1.6-litre version came along in 1986, with power eventually rising to 150bhp.
Thanks to Honda’s VTEC variable valve timing, the engine could be fuel efficient as well as feisty, and it was a joy to rev it all the way to its 7600rpm redline.
A firm ride did not upset the excellent handling of the Honda CRX, which went on to sell almost 700,000 cars between 1984 and 1991.
13. 1984 Nissan 300ZX
The 300ZX was the spiritual successor to Nissan’s long-running Z car line and was based on an entirely new platform.
Part of this new formula was a V6 engine in place of the Z’s straight-six motors, with the 3-litre Turbo model taking the car from 0-60mph in 6.7 secs, plus it could do 149mph flat out.
Even these figures couldn’t quite convince buyers to overlook the bland but aerodynamic styling, which Nissan addressed with the dramatic Z32 version in 1989.
With this new 300ZX, the Nissan could easily be considered in the same breath as Jaguar or Porsche thanks to its 276bhp output in Turbo guise.
14. 1984 Nissan Silvia
The boxy appearance of the S12 Nissan Silvia was not, arguably, this model’s greatest feature, but luckily it had something more enticing under its bonnet.
The 1.8-litre, turbocharged engine was the highlight of the Silvia, because it came with 133bhp to drive the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox.
Where its 300ZX big sibling might have been a bit disappointing, the Silvia was huge fun to drive either because, or in spite of, its tail-wag handling.
Keen drivers loved the Nissan Silvia and this enthusiasm helped the car manufacturer find 525,000 willing buyers for its mid-market coupé.
15. 1984 Toyota MR2
Just when it seemed the affordable sports car had died for good, along came Toyota with a new take on the theme in the shape of the MR2.
It shunned the front-engined layout of most cars of this class and, instead, used a mid-mounted, 1.6-litre engine.
Thanks to light weight and excellent traction, the MR2 was good for 0-60mph in 7.7 secs and a 120mph top speed.
The Toyota MR2 also handled with panache while also being practical and reliable, plus it was well equipped.
The Japanese market was offered a brilliant supercharged version, while the rest of the world gained that car’s targa roof panels and improved suspension.
Two subsequent generations of the Toyota MR2 refined the formula and saw the MR2 last until 2007.
16. 1986 Toyota Supra
There had already been two generations of Toyota Supra by the time this model arrived in 1986, known as the A70.
It was here the Supra came of age as a credible sports car in its own right, rather than a derivative of the Celica range.
With its subtly muscular looks and power from a 200bhp, 3-litre, six-cylinder engine, the Supra was quick, capable and attractive.
Then Toyota added the Turbo model and the Supra was elevated to Porsche-rivalling status thanks to this model’s 231bhp to give 0-60mph in 6.1 secs along with a 142mph top speed.
Little wonder Toyota shifted 407,950 of this generation of Supra.
17. 1989 Mazda MX-5
While there was nothing especially radical about the design of the Mazda MX-5, or Eunos or Miata, depending on where it was sold, it is one of the most important cars of its time.
The simple, 1.6-litre-engined, rear-wheel-drive roadster lit up demand for low-cost, open-top sports cars and spurred dozens of other manufacturers into creating their own takes on the theme.
Despite the blizzard of rivals that followed, the Mazda MX-5 remained the benchmark thanks to the purity of its design and execution.
Always huge fun to drive and affordable to buy, this was and still is the sports car you can use every day without it ever losing its lustre.
Now in its fourth generation (ND), the MX-5 passed the one million production milestone in 2016 and is still going strong today.
18. 1989 Nissan 200SX
Known as the Silvia in some markets, Nissan’s 200SX was the culmination of a line of cars that had been around since the mid-1970s.
This model, known as the S13, perfectly encapsulated what sports-car drivers wanted to be behind the wheel of with its punchy, 2-litre, turbocharged engine combined with balanced, rear-drive handling.
It looked fantastic, too, thanks to its fastback coupé styling allied to Nissan’s fine build quality.
The updated S14 model of 1993 developed the idea further, but it now had to contend with competition from the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz that saw sales dip.
19. 1989 Nissan Skyline R32
Nissan’s Skyline badge dates back as far as 1957, but it was 1989 when it barged its way to prominence in the sports-car-buying public’s imagination.
At a stroke, it went from being an oddball from Japan to a serious sports-car threat to the Porsche 911.
A turbocharged, 2.6-litre straight-six gave the Skyline R32 a claimed 276bhp, though it was most likely more in reality, to see the R32 hit 60mph from rest in 5.6 secs and top out at 156mph.
A string of racing successes embellished the R32’s reputation and it became a must-have car, even if many countries could only bring them in as personal imports.
That changed with later generations of Nissan Skyline, or GT-R as was also called, and it became a supercar in all but price.
20. 1990 Honda NSX
The Honda NSX should have been a runaway success, yet its very brilliance possibly explains why it didn’t sell in greater numbers.
Launched in 1990, the NSX was a showcase for the very best of what Honda could do, and it was a supercar to put Ferrari and Porsche in the shade.
Owners of those brands, however, proved reluctant to buy a Honda-badged supercar, even if it cost less than their European choices.
That was a missed opportunity on their part because the NSX came with an exquisite aluminium chassis and body, a bespoke, 2.7-litre V6 (later a 3.2-litre unit) and brilliant dynamics.
A second-generation, hybrid-powered NSX arrived in 2016 and proved an even tougher sell than the original.
21. 1990 Mitsubishi 3000GT
Mitsubishi became noted in the 1990s for its four-wheel-drive machinery with the Evo line, but before that came the 3000GT – also known as the Dodge Stealth for the American market.
This amalgamation of all of Mitsubishi’s technological know-how had all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, electronically controlled suspension and ABS anti-lock brakes.
If that didn’t impress you, then the quad-cam, twin-turbo, 3-litre V6’s 282bhp would, because it could take the 3000GT from 0-60mph in 5.8 secs and on to 153mph.
Even if the Mitsubishi 3000GT wasn’t quite as polished to drive as its gadgetry suggested, it was an undeniably impressive package.
22. 1991 Subaru SVX
Similar in concept to Subaru’s Leone III and XT, the SVX was very different in execution.
Where the Japanese firm’s earlier coupés used a ‘boxer’ flat-four, the SVX came with a 3.3-litre flat-six.
Driving all four wheels, it could reach 60mph from a standstill in 8.7 secs and go on to 144mph, helped by its slippery shape.
The styling featured flush-fitting glass and side windows built into the larger overall side glass to give the SVX an unusual look.
More of a cruiser than an outright sports car, the SVX didn’t grab attention in the way the soon-to-arrive Impreza Turbo would. Subaru only made 24,379 SVXs.
23. 1991 Suzuki Cappuccino
Suzuki was unafraid of exploring new ideas in the early 1990s and the Cappuccino was a perfect example of this bold attitude.
Built to fit with Japan’s strict kei car rules, the Cappuccino was tiny even next to a Mazda MX-5, yet it offered a cabin roomy enough for two people plus some luggage space in the boot – so long as you didn’t stow the roof panels in there.
The clever rear roof folded out of sight behind the bulkhead or you could drive the Cappuccino in targa-roof form.
Power came from a turbocharged, 657cc, three-cylinder engine with 63bhp, which was just enough to have fun in this lightweight Suzuki.
24. 1996 Tommykaira ZZ
A lightweight, mid-engined sports car built in Norfolk sums up the Lotus Elise, yet it also perfectly describes the Tommykaira ZZ.
Conceived and designed in Japan by Tommykaira, the ZZ was put together in Norfolk in the UK, but with all cars to be shipped to its country of design origin.
Its extruded-aluminium chassis with a glassfibre body was much like an Elise, but power came from a 178bhp Nissan Primera 2.0e GT engine.
Weighing just 650kg/1433lb, that much power meant the ZZ was good for 0-60mph in 5 secs and 150mph top speed.
Even with those numbers, however, the Tommykaira ZZ sold in tiny numbers and even a brief revival in 2014 didn’t add much to the final tally of around 200 cars.
25. 1999 Honda S2000
Honda was never going to produce just another contender for the burgeoning 1990s roadster class when it launched its S2000.
Here was a sports car with the highest power per litre performance for a naturally aspirated engine in the world.
That was achieved with VTEC variable valve timing and a 9000rpm redline, which made this a sensational engine to experience.
The slick six-speed manual gearbox was an ideal match, along with the Honda S2000’s sharp handling and quick steering.
Billed as a 50th-anniversary present to itself, the S2000 went on to sell an impressive 112,642 units in a production run that lasted to 2009.
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