5 Cool 90s Japanese Cars You Can Buy On Any Budget

Under £2000: Subaru Impreza Turbo 2000

Fast first-generation Imprezas that haven’t been littered with dubious modifications (just check out this monstrosity) are becoming hard to come by, but the odd gem does exist still. The more practical five-door wagons tend to escape unscathed more often than the saloons, so that’s what we’d target first, and in the form of one of the ‘Turbo 2000’ official UK cars.

This example apparently "needs little TLC [sic]", but is completely original, and is up for a very reasonable £1750.

Under the bonnet there’s a 2.0-litre turbocharged boxer-four good for 215bhp, making 0-62mph possible in just over six seconds. As it’s all-wheel drive you know you can enjoy that power whatever the prevailing conditions, and don’t forget all the lovely engine noise; unlike more recent hot Subarus, this one burbles.

Also consider: Honda CRX, Honda Prelude, Mk2 Mazda MX-5.

Up to £5000: Honda Integra Type R (DC2)

At this price point, you’d be daft not to at least consider a DC2 Type R. Introduced in 1995, the hottest version of this Integra generation ended up going down as one of the finest handling front-wheel drive cars ever built. The 1.8-litre VTEC unit revs up to an astonishing 9000rpm, with peak power - 187bhp - arriving at 8000rpm and being sent to the front wheels via a helical limited-slip diff.

With little in the way of creature comforts, the Type R is very light, tipping the scales at just 1120kg. That makes it quick: 0-62mph arrives in just 6.2 seconds.

Want one? Our hypothetical £5000 might need to be stretched just a little bit, but we have spotted this promising example for £4995. Given the high-revving nature of the engine, a full service history showing evidence of regular oil changes is very important, and it’s also a good idea to check for rust on the rear wheel arches. ITR-DC2.com is a great resource for further advice.

Also consider: Toyota ST185 Celica GT-Four (if you can find one)

Under £10,000: Nissan S15 Silvia

As it was in production from 1999-2002, the S15 is just about eligible for our list. This drifter’s weapon of choice features the same SR20DET turbo four-pot used in the two Silvia generations before it, here good for 247bhp. That’s a potent figure in a car weighing a rather reasonable 1240kg.

As with the older S14, it’s extremely common for S15s to be modified, often extensively. If you do find one of the rare stock examples, it’s worth resisting the temptation to modify and leaving it standard - it could end up being a good investment over time.

This 2000 example is neither under £10,000 nor standard, but we couldn’t resist linking as it’s the Spec R version, which includes a stiffer chassis, a limited-slip differential and an (optional) aero package. It’s important to consider that that these cars were never officially sold in the UK and imported only in small numbers, which means choice will be limited and you might be able to save yourself a fair bit of money if you don’t mind sourcing and importing one from Japan yourself.

Also consider: Nissan 300ZX, Nissan Pulsar GTi-R, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI

Under £20,000: Mazda RX-7 (FD)

Admittedly, we could have snuck this into the sub-£10,000 category, but it’s worth spending extra to get the cleanest example possible, and potentially snagging one of the rare Bathurst models if you can find one. This car, for instance, is one of the very rare UK-spec models, has covered just 56,000 miles, and is up for £14,968. With 237bhp on tap from the twin-turbo 1.3-litre rotary engine, though, they are down on power compared to their Japanese counterparts, which put out around 270bhp.

There are well-publicised, rotary-specific reliability issues to consider such as apex seal failure, which is why it’s a good idea to join a community such as the RX7 Forum to get advice and pointers. It’s a good idea to pick out a car that’s had a recent engine rebuild, and evidence of regular oil changes is a must.

Also consider: Nissan R32/34 Skyline GT-R

Under £50,000: Honda NSX

To us, this is the holy grail of 1990s Japanese sports cars, an opinion which has been reinforced after spending some time with one of the very late, 3.2-litre examples recently. Snag one of the later cars, and you’ll have 276bhp to play with (although it’s believed to actually put out over 300bhp in stock form) from one of the best-sounding V6s ever made, allied to one of the best-handling mid-engined chassis in existence.

If you fancy taking the plunge and if you live in the UK, prepare for a long hunt: there are only a few hundred NSXs on these shores, so there are never many for sale at one time. And if you want a manual (the stick NSX has a sublime shift, so it’s the one we’d recommend), your choice is limited further.

This £27,995 example is currently the cheapest in the UK, but isn’t standard and is getting on for 100,000 miles on the clock. This post-facelift car, on the other hand, is in a clean, completely standard condition and has clocked a more reasonable 47,000 miles, but it’s much more expensive at £49,991. And then there are the ambitiously-priced NSXs like this one, up for a staggering £109,950 (we’d be surprised if it sells for that any time soon…).

NSXs are, on the whole, reliable, but it’s important to find one with a full service history containing evidence that it’s been cared for by the right sort of establishments. It’s important to keep an eye out for oil leaks as they’re expensive to sort, and while the aluminium body means you don’t have to worry about rust, it is very expensive to repair or replace damaged panels.

Also consider: Nissan R34 Skyline GT-R

Fancy something a little more European? Here’s our look at cool German cars from the 80s.