- Used car prices are absolutely insane right now.
- Shut up and take my money.
- Especially in the JDM collector market.
Have you seen the prices of Mark 4 Supras lately?
These $12,000 automatic, non-turbo, shitty Mark 4s
are selling for $25,000 or more, but why?
Well, basic supply and demand my friends.
That's how the economy works.
People start wanting the thing.
The thing starts getting harder to find.
People get scared they won't be able to get one.
So they pay slightly extra
and this keeps compounding over 10 years.
And finally the prices are just absolutely out of this world
and completely unobtainable, but listen,
just because the lake already dried up on Mark 4s
and the FDs and the R32s and the NSXs and DC2 Type Rs,
doesn't mean there isn't anything left to be
or to become desirable. In fact,
there are a few GDM classics running around on the streets
that are about to pop and could be a goodbye
even in today's market because these cars
owned a generation of time for enthusiasts.
Right next to the legends that we just mentioned.
And if all the big ones continue into the realm
of becoming not realistically attainable,
these bargain bangers will give you all
of that classic JDM charm for a lot less money.
Just like they did when they battled for that attention
from each other when they were new.
But really quick guys, before we get started,
get in the comments and let us know what cars you think
need to be on this list, and then we can compare them
at the end and you guys ready?
Alright, let's jump right into it.
Starting this one out with a car
that I have yet to actually own,
but I want really, really badly.
The 2003 to 2009 Nissan 350Z.
These cars are absolutely awesome.
Almost 290 horsepower from the earlier models,
Rear-wheel drive, manual transmission as an option.
And it comes in amazing colors and it was wildly popular
when it came out. It looks great.
The aftermarket options are absolutely insane,
from wide and crazy body kits to suspension,
to engine parts, to engine swap kits.
It's literally endless what you can do to these things.
And there's so much DIY information out there as well.
This is also the same reason the 240SXs
and the E36s all junk and trash now.
They were a dime a dozen at one point,
and now the good ones are pretty well spoken for
and being held onto for dear life.
I think the 350Z is on that exact path right now,
right around mid-cycle on that.
This is probably as cheap as they're going to get.
And I really want to jump on that train. So, you know,
if you got one for sale, hit me up.
Next up is a bit of a bitter one for me
because I never in a million kajillion years
would ever go out of my way to recommend somebody
buy a boosted Subaru and then go and modify it.
(engine rattles)
But holy, Subaru hit my sweet spot
with the 2007 Subaru Legacy GT Spec B.
Now you could get this combo for a few years,
but 2007 is, in my opinion, the real sweet spot deal.
You still get that pre-facelift exterior,
which I personally prefer,
but you also get the post-facelift interior.
And for 2007, only the Alcantara inserts
were actually STI blue.
Not only is this the gentleman's STI,
it's also more practical than a STI.
Makes more power than a WRX.
It has an STI six-speed manual transmission,
coupled together through a world-class
all-wheel drive system.
What's not to love about an off-road capable,
winter-conquering, all-wheel drive,
turbocharged enthusiast sedan with a clutch pedal? Nothing.
That's what I thought. Outside of your S204s
and various other super special edition WRXs and STIs,
the Legacy GP Spec B is one of the rarest sport trim cars
that Subaru's really ever made.
And it's something they haven't got right since.
And with gasoline engines on their way out
and electric tech on its way in.
I find it very hard to believe
that we will ever see another car on this level of cool
from Subaru ever again.
Go get on these things before they're gone.
The Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR4 is a lost legend
that I can not help but feel sad about.
How are these cars not up there with the Supra and RX7?
This thing has a twin turbo three-liter V6.
That means 320 horsepower. Same as the Mark 4 Tubo.
It went zero to 60 quicker than a Mark 4 Turbo,
and it has active aerodynamics and active exhaust in 1990.
Even the interior on these cars was just futuristic
and all about maximum luxurious performance.
Now the biggest downfall with these cars was the weight
and the transversely mounted engine.
In a straight line, these cars slayed a lot of stuff,
but in corners and under high stress,
the cars just didn't perform like a true sports car,
like its competition.
And although I would call the Mark 4 Supra just as much
of a grand tour as this car,
it just wasn't brought along for the ride of fame.
However, the 3000 GTV4 went hand in hand
with the legendary GDM sport oriented car market,
and they still did a ton of stuff right.
This is a car that is going to be
on the up and up really, really soon.
If you have an opportunity to hop into one of these clean,
well-maintained six speeds, twin turbo,
VR4, self RT et cetera,
there probably won't be a better time
to pull the trigger on one than right now.
I've been on the hunt for a nice one
over the last couple of years,
and they're starting to go away pretty quickly.
You just wait. These are going to come out of nowhere
and really surprise you guys.
Quit waiting around for Black Friday deals
because Fitment Industries has the deals early.
We've got extremely generous discounts on wheels
from Rojava, to Fifteen52, Rotiform, Koning, even Artisia,
and so, so many more.
We've also got a ton of deals on accessories too.
Like ceramic coatings, your lug nuts, apparel,
apparel accessories, and our car care product lines.
Guys, I'm serious.
This only happens once a year.
Take advantage of the deals before they're gone.
Slam a car, not your wallet only at fitmentindustries.com.
Moving on to something a little bit more,
how do I say this, front-wheel drive.
And I guess I just realized this is actually
the only front-wheel drive car on this list.
So let me see some front-wheel drive love
and drop a car emoji down in the chat.
Now let me introduce you guys to the Acura RSX Type S.
Now this is a car that gets me all sorts of excited.
This was the car to have for those guys
that dreamed of having a tight bar,
but couldn't quite afford it
and still wanted a nice interior.
Sure. These don't compete on the same level
as some of the other cars on this list,
or even with the type R.
But what these cars did do was have the same spark of life
that the Type R had.
A high-revving, medium-horsepower, lightweight,
manual sport oriented, compact car
that could put a huge smile on anybody's face
for not a lot of money. And in my professional opinion,
this is the next best sport compact after the DC2 Type R.
And when all the DC2s are gone, these are going to blow up.
Now getting back on track with yet another twin turbo,
six-cylinder, rear-wheel drive, manual transmission car
that, again, is from Nissan. And, again, is a Z car.
The Z33 Generation Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo is yet another
JDM classic that hasn't quite hit stardom yet.
And honestly, I think this one is right on the cusp of that.
I can't believe it hasn't gone up yet.
These are genuinely so good looking.
They makes decent power. It has Lamborghini headlights,
the vice versa just sounds lame. And overall,
they spark the same emotion inside of me
when I see one that I feel
when I see a fricking Mark 4 Supra or an FD RX7.
It just has that nineties JDM super grand tour look
that you just can't find that kind of charm anywhere else.
Unless you take a little peak at the second generation
turbocharged, two-seater, front-wheel drive,
kind of sub frame, but it's been mounted on the rear,
So it's rear-wheel drive. The snap overseer king.
The W20 Toyota MR2 obviously has to make this list.
A little bit less traditional, a lot less talked about
and a whole lot cooler than a ton of other cars.
The W20 MR2 Turbo was a mid-engine boosted performance.
It went on to prove that Japanese manufacturers
can create something with exotic majors
while following the classic JDM values, which cover,
you know, reliability, low displacement,
lightweight, nimble, and efficient machines
that deliver a practical driving experience
while doubling as a fun-haver.
They make awesome little sleepers too.
There used to be a K Swap Turbo one running around town
that was just insane.
Imagine pulling up next to a 600-wheel horsepower K series.
Anything except for it's mid-engine.
So it actually hooks up.
(engine revving)
The shit gets wild and I need one.
Here again, we have something with a timeless
and beautiful design that takes queues
from all over the world in it's design.
But for some weird reason, the MR2 just isn't considered
to be that exotic, or that sought after.
I feel like these cars should be on par
with the popularity of an FD Turbo, but.
Y'all just too busy sleeping on it, I guess.
And lastly the one that hits me right in the feel-y feels,
because the last one we're going to talk about is a car
that is near and dear to my heart,
a car that I've always wanted.
And when I met my hero, I was not disappointed.
In fact, I feel even more in love.
There is one caveat though,
and that is that the car in question, well,
I think it's starting to get sucked
into the collector market black hole.
Prices are already on the rise,
and I think it's only the beginning,
but the Honda S2000 is the next big JDM collector car.
I know it's a little newer than the rest of the cars
on this list, but it has a lot of stuff going for it.
The S2000 is on its own dedicated chassis.
This wasn't a base model economy car converted
into something fun with a little bit of extra power.
This car was designed from the ground up
to be a sports car, period.
And it really is one of the last naturally aspirated,
high-revving, race inspired four-cylinders that you can buy.
Automatic wasn't even an option.
And granted, they made these damn things for 10 years.
They didn't change much or add a bunch of power,
which was something I actually resented about the Hondas
for the longest time. But as I grow older,
I start to understand it a little better.
The reason they didn't change it is
because they got the formula right the first time.
And that's the kind of character that takes a regular car
and turns it into a future classic. It's not the statistics.
It's not the zero to 60 times. It's the character.
But be weary. Prices for S2000s are already on the rise
and it won't be long until they gain the traction
of those big three competitors. But what if I told you
you didn't have to buy the S2000 of your dreams,
that you could just win one. That's right, baby.
Right now you can actually win your very own
track prep, daily drivable, ready, screaming Honda S2000
and $10,000 in cash.
This future classic could be yours for as little as $5.
All you gotta do to win this bad boy is
go grab some sick S2000 giveaway merch and you're all set.
Let me know in the comments what you guys think I've missed.
And be sure to let us know
what you guys want to see us do next.
I'm Sean, or seanb.fi on Instagram.
Thank you guys so much
from the bottom of my heart for watching.
Peace.
(hip hop music)