Best Japanese Classic Cars in the UK

Datsun Cherry 100A/120A (1971-1976)

• One of the earlier Japanese imports offered in the UK, showed leadership
• Once a familiar part of the British streetscape, most rusted away years ago

Notable as the breakthrough Japanese car for the UK market, the Datsun Cherry is a rare sight now but it should be a staple at any British car show, given its significance to British drivers and families. A front-wheel drive range comprising a small saloon, coupe, estate plus a light van, the first E10 Nissan Cherry was sold as the Datsun 100A or 120A in Britain, reflecting the 1.0- and 1.2-litre engine options. It offered style to rival a Ford Escort, handling and security that challenged the popular BMC ADO16 series as well as build quality and reliability that surpassed both. It's a rare car now, as the one thing Datsun didn't improve was rust resistance.

It sold alongside the Datsun Sunny, or 120Y, which offered rear-wheel drive and slightly more room — and achieved greater sales in early years. By the start of the 1980s the Cherry and Sunny were both front-wheel drive and overlapping in performance and space. The last-generation Cherry to be sold was the angular N12 — notable for a short-lived partnership with Alfa Romeo creating the flat-four engined Nissan Cherry Europe and Alfa Romeo Arna. In spirit, the Nissan Micra replaced the Cherry.

Suzuki SC100 GX 'Whizzkid' (1977-1982)

• Small, quick and nimble, immense fun and well-supported
• Survivors are rare and getting very expensive, projects will need a lot of welding

One of the first kei-cars to achieve popularity in the UK, the Suzuki SC100 GX was an export version of the 1976 Suzuki Cervo, upgraded with a four-cylinder 1.0-litre engine and a slightly more upright windscreen and roof pillars to suit western markets. The stylish design actually dates back to 1971 and the Giugiaro-penned Fronte, a kei-car that wasn't sold in Europe. Popular from the start, it's cheap to run and reliable if maintained well, though rust is inevitably a problem and the little cars disappeared quite quickly from British roads — survivors are now in low double-digits.

Rear-engined and space-efficient, the 'Whizzkid' avoided the stigma of other cars with similar layouts such as the Hillman Imp and contemporary Skoda S110R — it also offered more luxury and quality than its closest rival in Britain, the Fiat 126. Parts availability is relatively good but you can expect an involved restoration if rust has taken hold. The SC100 also influenced the styling of the most recent Suzuki Ignis.

Nissan 200SX (1989-1994)

• Baby Nissan ZX became baby Nissan Skyline, fun to drive and reliable if unmodified
• Few examples have been babied, drifting and inexperience has claimed many

As a junior sibling to the Z-cars, the Nissan Silvia and 180SX epitomised the 'personal coupe' that was more popular in America and Japan, while Europe embraced the hot hatch. An affordable, sporty but fundamentally dependable small car with more than a bit of style.

Given different names to suit global markets, JDM imports mean searching for the model designation is easier. Officially, Britain got three generations — the S12 Nissan Silvia from 1984 to 1989, the S13 Nissan 200SX from 1989 to 1994 and the S14 Nissan 200SX from 1994 to 1999. You'll also find JDM notchbacks, the 180SX, versions without pop-up headlights and later S15 models on the wider market.

The S12 Silvia didn't capture the imagination of modifiers and drifers — which means it's affordable but now very rare, as few were cherished or saved. It's the S13 200SX that offers potential now — retaining the pop-up headlights, three-door fastback profile, refined to look like a junior 300ZX. It was relatively short-lived and features a 1.8-litre turbo producing around 175PS.

Regardless of generation, the 200SX offers sharp front-engine, rear-wheel drive handling and four-cylinder turbo power from the robust SR20DET engine, producing over 200PS in the final versions. The popularity of drift racing means the once-cheap 200SX is now a five-figure rival to a classic Ford Capri or BMW M3. You'll find more imports than UK cars for sale, while the newer Nissan 350Z and 370Z may be more appealing as a daily driver.

Toyota MR2 Mk2 SW20 (1989-1998)

• Wide cabin, well-insulated and comfortable quick mid-engined GT with sleek 1990s style
• Rust claiming the ones that bad tyres and wet weather left intact

Think of a Toyota MR2 and you'll probably remember the wedge-shaped original. A Japanese answer to the Fiat X1/9, engineered with Lotus involvement, it was practically a classic the minute it hit the roads. Its successor, launched in 1989, isn’t short of enthusiastic owners but the Toyota MR2 SW20 is less distinctive, and often seen as inferior. Overlook it and you're denying yourself a deeply capable, reliable sports cars. As the number of survivors falls you’ll regret not buying a cheap one.

British models are generally 2.0-litre, manual gearbox, and relatively tame specification. Imports offer turbocharged and BEAMS high-revving models, plus the rare MR2 Spider, as well as automatic options.

Choose good tyres, polybushes and full alignment for sharper handling, avoid mods from inexperienced owners and enjoy Toyota’s excellent parts supply and support — but watch for rust. T-Bar models offer the full MR2 experience but many owners prefer the hardtop or sunroof models for fewer leaks and greater rigidity.

Nissan Skyline GT-R (1989-2003)

• Popular, instantly recognisable and undeniably capable — the Skyline GT-R made Nissan cool
• Modified, bodged, crashed, stolen — even the high-priced cars now will have history

Think Nissan Skyline and you probably picture mid-1990s angular drift dominance — Fast and Furious-style two-door coupes with big turbochargers. The 1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 marked a reboot of the brand with all-wheel drive and 280PS and with Britain's backdrop of battered Bluebirds and lacklustre Laurels, a handful of imports in 1997 sparked an enthusiastic wave of buyers. The Skyline GT-R was a grey import sold via Nissan dealers with fewer than 200 across the R33 and R34 generations brought in, but personal imports account for many more.

The Skyline name goes back much further, to the 1950s Prince Motor Company, while the UK’s first taste of of it was disguised as the Datsun 240K. The R3X series GT-Rs are modern classic Nissans that offer performance and ability to rival the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth — but the prices are not far off.

Popular with modifiers, finding an unmolested original UK-market car could be quite a challenge. Early imports will have gone though the cheap performance car stage and many endured serious modifications in pursuit of 600PS or greater potential. With prices approaching six figures, buying a Skyline GT-R now needs careful research.

Suzuki Cappuccino (1991-1998)

• Kei-car compact, convertible and rear-wheel drive fun
• Rare, rust-prone and tricky to maintain

Japan's roadster revival gave buyers the Mazda MX-5 but the compact kei-class is where nostalgia is found for the domestic market. Recalling such delicate sports cars as the Honda S600, the Suzuki Cappuccino is an agile rear-wheel drive modern alternative to the Austin Healey Sprite or MG Midget, with a clever Targa-style roof with a drop-down rear window section for open-air thrills. Weighing less than 750kg, the 660cc turbocharged triple has enough about it to reach 60mph from standstill in less than 8.0 seconds. It's not a GT though and long drives are as tiring as those 1960s MG alternatives.

Only sold in the UK from 1993 to 1995, the 1100 official examples have not survived in large numbers — fewer than 200 are on the road, but SORN figures suggest projects are there for the brave. Imported post-1995 models have a timing chain, rather than belt, along with other improvements.

Mazda RX-7 FD3S (1992-2002)

• Beautiful, lightweight and low sports coupe embodies 1990s performance
• Many are JDM imports, twin-turbo rotary is hard to maintain well

From cruiser and twitchy GT the Mazda RX-7's third-generation evolved into an altogether more refined and sharper tool, a Porsche 911 rival rather than a quirky Japanese Capri. At least, in the eyes of Mazda’s marketing and engineering department. A sequential twin-turbo system took care of the on-paper credentials and an innovative, honed chassis and front-mid-engined layout lent credibility to the track rivalry.

For many owners, though, it’s all about the styling — breathtakingly low, astonishingly light, this generation of RX-7 is arrestingly beautiful when seen alongside mainstream cars today. Prices have rocketed upwards with genuine UK-market models well on the way to six-figure potential. Imports are cheaper — but you’re still looking at £20,000 minimum for a car which doesn’t need work immediately.

Officially offered in the UK from 1992 to 1995, the Mazda RX-7 twin-turbo produces 239PS and can reach 62mph from a standstill in 5.3 seconds, yet only 210 were sold. Many more have been imported from Japan and Australia as personal imports since offering up to 280PS before tuning. Unmodified cars are rare, UK-market models, rarer still. Restoration projects start from £6000, running, usable examples from £20,000 and concourse, perfect examples are £40-70,000 depending on spec and provenance.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (1993-2016)

• Ever-higher performance almost annually, the Evolution name is apt
• Early models likely to be well-used, only Evo VI onwards semi-official UK models

Like many popular JDM imports the Mitsubishi Lancer began as an obscure rally edition. Taking over from the Galant VR4, the Lancer-based homologation specials proved popular in Japan and, after Tommi Makinen put Mitsubishi on top of the 1996 WRC rankings, desirable everywhere. Arch rival to the Subaru Impreza, the what gradually became known simply as the Evo reached its sixth revision before Mitsubishi's official grey import channel offered it in the UK through a few dealers.

The Mitsubishi Evolution VI — no Lancer label in the UK for this one — is angular, dramatic and quick, its claimed 280PS was part of an agreement between Japanese manufacturers, and it comfortably exceeds that. Widespread Evo sales for the UK began in 2003 with the Lancer Evolution VIII and the appearance of different editions, prefixed with 'FQ'. You can guess what enthusiasts claim that stood for.

With a dramatic redesign for 2007, the final edition Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X was officially sold until 2014, with the last models claiming 440PS in FQ440 MR form, still one of the highest outputs achieved from a 2.0-litre production car. Technically cleverer than the Subaru WRX the Evo is relatively affordable but watch out for accident damage and rust as well as neglect.

Honda S2000 (1999-2009)

• Precise, high-revving and quick classic roadster is already a recognised classic
• Some fragile wiring, trim and suspension corrosion issues, don't fill up without checking oil

For Honda, the 1990s was a period of expansion and innovation, with the NSX and Beat reviving sports car themes last seen in the 1960s. The 50th anniversary of Honda was marked by the Honda S2000. For a firm that focused on front-wheel drive for cars small and large alike, a rear-wheel drive roadster was a significant move. It's so good that it's one of the best Japanese classic cars to buy in Britain, even before the final models have reached 20 years old.

Engaging handling and a feel not unlike a grown-up Mazda MX-5 is matched by a high-revving 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that achieved the highest output per litre of any naturally aspirated engine, until Ferrari beat it with the 458 Italia. Mainstream buyers were put off by the need to check the oil often — much like the contemporary Mazda RX-8 — but owners usually become enthusiasts and the S2000 has avoided the bargain-basement status that leads to serious neglect.

Even so, take advantage of the long production run to get the latest, cleanest example you can. The last year of production includes a limited edition, the GT Edition 100, and for an easy life look for post-2004 AP2 models. It's unlikely that Honda will make anything like the S2000 again.

Mazda RX-8 (2003-2012)

• Four-seater, low, quick coupe with simple, high-revving rotary power
• Poor maintenance and rust, expensive road tax, has consigned many to scrap

When the last RX-7 left the factory in 2002, it was an expensive, limited production turbocharged small supercar, expensive and of limited appeal. Its successor turned everything around — rather than taking on Porsche, Mazda chose to return to the classic coupe ideals and family-friendly practicality — it almost made the 21st-century Ford Capri a reality when it introduced the Mazda RX-8.

Four seats, four doors with novel pillarless access to the rear and a simple naturally aspirated twin-rotor engine that could achieve 231PS on the way to a 9500rpm redline. In 2003 it looked like the car every company car driver promised themselves. Its practicality put it on the list, while leasing deals and discounts made it cheaper than many superminis.

On track it retained all the handling prowess of the previous RX-7 and MX-5, yet the appetite for oil is no different to the Honda S2000. Even without the RX-7's turbos, the RX-8's Renesis evolution of the 13B rotary engine needs careful handling. Given the UK's habits of short drives, congestion and stop-start traffic, it's not really a surprise that many cars went wrong prematurely. Treated well, a Renesis engine can do 200,000 miles between rebuilds. That involves proper warming up, using all the revs and switching off without a lot of idling.

2006's changes to VED tax bands made the cheap sports car less appealing in showrooms and as a used buy. Despite improvements and an upgraded R3 model, the RX-8 left British price lists in 2009 and imports are rare because elsewhere it's a sought-after car. The attrition rate is high — buy a cheap one while you can, because prices are on the up. Four-port 192PS models are more robust and forgiving but you want a six-port for the high-revving thrill and best performance. £5000 is all you need to get a nice example of an RX-8 but remember it's the top rate of tax if registered after March 2006 and it'll need regular maintenance.