The Next Jap Sports/Super Car To Gain Legendary Status Ala Nissan's GTR

[RED XIII]

We all know that the Nissan GTR's aka Godzilla's records and feats set it apart from any other Japanese sports / super cars.. even euro exotics or am muscle for that matter, thus making it a legendary iconic car worldwide. Actually being called by BBCs Top Gear as the only true Japanese supercar ever built.

With all that being said- What do u guys think would be the next Japanese sports or super car to have a GTR like stature.. Is it the..

Nissan Fairlady Z- The best selling mass production sports car of all time. One of the few cars to win a GT500 and GT300 championship. A 2006 tuner car of the year winner. An iconic car since its release in the late 70s, known as the datsun Z that time. Very popular car in the west. And one of the "it" cars in Japan and in the west as shown in the movie FnF Tokyo Drift.

Nissan Silvia / 240SX- A dominator and champion in the JGTC GT300 and in the sport of drifting. The current "it" car especially by tuners in Japan, U.K and U.S. It is also now competing in time attacks wherein its pitted head to head against porsches and doing well with it. Its engine the SR20DET is one of the most sought after engine behind GTRs RB26DETT in the tuner scene, its even used as an engine swap to Toyota's AE86 in Japan, U.K and U.S.

Honda NSX- although honda is said to discontinue production of these cars, its one of the few Jap sportscar to be called exotic for its resemblance to Euro supercars. Has its championship rings in JGTC as well alongside the GTR in GT500 and in the GT300 class also. A poor drift car though.

Toyota Supra- the 1st of its kind aka mark1 was built primarily to compete w/ the popular Nissan (formerly Datsun) Z car. One of the GTRs toughest competitor in the GT500. e.g. castrol supra vs. pennzoil gtr in JGTC 1999 where in a nose to nose final race was shown by both cars, the GTR exploited a gap in the last minute and claimed the championship that year. One of the legendary battles in JGTC. A drag strip monster and a GT500 champ as well. Shares w/ the NSX as 1 of the poor drift cars.

Mitsubishi EVOs- A rally champ and dominator. This iconic 4 wheel drive car was initially intended for the Japanese market only. Once called a poor man's porsche by westerns, it became 1 of the favorites in the sports sedan market world wide. Has its share of official time attack records.

Subaru Impreza WRX- A rally champ and dominator as well. A rival of the evo ever since its release in 1993. A popular choice in the sports sedan market especially the current STi-- even more powerful than the evo in terms of hp.

Mazda RX series- has numerous race championships outside its homeland of Japan! the only rotary engine in its class sets it apart from its Japanese rivals. Was also made to compete with the Nissan (formerly Datsun) Z. Had its 1st JGTC GT300 championship ring last year.

Well, thats some of the choices I can think of. If u can think of other Jap sports / super car not listed here and is deserving to be the next legendary godzilla like car, just post it here. Some popular cars were not included bec. they really do not belong to the sports / super car category or they simply do not qualify e.g. Honda S2000- yet to prove its mettle in motorsports.

[ghosthunter]

It would be at tie between the Mitsu EVO and Subaru WRX.

[Orido]

if you watch best motoring videos in you tube or through DVD's the real next best thing in jap sports/super cars is the NSX type R.. they always pit it in a race against th e best of europe, USA nd japan like the porsche 911 turbo (996), 996 gt3, Ferrari 360, ferrari 360 challenge, lamborghini Murcielago nd gallardo, bmw m3 CSL nd e90 M5, ferrari f50, evos, wrx's, the skyline series from the 32 to the 34, and for some reason it always wins using its monster late braking and legendary cornering balance its probably the most underrated and unloved jap exotic there is! and there is a reason that Keichi Tsuchiya the drift king loves this car as well as he loves his Hachiroku!!!

[Jun aka Pekto]

I'd say a car's 'legend" status can be determined by their collectability quotient.

The guy we bought our house from is a car collector. Judging by what he collects, it's the last model Toyota Supra twin turbo and the Acura NSX because those two cars were in the garage when we first looked at our house*.

He may like those two. But, his daily driver is a red Honda S2000 and a red Eclipse V6 Spyder for his wife.

*He actually lives 5 houses down the street. He merely used the garage of our house for storing his cars and nothing else. Seems like he has another house somewhere to store his beauties because I only see the two red convertibles everyday. GoogleEarth did catch his white Supra (with red interior) outside at his garage a year before before we moved here.

[artpogi]

After the Skyline? hmm.....

for me it's the NSX and the Supra siguro

[Dr.Kamiya]

if you watch best motoring videos in you tube or through DVD's the real next best thing in jap sports/super cars is the NSX type R.. they always pit it in a race against th e best of europe, USA nd japan like the porsche 911 turbo (996), 996 gt3, Ferrari 360, ferrari 360 challenge, lamborghini Murcielago nd gallardo, bmw m3 CSL nd e90 M5, ferrari f50, evos, wrx's, the skyline series from the 32 to the 34, and for some reason it always wins using its monster late braking and legendary cornering balance its probably the most underrated and unloved jap exotic there is! and there is a reason that Keichi Tsuchiya the drift king loves this car as well as he loves his Hachiroku!!!

There is one big problem with the NSX Type-R... At over 14 million yen, it is even more expensive than a new 997 GT3. Yes it is hugely underrated, but unlike many japanese sports cars it doesn't exactly offer a big bang-for-the-buck advantage. Would you fancy paying more than 997 GT3 money for a 15 year old chassis with a much weaker engine?

[Orido]

for an NSX type R??? you crazy??!! hell yeah!! and FYI there was two Type R series that came out the first came out way back in 92ish?? but am not sure... then the latest one the one that is kicking all of those euro and jap asses came out in 2001 until honda stopped production of the NSX back in 2005..

[Jun aka Pekto]

Another important criteria for a "legend" car and it's collectablility factor is not just performance, but build quality, finish, and "solidness" over time as well. Both the Supra twin turbo and Acura NSX of our collector friend still looked great and sounded solid like they were just bought yesterday even though both cars are over a decade old and have pretty good mileage on them.
Among the cars deserving of similar stature, I'd include the Fairlady Z's. That's about it.

[niky]

The NSX should be legendary, but the perceived lack of power really hurts it. In the minds of some, it is legendary, but a lot of people can't be bothered to get up in the morning for less than 300hp. Some of us know better...

The "Godzilla" was legendary not just because it rewrote the rulebooks on AWD handling, but because it was so rare. Until the release fo the LF-A, new GT-R or the next NSX, there's really nothing approaching that exclusivity.

Of course, for me, the one true Japanese supercar was the Nissan R390...

[empy]

niky, don't forget the Toyota GT-One. did they ever make the roadgoing version of that car?

let's not go too crazy with the NSX...it is a beautifully balanced, wonderfully driveable sports car that had supercar-level performance in 1992

still a great car but never really captured the imagination or attention of the world like the Skyline did.

actually if i look at how the import tuner crowd in the US has viewed the list, i'd say the closest comparison is the Toyota Supra. great performance out of the box, but tunable to monster proportions with relatively simple parts, great aftermarket support....the only difference between it and the NSX and Skyline is that it is a whole lot more available to the masses.

[IGNITED]

I'd say the iconic car that became an icon since its first release... the best selling mass prod sports car, the Nissan Fairlady it is. Street, track proven.
In Japan and U.S both this and the 240sx are so damn hot, esp. in the tuner scene. I think the once called "poor man's porsche" as stated by our bro redXIII --the evo and the aka "mark" supra are next.

NSX.. ummm... yes ur right brother orido it is underated, bec. of one major reason... max power vs. supra and gtr is measly, I agree w/ bro niky. In best motoring videos yes it has won a lot... but in official races vs other jap sports car? hmmm.. not that much.

The NSX should be legendary, but the perceived lack of power really hurts it. In the minds of some, it is legendary, but a lot of people can't be bothered to get up in the morning for less than 300hp. Some of us know better...

The "Godzilla" was legendary not just because it rewrote the rulebooks on AWD handling, but because it was so rare. Until the release fo the LF-A, new GT-R or the next NSX, there's really nothing approaching that exclusivity.

Of course, for me, the one true Japanese supercar was the Nissan R390...

I would like to disagree w/ u a bit bro niky the GTR has a lot.. I MEAN A LOT of achievements in motorsports thats why its a legend, not bec. of rarity. It was once being banned to race for its sheer dominance, and the only known racecar that is given a handicap of 30 kilos everytime it hits the circuit to compete. Hey, I guess it rewrote the rulebook a bit. ;) The "Godzilla" nick was actually given by foreigners due to its gnarly performance on the track. Resume` also includes nurburgring lap records.

[niky]

It's okay. What I meant was, yes, it was a dominant force in racing (sort of like the Porsches), and it's a great car in its own rights, but much of the cult status surrounding the GT-R is the fact that it's an everyman's supercar that's still very exclusive.

Tignan mo naman... sandamukal na ang mga Porsche dito sa 'pinas, ilan lang ba ang mga GTR? (Not the Skylines... andami nang Skylines dito... mga GT-S, GTS-T, etcetera...)

I definitely want one, though...

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I think they made just one GT-One (checking Wiki... I'm right!)... homologation rules are a joke when applied to supercars, as just a single example counts as "production". I'm not sure how many R390 road cars they made, but it's probably less than a dozen (checking wiki... agh... no exact, but they did sell them... I remember the price tag as being around a million dollars... checking wiki again... yup.). Nissan should have capitalized on the R390 by making even more. I remember watching those bad boys race when I was a kid... awesome cars.

[mazdamazda]

I'd say the iconic car that became an icon since its first release... the best selling mass prod sports car, the Nissan Fairlady it is. Street, track proven.

:fyi:

The Mazda Miata holds the Guinness world record for the best selling sports car.

[Jun aka Pekto]

Maybe I haven't been keeping track of the track for a while now. But, aren't most street cars destined for use on the track modded for more power? Plus, basing my observations on past discussions here about handling vs more hp, wouldn't its splendid handling compensate for its perceived lack of power?

Just wondering because I'm getting mixed feedback here....

Add; In any case, the NSX is one of the most prized collector car here. Whether part of that is due to its track record or not, it's hard to tell since I've only seen in person the one that was in the garage of our house.

[niky]

Personally, I hold the NSX in high regard. But that perceived lack of power, and the fact that it went on for 15 years without improvements compared to the competition hurt it in the eyes of others.

And yes, the NSX can out-lap almost anything on wheels, given a twisty track layout.

[IGNITED]

:fyi:

The Mazda Miata holds the Guinness world record for the best selling sports car.

he he... maybe in guiness. I guess nissan did not enter their Z cars sales records there.. Figure shows that Nissan Z cars have a world wide sales around 1.6m vs. Mazdas miata of around 800k. And in guiness it said the best selling 2 SEATER, OPEN-TOP/CONVERTIBLE SPORTS CAR :car: of all time. A Z is NOT an open top. ;) :fyi:

[Dr.Kamiya]

niky, don't forget the Toyota GT-One. did they ever make the roadgoing version of that car?

let's not go too crazy with the NSX...it is a beautifully balanced, wonderfully driveable sports car that had supercar-level performance in 1992

still a great car but never really captured the imagination or attention of the world like the Skyline did.

actually if i look at how the import tuner crowd in the US has viewed the list, i'd say the closest comparison is the Toyota Supra. great performance out of the box, but tunable to monster proportions with relatively simple parts, great aftermarket support....the only difference between it and the NSX and Skyline is that it is a whole lot more available to the masses.

They made one copy of the GT-One, which was prompty sent off to the museum.

I don't think the lemans specials count as roadcars though. It's not like you could go out any buy one, even if you have near unlimited resources.

[empy]

ok, forget about the GT-One. i guess it wasn't produced in enough quantities to be relevant.

maybe i am splitting hairs, but i really don't see the Miata, Fairlady/Z, or even the Evo as a heir apparent to the Skyline GTR. they are iconic cars, but not supercars....in the sense that a Mustang is an iconic car, but a GT40 is an iconic supercar. the other cars are super-popular, much loved, and have great loyal fanbases and aftermarket support. but they don't perform to supercar performance out of the box, and cannot realistically be tuned to produce that kind of performance.

which is why i think the main argument is between the NSX and the Supra. niky makes a good point about the R390, and i also think that there was another Japanese mid-engined near-exotic that was produced by a company called Tommy Kaira....don't remember what it was called.

[niky]

It was the Tommy Kaira ZZII. Although Tommy Kaira planned to make it, it never went on sale (I think...).

It was an awesome concept, Skyline GT-R engine, Skyline based AWD, 550 hp and a curb weight that would make an NSX jealous.

Too bad Tommy Kaira never made a good go of it, financially. They aren't producing anymore, and their regular ZZ line (mid-engine, powered by SR20's in race tune... with carbs to boot... glug glug glug) was being offered by a British company recently... the name of which escapes me.

Interesting fact... one I didn't know... according to Wikipedia, [wiki] Tommy Kaira was bought out by Autobacs... they're the ones, apparently, who developed the Garaiya for Autobacs. [/wiki off] The Garaiya is another rare mid-engined Japanese sports car, based off of the SR20VE engine architecture (190 naturally aspirated horses!)... there's talk of another model based on that, using the RB26DETT, but at this point, with the RB out of production, I think the possibility is remote.

------

Of course, if we're talking ultimate Japanese supercars, we would not be doing the Skyline justice without touching upon the Skyline GT-R Z-Tune... a remanufactured batch of R34 GTRs with (reportedly) about 500 hp and capable of 0-100 km/h in 3 seconds flat... with parts and bodykits based on the GTR touring cars. Very limited. In fact, they never finished their production run, as they couldn't find enough A-grade secondhand Skylines that hadn't been butchered, modified or wrecked to do the conversion on.

[RED XIII]

Hey thanks to dudes niky and m54 I suddenly remembered the tommykaira, the only japanese exotic car producers... that awesome RB26DETT powered ZZ car. wow! And ofcourse the expensive GTR Z-Tune, I think less the 20 were produced. And since my dude orido mentioned best motoring vids, one of the best selling best motoring vid is the one titled "nismo beast unleashed" featuring the GTR Z-tune... I think that was the vid where the z-tune beats the best cars euro can offer and some japanese too. ;)

Lastly, to my man M54, I didnt include the li'l miata in my poll.. maybe u had just browsed the discussion bet. dudes ignited and mazdamazda. And in fairness to evos, wrxs, silvias.. they're not supercars like the GTR (actually d only recognized Japanese Supercar by europeans) but they r sportscars that had set some feats and gain some achievements themselves, thus for me giving them the qualification to be included in the poll. Like what I've said b4-- Unlike some popular sportscars that had yet to prove enough in motorsports e.g. S2000.