The best cars from Japan: models that went down in history

Japanese cars have become a symbol of reliability and comfort. The country has traditionally been among the top three countries with the largest number of cars produced since the 1960s.

Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura, Nissan, Infiniti, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru - this is an incomplete list of world-famous brands originating from Japan. Experts have released a rating of vehicles that have already gone down in history.

Autozam AZ-1

Miniaturization is a Japanese art, and the Autozam AZ-1 is a great example of this. The car has a three-cylinder turbocharged engine with a volume of 657 cubic meters. With a weight of only 720 kg, this was enough to accelerate the AZ-1 from 0 to 100 km per hour in 8.0 seconds. The AZ-1 is a rare and collectible car.

Datsun 240Z

As Japan revolutionized the motorcycle world in the late 1960s by creating affordable and reliable models, the Datsun 240Z did the same for sports cars. Launched in 1969, the 240Z outperformed the MGB with a six-cylinder engine producing 151 hp, enough to accelerate to 100 km/h in 8.1 seconds. The model was especially popular in the United States.

Honda Civic

One of the longest-running dynasties in the Japanese automotive industry, the Honda Civic was introduced in 1973, and the name still stands for quality. Since then, the Civic has grown in size and ambition, and expanded to include coupes, hatchbacks, and hybrid models. More than 20 million Civics of all generations have been sold to date, and it was the second best-selling car in America in 2020.

Honda NSX

When Honda decided to create the ultimate supercar, the result was the 1990 NSX. Everything in it was created from scratch, including the 2977 cubic inch V6 engine. The NSX accelerates to 100 km per hour in 5.3 seconds.

Honda S2000

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Honda has created a two-seater sports car with an incredibly fast 2.0-liter engine. The all-aluminum engine with V-TEC variable valve timing produces 243 hp, making it the most powerful engine ever produced at the time of its launch in 1999.

Isuzu Trooper

The first generation Isuzu Trooper debuted in 1981. In the UK, the Isuzu Trooper was a real competitor to the Land Rover Defender and Toyota Land Cruiser. It was a serious off-roader that could also be used on highways, especially when larger gasoline and diesel engines were introduced in 1988. The second generation Trooper was introduced in 1991. Not as innovative as the Discovery in its design, the Trooper still found many buyers. The original Trooper was sold under 14 different names.

Mazda RX-7

The RX-7 was not the first Mazda to use a smooth rotary engine. The car managed to become competitive due to its greater power and performance. The RX-7 had rather high operating costs. Instead, the compact engine was mounted low in the chassis to provide excellent handling. Unfortunately, later RX-7 models failed to replicate the success of the first car, which sold nearly half a million units.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, or Evo as it quickly became known, has steel wheels to reduce weight and a four-cylinder engine with 247 hp. This proved to be a successful formula, particularly for the Evo VI thanks to Tommi Mäkinen's World Rally Championship victories. However, even four WRC titles were not enough to convince buyers to choose the unassuming Evolution Wagon.

Mitsubishi Shogun

Mitsubishi Shogun, or Pajero, as it was known in most countries, appeared in 1981, neatly fitting into the "gap" between the Land Rover Defender and Range Rover. Customers liked it, and in 1983 a model with a long wheelbase appeared. The engines were powerful gasoline and diesel, and later a smooth 3.0-liter V6 joined the range. Mitsubishi proved the Shogun's value by participating in the Paris-Dakar endurance race, winning the car class 12 times between 1984 and 2007. It also scored 150 stage wins during this time.

Lexus LS

The first 4.0-liter V8 LS was incredibly quiet, the ride was extremely smooth, and the equipment rivaled the Mercedes S-Class. Attention to detail was what set the LS apart, and it was the first car to offer the improvements of a digitally controlled air conditioning system.

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