As the name suggests, JDM, or Japanese Domestic Market cars are only sold in Japan. However, Americans can import these models as long as they were built 25 (or more) years ago.
That has caused prices to skyrocket and many of the once affordable JDM machines are now only attainable to wealthy enthusiasts and collectors.
Still, the following JDM cars are so rare, even if someone did import them, chances are you’ll never see them on the road.
Nissan / Datsun Fairlady Z432R – 50 Cars
The car we know as the Datsun 240Z was sold as the Fairlady Z in Japan. It was introduced in 1969 and was an instant hit, so the Japanese carmaker decided to take it one step further and built a lighter and more powerful version, known as the Z432, and the Z432R for homologation purposes.
Datsun made 420 Z432 cars, but there was only 50 Z432Rs made, all of which were sold in Japan. The Z432 name refers to the car’s 2.0-liter engine specs; it had 4 valves per cylinder, 3 Mikuni carburetors, and 2 camshafts. All the Z432R cars were orange with a matte black hood.
Honda Civic Mugen RR — 300 Cars
Mugen is commonly regarded as Honda’s tuning division, but while the company was formed by Honda’s founder’s son, it has never been owned by Honda.
In 2008, Mugen made 300 very special FD2 Civic Type Rs, known as the Civic Mugen RR. The only available color was Milano Red, and the cars had carbon fiber bumpers and an aluminum hood to keep the weight to a minimum. Mugen also installed some performance parts and bumped power to 237 horses.
Mitsubishi Galant AMG — 500 Cars
Every gearhead knows that AMG is Mercedes-Benz’s performance division, so why is the name attached to a Mitsubishi? Well, AMG was a separate company and not owned by Mercedes-Benz back in 1989 when this Galant was built.
The AMG version is based on the Mitsubishi Galant GTi-16v model. AMG lightly tweaked the engine, increasing its power output to 168 hp. It also received a new, unique body kit, new wheels, and a nice leather interior.
Nissan Skyline GT-R NISMO Z-Tune — 20 Cars
Nissan built several special edition Skyline GT-Rs over the years, but few are as rare and sought-after as the NISMO Z-Tune. This very special Skyline GT-R started out as a NISMO concept created to celebrate the Skyline GT-R as production was about to end.
Instead of taking cars straight from the assembly line, NISMO decided to build the Z-Tune on lightly used R34 Skyline GT-Rs. The cars were stripped down and rebuilt with carbon fiber bodywork, new aero parts, Sachs suspension, and upgraded Brembo brakes. Producing 493 hp, the NISMO Z-Tune was a beast!
2005 Honda NSX-R GT — 5 Cars
Of all the limited edition NSXs Honda built over the years, none are as special as the 2005 NSX-R GT — not to be confused with the NSX Type-R. Honda developed the NSX-R GT as a homologation special to compete in the Super GT championship. The rules stated that five cars had to be built, so that’s exactly what Honda did.
The NSX-R GT has an extended carbon fiber front with larger intakes and a splitter. At the rear end, there was a spoiler under the wing, the carbon fiber bumper was extended and fitted with a large diffuser. Honda also fitted a snorkel to increase airflow to the engine.
Nissan Skyline GT-R NISMO 400R — 44 Cars
We’ve already mentioned one Skyline GT-R built by NISMO, Nissan’s performance division, but they were involved with other models as well. With 400 hp, the R33 Skyline GT-R NISMO 400R is the most powerful factory-tuned R33 GT-R ever.
One of the things NISMO did to achieve this was to increase the RB26DETT’s displacement from 2.6 to 2.8 liters. Compared to many other sports cars, the Nissan Skyline GT-R is heavy and as aerodynamic as a brick, bu the 400R would scramble to 60 mph in just four seconds and maxed out at 186 mph. Nissan wanted to build 100 cars, but by the time R33 production ended, only 44 NISMO 400Rs had been made.
Toyota Mega Cruiser — 133 Made For Civilian Use
From 1995 to 2001, Toyota built a Hummer H1 look-alike called the Mega Cruiser. It may sound like one of the Transformers robots, but we can’t think of a more suitable name as it’s seven inches taller and 16 inches longer than the H1, making it seem like a lithe hatchback in comparison.
The Mega Cruiser’s cabin was a stylish and up-to-date place to spend time, as it had entertainment screens and car phones. Of the 3,000 Mega Cruisers Toyota built, they say 133 were sold to civilians, and the rest were military vehicles.
Toyota Supra Mk4 TRD 3000GT — 35 Cars
Seeing as a completely stock fourth-gen Toyota Supra will fetch a small fortune at an auction these days, we don’t even dare to think how much a limited edition TRD 3000GT would sell for.
In 1994, Toyota Racing Development built 35 TRD 3000GT cars to celebrate the Supra entering the Japanese Grand Touring Championship. It was fitted with much wider bodywork than the standard Supra, with plenty of air vents, intakes, and other aero upgrades, making it look like the actual race car.
Nissan Stagea Autech 260RS — 1,734 Cars
German carmakers have perfected the fast station wagon game, but the Japanese have also built some excellent models, such as the Nissan Stagea Autech 260RS.
Autech is a Japanese tuning company, and they looked at the Stagea station wagon and realized the was some unrealized potential there. Mechanically, the Stagea was similar to the R33 Skyline, but by the time Autech was done with it, it was practically an R33 GT-R in wagon form. Both the Skyline’s RB26DETT engine and AWD system found their way into the Stagea, turning it into a five-door superwagon.
Nissan Sileighty — 500 Cars?
As its name suggests, the Nissan Sileighty, or Sil80, is a mix between the Nissan Silvia and 180SX. Basically, it’s a 180SX (sold as the 240SX in the States) fitted with the Nissan Silvia’s front end.
This creation came about in the late 1980s as the 180SX was the car of choice for drifters, and when they crashed, the Silvia parts were cheaper. Kids-Heart, a Japanese tuning company, reached out to a handful of Nissan dealerships and asked if they wanted to sell a ready-made conversion. In total, around 500 official Sileighty models were planned, but no one knows how many were actually built; plus, there many people built their own Sileighty cars.
Mazda RX-7 FD Spirit R — 1,500 Cars
Mazda offered the last-generation RX-7 in the States from 1992 to 1995, but it was available on the Japanese market until 2002. Mazda wanted to do something special to celebrate the iconic rotary-powered sports car, so the last 1,500 cars are known as the Spirit R editions.
Its rarity and performance has made the Spirit R the most sought-after RX-7 of them all. This is the ultimate RX-7, as it combines all the best elements from the previous special edition models into one very attractive, driver-focused package.
NB Mazda MX-5 Coupe — 179 Cars
Mazda released the first MX-5 (or Miata) in 1989, and the Mazda Engineering and Technology division kept playing around with the idea of a coupe version. There was a one-off concept based on the first-gen car, but in 2003, Mazda finally built the MX-5 Coupe.
It was based on the second-generation car, and the steel roof was a structural part of the car. Mazda even managed to keep the weight down, so the coupe only weighed 22 lbs more than the roadster. In total, they made 179 cars in four different trim levels.
1993 HKS Zero-R R32 — 10 Cars
The Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R dominated racing series in Japan and Australia, leading to its Godzilla nickname. The main reason the GT-R was unbeatable was its RB26DETT engine. This twin-turbocharged 2.6-liter straight-six could be tuned to produce ridiculous amounts of power.
HKS, a Japanese tuning company, soon recognized the RB26DETT’s potential. They got their hands on 10 R32 Skyline GT-Rs and increased the engine displacement to 2.8 liters, along with some other trickery, to get 591 horsepower — more than most supercars back then. Only four HKS Zero-R R32s are known to have survived.