90S JDM HEROS

We are seeing an influx of Japanese imports in the Hong Kong car market with the weakened Yen and strengthening dollar.

Car enthusiasts have been jumping at this opportunity to bring in classic sports cars from Japan as vehicles of 20 years or older can now qualify for registration as classic cars.

The 90s were a golden era for Japanese manufacturers with Turbos and VTEC dominating the performance scene. We have shortlisted 5 of the best sportscars from each of the top Japanese Makes that can qualify for import today!

1. Honda NSX (1990 – 2005)

The Godfather of JDM. If you have ever been a fan of Best Motoring, you will know what the NSX is about. Probably the best sportscar that Japan ever made (yes, even taking into account the R35 GT-R), the NSX shocked the world at launch and is still highly regarded today.

The NSX drives like a dream with its Aryton Senna inspired chassis and Formula-1 derived VTEC engine. This car was incredibly well built and pampered examples show little signs of age with its simplistic and purposeful interior. The sleek and well-sculpted lines of the body have aged well as the NSX remains just as much of a head turner today as it was back in 1990. The car is easy to service and replacement parts can still be ordered new from Japan.

Automatic cars can be had for ~$300k but the Manual cars are the ones to have. Prices start at ~$400k with mint examples going for well over $600k. The limited NSX-R, if you are lucky enough to find one, will go for no less than a million dollars!! We expect prices to continue to trend up as it is still the undisputed king of Japanese sports cars

2. Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 (1989 – 1994)

The original Godzilla. Better versions of the GT-R have come and gone since the R32 but this was the cult hero that really put the GT-R at the top of the tuner scene. It is a common fact that the highly tuneable RB26 engine can reach insane power levels of 400-500hp easily, which was an incredible feat in its time.

The R32 looks the most hooligan of the bunch and will surely attract unwanted attention at local roadblocks. Most, if not all R32s will have some level of modifications as it was a crime back in the day to not have a loud 5-inch exhaust with a hissing blow-off valve. We would stay away from the highly modified examples and parts for the R32 can be surprisingly expensive.

Prices of the R32 can vary significantly depending on condition. Prices start at ~$80k but can run up to over $200k for mint examples. Due to the large volume of R32s made, we expect prices to remain stable with the exception of limited runs such as the Nismo or N1 models.

3. Toyota Supra (1992 – 2002)

That ass! The Supra never reached the same level of hype and status of the NSX and GT-R in the Japanese market but was probably the most popular JDM supercar in the US market, made popular by Fast & Furious and also the fact that the GT-R was never imported and the NSX being priced significantly higher than its peers.

Out-of-the box, the twin-turbo Supra had the fastest straightline speed of the bunch. The 2JZ motor is also extremely tuneable and the infamous Supra rear wing blazed the trail for many crazy oversized spoilers of the 90s.

Non-turbo and AT Supras can be found for cheap but the twin-turbo MT Supra is the one to have. These easily range upwards of $200k with unmolested examples extremely difficult to find even in Japan! Expect prices of the Supra TT to trend up in the coming years.

4. Mazda RX7 FD3S (1992 – 2002)

Pure beauty. The RX7 was a masterpiece of its time with the twin-turbo rotary engine. Unlike the laggy turbo systems of its peers, the RX7’s sequential turbo system was extremely smooth with its distinguished sound.

The curves of the RX7 still look incredible today and we dare say it is the sexiest of the bunch. Unfortunately the rotary engine is also its weak point as it is a fragile unit and most mechanics here do not have the skill required to service and repair this highly sensitive engine with a frequent tendency to overheat. Be prepared to become best friends with your mechanic should you choose to take on this temperamental beauty.

The RX7 can be found for under $100k but clean examples are again hard to comeby. We would recommend the 1999 and later models with the better turbos and cooling system but unfortunately these won’t be eligible for registration until 2019. The RX7 is a mixed bag for collectors as many are in poor condition. The final run models such as the Spirit R would likely be the only ones with collector value.

5. Mitsubishi GTO (1990 – 2000)

Technological marvel. The GTO was way ahead of its time back in 1990 with high-tech electronic aids such as active exhausts, spoilers and suspension, many of these only made popular in the last 10 years. The wide-bodied GTO had the presence of a supercar, which was further hyped-up as the winning racecar in Jacky Chan’s movie ‘Thunderbolt’.

Unfortunately the GTO never lived up to its billing as a super sports car. It was too heavy and the electronic aids were more gimmicky than true performance aids. The clutch is the heaviest we have ever driven and would be a nightmare if you get stuck in a Hong Kong peak hour jam. Parts are now difficult to find although the engine is a fairly solid and strong unit. Transmissions on the early 5-speed models have been known to fail.

Prices of GTOs have remained lowest of the bunch and are unlikely to achieve the collector status of the cars above. While the twin-turbo version is the top-specced GTO available, we wouldn’t say no to the standard NA model as the GTO is more of a looker than a true driver’s car.

Photo credit: Ben Molloy