90s JDM Shootout-
Mitsubishi GTO, Toyota Supra, Nissan Skyline R34, Mazda RX-7, Honda NSX
Ah
the 90s. Japan was at their peak in the car world, Mitsubishi and Subaru had cornered rallying, Nissan had dominated in what was then the JGTC series and the streets of cities echoed to the sound of V-TECs kicking in and the waste gates of turbo hissing. This is a time where Toyota wasnt just another car company, a time where the words Honda Civic conjured up an image not of old grannies in their retirement, but of young hotshots tearing about the streets and tracks.
And here we have two perfect examples of that era where technology aided every conceivable area in a car. Of the two, this one, everyone should know. The Nissan Skyline R34 GTR, the last
true Godzillas. And my god, does it live up to the hype.
Ok
an admission first. For the sake of the pictures, we arent being strictly honest with you. The car featured in the shots is in fact the premium 2002 version, with a few kg shaved off
and a minor boost of power, if I recall correctly. But its pretty much identical to the 90s one. In my mind, at least. Anyways
moving on, what we have here is a 326hp, twin turbo rocket, and for what is a 1.5 ton GT car, it does go spectacularly quickly. But thats not what GT-Rs are about. What its about, is crushing corners.
This thing just grips and grips and grips, it never feels like its going to let go, ever! In most cars, no matter how much grip it has, there will be a moment when you over do it and go into a corner too hot. If it were any other car, youd be stabbing away at every control you have, trying to slow the car while screaming IM GONNA DIEE!! as you hurtle towards the nearest wall. But here, when it does let go, you just lift off the throttle, and bam, youre not going to die anymore. Its SO easy to drive. It was practically built for the enthusiast with not much skill. Ive always wondered how the guys who drive this car on TV when they are reviewing it can get its arse out so easily, and to be honest, now, Im even more puzzled as to how its done. Because regardless what I do, using every technique I know of in my limited repertoire, it
still just sticks! The computers just sort it out for you.
So, a very impressive machine, indeed, as youd expect from the renown Godzilla, but lets not forget, Nissan werent the only ones with a twin turbo, 4WD rocket. For those of you who are proper car nuts, youd know that Mitsubishi have tried to build something similar to the R34 themselves.
It was named the GTO, or the 3000GT, if you live in the US. It too is a 4WD cruise missile with over 300hp and two turbos. But, unlike the R34, its been given tyres that fit on a Civic, some mere comfort softs, and the 4WD system is nowhere near as good at controlling the cars immense weight. Its not as composed in the bends, you can really see the cars weight moving front and back, left and right. The computers can do all they want, it cant hide the fact that this is one heavy beast. I will say this though, the GTO feels more
fun. It can get its arse to hang out if you push it, and you can really flick it into corners and let the thing smoke its tyres off while in the safe knowledge that it wont let go.
It feels very
GT like. Its a Grand Tourer. Come to think of it
why did I not choose this to enter into
the latest Tuning Shootout? *facepalm* The engine also enforces this GT-ness. Its very strong, pulling extremely well in the mid ranges, it feels muscular, more powerful then it actually is. Torque peaks very early on in the rev range, at just 2500rpm. Possibly so that you can cruise about town in the dead of night like I am doing, with the engine grumbling away while letting you keep pace with some sports cars on the straights.
There we have, then, the two heavyweights, the sumo wrestlers, if you like. And here now, is the challenger.
Yes, it was here the last time, and its back again. The Supra RZ. And its certainly a different breed of car altogether compared to those two. Its lighter, for a start. And while it too is powered by a 6 cylinder engine with two turbos which is placed in the front of the car, the power is fed through a 6 speed gearbox to the back. And that, according to Mr. Clarkson of Top Gear, is Page one, Chapter one, of the Petrolsexual handbook. Which I sort of agree with. Because the fun you can have with this is unbelievable!
Ive become used to driving those two barges with their 4WD grip and mild understeer, here theres none of that. What we have here are brakes which loosen up the back, turbos that get it sideways and a good chassis to sustain the slide through the corner. No wonder Supras are used as drift cars, they seem to be born to go sideways. It's so stable though, even when you're slithering sideways. It will never feel like its running away from you. It's always on your side. As long as you keep its engine stock, that is.
Mind you
though the Supras good, it not the best when it comes to FR balance in cornering.
Nope. That award goes to the Mazda RX7. More specifically the FD RX-7. The one we have here is the Éfini Type R from 1991. And the difference between this and the Supra is
frankly, huge. They cant even be compared to one another. Whereas the Supra was for the mature enthusiast, this is for hardcore drivers. With its 50/50 weight distribution providing the cornering balance of a sports car and that screaming rotary providing the power, the combined result is a driving experience that is unrivaled by any car weve driven so far in this test.
While there isnt that much power compared to that of the others, its more than enough to get the feather weight body to carve up the corners. This is what Mazda is good at. They may not be the fastest, but their cars provide one of the best driving pleasures you could possibly want. BMWs slogan of being The Ultimate Driving Machine should be given to cars like this. It feels
like perfection.
But never let it be said that you cant better perfection though. Because, as Honda proved a year later, you can. Welcome to what I consider to be the best Japanese car built in the 90s.
The Honda NSX Type R. Built with the helping hand of Ayrton Senna, its Hondas take on their own user friendly supercar. Its their rival for the Ferrari 355, a VTEC powered symbol of driving zen. Where should I start with this? The handling? Ah
yes, the handling. It's just brilliant. No other word for it, it is perfection. And the some. People will complain that its a bit twitchy or that its too much of a knife edge, and to that, I say rubbish. Its every bit as good as youd imagine it to be. No understeer, gentle oversteer on throttle and a balanced and controlled feeling from the steering. Its heavenly. Im not being cheesy, its fact. Its
beyond praise. And all the time, you ride a wave of that V6 wail, revving all the way up to the 8500rpm redline, you just dont want to shift up.
This car
its a mix of every car here. Its got the composure of the R34, the refined GT feel of the GTO, the stability of the Supra and a noise and chassis to rival the RX-7. Oh
and above all else, this car looks better than all of them combined. So
if youre looking for the best car from Japan in the 90s, look no further. This is it.