Japanese car culture and JDM vehicles have had an enormous impact and influence on today’s car communities. Here’s what makes Japanese car culture unique.

JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) vehicles are custom made just for Japan.  Exports are sold with specifications to meet foreign export requirements.  In the purest sense, exports are not considered as JDM. However, in recent times, the term JDM is often associated with “Made in Japan” vehicles.

With the Kaizen ethos, Japanese cars are known to be affordable, economical, and reliable.  The attraction of JDM cars? They are built to be custom modified with quality performance parts, referred to as J-Spec.

1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32)Named by the Australian press as Godzilla, the R32 conquered the Australian racing scene in 1991. This Kaiju(‘strange beast’ in Japanese) destroyed its competition like Holden V8s, Ford Sierra Cosworth, and BMW M3 Evolution.

The 1989 R32 was armed with four-wheel steering and powered by a 2.6-Litre 6-cylinder turbocharged engine, spewing 209kW (280bhp) with 316Nm of torque. Top speed of 249kmh and 0-100kmh in 4.7 seconds.

Other icons include the 240SX, 300ZX, and 350Z. Specifically for brand Nissan, models tagged with the NISMO (Nissan Motorsports) badge are customised with J-Spec parts.

Subaru Impreza WRX STi

Living the JDM dream during the 1980s and 1990s, Singaporeans owned JDM cars, and J-Spec tune them, for Carpark Races.  Kallang was filled with cars like the Daihatsu Charade GTti, Suzuki Swift mk2, Datsun 1000 and 120Y, Toyota Corolla Levin AE86, and Honda Civic EG6 and EK9.

But the newly introduced Subaru WRX was the weapon of choice. Race drivers like rookie Ringo Chong, veteran Leslie Cheng, and legend William Lyou, continued to develop the WRX for Carpark Races.

The 1993-2000 WRX had a 2-Litre flat-4 turbocharged engine, with 191kW (265bhp) of power and 309Nm of torque. Top speed of 238kph with 0-100kph at 5.5 seconds. J-Spec tuned WRX were badged as STi (Subaru Tecnica International, representing Subaru’s motorsports division).

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

Challenging the WRX was British race driver Brian Whilock, in a Mitsubishi Evolution 3, providing the classic battle between the two giants. Sadly, Evolutions are no longer in production.

Mitsubishi’s J-Spec tuning was supported by Ralliart (high performance division for Mitsubishi Motors). The 1995 Evolution 3 housed a 2-Litre turbocharged engine with 198kW (266bhp) and 309Nm of torque. Top speed of 240kmh and 0-100kmh in 5 seconds.

Honda

The Civic was introduced in 1972. In 1983, the Civic came with fuel injection and twin-cams; 1992 EG6 had VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control); and 1997 EK9 dawn the Type-R (Racing) badge.  Spoon Inc. and Mugen provided J-Spec upgrades.

In 1991 Honda launched its own Supercar, the NSX (New Sports Experience) NA1. Housing a mid-engine 3-Litre V6 VTEC engine, with 201kW (270bhp) of power and 284Nm of torque. Top speed of 270kph and 0-100kph in 5.9 seconds.

Mazda

The 323 and Astina, in the 1980s and 1990s, were popular family cars. But it was the 1989 MX-5 NA that was said to have saved Mazda, financially.

However, Mazda’s development of the Wankel rotary engine captured attention. Popular classics include the RX7 series: 1978 FB, 1985 FC, and 1992 FD. Arguably the most collectible, the FD was powered by a 1.3-litre rotary twin-turbocharged engine.  It had 175kW (235bhp) of power and 294Nm of torque.  Top speed of 250kph and 0-100kmh in 5.3 seconds.

Suzuki

This marque introduced many cute memorable Kei cars, like the 1981 Jimny, 1985 800, 1991 Cappuccino, and 1998 Wagon R. These micro cars were made for narrow city roads.

Toyota

Iconic models include the AE86, Celica, MR2, Supra, and RAV4. But ushering Toyota into JDM’s future, the humble Yaris and Corolla were chosen and made into rally cars. Using latest developments in engineering and advancement in A.I., they now proudly wear the GR (Gazoo Racing) logo.

The 2023 Corolla GR has a 1.6-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder engine, but delivers 224kW (327bhp) of power and 370Nm of torque. Top speed of 230kph and 0-100kmh in 5 seconds. A possible future classic?

Will interest in JDM vehicles continue? Some marques are reinventing the past by offering newer versions of iconic JDM cars, like Toyota. Others, like Mazda, continue to evolve models including the RX8 and MX-5 ND. Continuing with the advancements in A.I. to assist performance, new JDM vehicles are poised to appeal to a younger generation.