The Japanese sport coupe wasn’t invented in the 1990s. After all, the Toyota Celica, Datsun/Nissan SX and Z-Cars, and Honda Prelude all launched in the 1970s. But by the beginning of the 1990s, the segment had well and truly reached its zenith with a broad range of offerings from Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, Mitsubishi and even some bearing domestic manufacturers’ logos. The “Golden Age”, then, of the Japanese sport coupe could perhaps be considered to encompass the entire decade of the 1990s, before the segment dramatically thinned out in the wake of changing consumer tastes. Which was your favourite offering from this time?
The sheer variety was staggering. Did you want a turbocharged, all-wheel-drive coupe? Mitsubishi had you covered with the Eclipse, or there were the related Eagle Talon and Plymouth Laser.
Rear-wheel-drive? Nissan offered you the 240SX and 300ZX, while Toyota had the acclaimed Supra.
Rotary engine? Who else but Mazda, with the stunning RX-7.
Maybe you placed less of an emphasis on outright thrills and instead preferred high levels of smoothness and refinement. If so, Mazda’s MX-3 and MX-6 may have appealed to you.
Of course, if you didn’t mind the racket and wanted something fleet of foot but low on price, there were the Isuzu Impulse and Geo Storm coupes.
If you wanted a traditional, domestic nameplate, Ford would sell you a version of the Mazda MX-6 with a Probe badge. There was also the aforementioned Plymouth Laser, as well as the later Mitsubishi-based Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring Coupe.
These were just a few of Japan, Inc.’s offerings. There were also the *deep breath*: Honda Prelude, CRX and Civic del Sol; Acura Legend; Subaru SVX; Mitsubishi 3000GT and Dodge Stealth; Toyota Celica and MR2; Nissan NX; Lexus SC; and Acura Legend Coupe. Then there were two-door variants of the Japanese automakers’ mainstream offerings like the Honda Civic and Accord and Toyota Corolla and Camry, as well as countless JDM beauties like the Eunos Cosmo and Nissan Skyline.
What were your favorite Japanese coupes of the 1990s?
300zx… Loved the Supra Mark 3 until the new 300 came along in 1989/1990 and I never looked at another sports car again. I own one and still feel it is the nicest looking car on the road! Truly the pinnacle of Japanese design and elegance 🙂
My second choice.
I had a pearl white 300ZX with tan leather, t-tops and the five speed, In many ways a fantastic car. However for some reason I never connected with this car. I sold it and kept my ’77 280z 2+2 for a couple of more years. The car I have always wanted was the second gen Acura Legend coupe with the manual transmission.
Subaru SVX. If only it was available with a manual. From what I understood, Subaru was on financially shaky ground at the time and couldn’t afford the development costs of any transmissions for the flat 6, so it went out with a weak automatic.
I’d still love to have one.
And then came the Outback, at which point they became successful – and completely disinteresting to me.
I pick the first generation Isuzu Impulse. I liked the half-hidden headlights. They made the car look like it was about to go to sleep.
Remember the TV commercials? “Dream, that’s the thing to doooooooo . . .
I always thought the Mazda MX6 was a beautiful design. I had a very attractive female boss back in the mid 90’s who drove one in forest green with parchment leather, V6 and a 5speed. It looked like an expensive european GT, but it growled and stuck to the road like a formula one racer.
Unfortunately my then-boss fell asleep at its wheel one Friday evening on her way to her family’s home about 6 hours away for the weekend and took out an entire nursery/garden center when she veered off the road in a rural area of Maryland. The car was totaled, she was fine.
I was in love with the Nissan 240SX notchback back when those were new. They were juuuuuuuust beyond what I was willing to pay.
My 2 younger sisters (youngest one since deceased at age 37) each had qty-2 240 SX’s (total of 4 between them). All of them automatic and all notchbacks, youngest sister started with an ’85 200SX, damaged in a hailstorm, then got a ’91 240 SX which she didn’t take care of, didn’t change oil and ended up with valve problems, she let it go when she moved away after college. My next youngest sister picked up the trend and bought a ’92 which was later totalled in an accident (actually they towed it with rear wheels down for many miles, I told the insurance company that the transmission probably would need work also due to this and they totalled it)…she then bought (new) a ’98 240 SX which she still has…people try to buy it off her (guess she bought them right before they stopped selling them) but so far she hasn’t fallen for any offers, it has low mileage (maybe 60K?) and has had odd problems (like fuel tank sprung a leak) but is otherwise OK…the oldest car in our family, she beats me by 2 years.
I started things I guess when I had a 1974 Datsun 710, which I really liked, but I’ve not owned a Datsun/Nissan (nor any other Japanese car) since then (back when I was going to college as a commuter student). Funny thing was that I wasn’t too interested in 240SX until my sisters bought them (I got to do repairs on them as older brother while they were in school) then became more impressed.
I am going to go with the 240sx hatchback from 1989-94. Too many sport coupes had gone fwd. The more expensive offerings like the RX7 or 300ZX butted up against superior offerings from Stuttgart or Bowling Green.
With the 240SX, you got an advanced independent rear suspension an excellent 5 speed and new on this generation was the torquey 2.4 Nissan engine. This did not have the compromises of overloading the chassis the way a big six would have or a small 2.0 that would have needed a turbo to get moving. The interior also featured one of the great cockpits from a truly great era of such design. The hatch area made the car versatile and the price was right.
+ 100
I owned a ’91 240SX 5-speed hatchback with sunroof & super HICAS steering… it was a Car of a Lifetime.
The ’90 Acura Legend coupe I had didn’t hold a candle to the less expensive Nissan. (bad syncro on the 5-speed; bad torque steer).
I’d love to find an unmolested 240SX with the HICAS….
Mine would be the true Japanese supercar, the Acura NSX. A sharp looking car that has all the looks and power of a real Ferrari with half of the repair costs and twice the reliability. If I wanted to and had the cash, I would buy an NSX, in White, with original Honda badging on it. Don’t ask me why I would buy the Honda version, its just part of my weirdness.
Runner ups would be the Nissan 300ZX, the 1992 Twin Turbo Third Generation Toyota Supra. (Even though the original third gen came out in 86) The Mitsubishi GTO/300GT, the Infiniti M30, the first gen Eclipse, and the Nissan 240SX.
Talk about a tough question: there’s a lot to love about virtually all of them! My top 3 would be as follows:
1) Mazda RX7 (stunningly beautiful, lightweight and unique)
2) Nissan 300ZX (also stunningly beautiful and with the wonderfully fast Turbo)
3) Honda Prelude (I had one and thoroughly enjoyed it).
Such an amazing period for products from Japan–I miss it!
It was before the nineties, but I thought the Mitsubishi Starion (aka Dodge Conquest) was okay.
The Starion/Conquest just might be my favorite of the 80’s.
This
So many good choices, but I’d have to vote for the Prelude. Great handling & shifter, and a fun, precise driving experience .
For the North American market my favourites would be the third generation Rx-7 or a second generation MR2 (turbo and t-bar roof please).
For a JDM car a Suzuki Cappuccino would be awfully tempting.
Great question. Some younger people wonder why others of us are attached to the past, well, this “golden era” is one reason why. There’s so many I liked it’s hard to narrow it down. It’s also a big reason why I’m bored with most of what’s offered today.
#1 Nissan 240SX – wish I had one but I didn’t need a new car when these were for sale.
#2 Nissan Sentra SE-R
#3 Honda Accord or Civic coupe (or hatch), or even a CR-X
#4 Mitsubishi Eclipse or Plymouth Laser – an early one before the “refresh”
#5 Mazda MX-3 like Michael Ionno’s COAL
#6 Any of the rest, there really wasn’t a coupe I didn’t like from this era, even one painted teal green.
Ask me again tomorrow and I might come up with a different list (OK, except for the 240SX, those really were a knockout).
300ZX. Nothing else comes close.
Second generation CRX. Case closed. No more questions, your honour.
Although not the most powerful car around, my silver ’87 CRX SI was a “Nickel Rocket”.
With it’s combination of light weight, aggressive final drive ratio, a “textbook” slick shifting 5 speed manual transmission, short, narrow (but surprisingly roomy inside!) body, door mounted rear view mirrors placed perfectly for peripheral viewing with barely a head twitch, I cut quite a quick figure thru heavy traffic. Cars/trucks with twice/three times the horsepower could not catch up or keep up with me!
A co-worker, SO proud of his 5.0 Mustang GT, was frequently frustrated that he could not keep up with me, much less pass me, when we both left work at the same time in the late afternoon.
All this at (at least) twice the gas mileage of a V8 Mustang or Camaro!
I’d the track day I went to last weekend is any indication, there is still A LOT OF love for the 240SX coupes. I’m not as familiar with them, but I can definitely see the appeal (stock or otherwise). We’re I buying one of these at the time, I feel like I would have ended up in a Prelude; I’ve always had a soft spot for them.
Love this article! This was the greatest period for sleek sports car design in general, and on top of it all of these cars offered totally unique qualities under the skin to separate themselves from one another… Unlike today. Also unlike today people actually bought some of these in good numbers, what the hell happened???
I hate to rank them but I guess it would be this, fav first
1) A80 Toyota Supra- I know these are polarizing for their bulk but I just love the styling departure from the MKIII
2) FD Mazda RX7 – I think this may be the prettiest of the bunch, taking all the good qualities of the generations leading up and adding, dare I say it, Pininfarina rivaling curves. The early versions with the small marker lights are much better though.
3) Dodge Stealth R/T – I prefer the styling to the 3000, but love both for almost being a 90s Cuda/Challenger, and I do quite like driving them despite being a FWD based platform
4) Z32 Nissan 300ZX – The last good looking Z car, and another one I’d say runs for the prettiest. My favorite car commercial ever was for one, with scale versions with a GI joe picking up Barbie to Van Halen’s cover of “you really got me”.
“What the hell happened?”
SUVs and pickups. Why?
Good question. I have theories but I’d probably get banned if I put ’em out there.
The GI Joe/Barbie 300z commercial was fantastic! I loved how it slid into the lawn furniture!
The 1990-96 300ZX 2 seater and the 97+ Honda Prelude Type SH, loved both of their styling, performance & they both still look good today!
I liked the 300ZX when it was new – I didn’t know (still don’t) if it’s objectively a good car, but it seemed like a hangover from the “hairy chest & gold medallion” Japanese coupes of the 80s. I feel like the Japanese were best at that – even hairier and more medalliony than a Capri 2.8.
When the Mitsubishi 3000GT came out, it seemed impossibly glamorous for a Mitsubishi and I wanted one (I was probably 11 years old). My neighbour currently has a sad looking one in silver which he appears to be using as an ornament, and it seems a very ordinary car indeed.
I’d pick the Subaru XT. The car looked like it was designed by people who also drew mecha anime. Between the digital dash and funky control stalks begind the steering wheel to its angular body. Every time I see one I feel like there has to be a button that turns it into a robot somewhere.
We never had the XT6 in the UK (we had the four cylinder versions), so maybe that’s why I’d find one so tempting. Utterly space age.
Very good question and a hard one for me to choose just one.
As a kid I was deeply fascinated with the Nissan 300ZX. I had a poster of it on my bedroom wall, and numerous Matchbox toy examples. I was also always fascinated by the third generation Honda Prelude, with its Ferrari-like looks and pop-up headlights.
It may have leaned more towards the luxury end of the spectrum than compact sport coupe, but the second generation Acura Legend coupe is also one of my favorites. The DSM coupes, particularly the lesser-seen Eagle Talon and Plymouth Laser were also good looking vehicles.
Bottom line, I can’t choose just one 🙂
I owned a 1990 Plymouth Laser coupe, so I’m biased and would definitely say a first gen. Diamond-Star coupe. Mine had a 1.8L engine coupled with an automatic transmission, but that was definitely the most FUN car I’ve ever owned. Even with the skinny base wheel and tire set up it handled like it was on rails, and it was the cheap model! The 1995 restyle and reduction to Talon and Eclipse ruined the car for me. If I could find a clean, low mileage original, I’d buy one again.
I would take the MX-6 if it could seat anyone over 5′-8″, let along 6’+. It is such a beautiful design, with once in a decade sophistication. I’ve always thought it looked like an evolution of the Corvair—speaking of once-a-decade beauties.
Good catch, and the MX-6 did a nice evolution of the “coke-bottle” design.
What devastates me is that there’s a MX6 near me on the side of the road for $600. For crying out loud! A stylish machine costing near 50 grand when it came out in my country. 600 bucks for one of the few Mazdas that didn’t send both drivers and onlookers to sleep. Where’s the justice?
une propulsion et une traction ?? corvair vs mx6
Integra.
1) RX-7
2) Acura Integra Type R, with its hand built engine
3) DSM Talon, AWD turbo
4) ’81 Celica Supra, with Sports Option
Definitely the third generation Supra. Would love to own a late-model example with the 5-spoke alloys, but they’re as rare as hen’s teeth, and priced accordingly.
My 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse was a fun car to drive. Not so practical, though, when I was lugging along my infant son and his equipage. Ended up selling it and buying a Mercury Sable wagon. I hated that car.
Nice cat!
That will be a story for another article: Curbside Cats. I’m sure readership wouldn’t be so hard to find the way the Internet is.
One of my favorite cats, she was named Agrippinilla after a female character in “I Claudius”. This was always a cause for amusement on visits to the vet.
Even better than Jaguar’s for a hood ornament, I’d say.
First choice would be a Supra Turbo, followed by an MX-6. I’d also be happy with any Nissan Z, a 240 or a 300.
For looks and a decent set of specifications I’d want a mid 90s Nissan 240 SX SE. But having sat in the driver’s seat of one about 15 years ago I know I don’t really fit in one. And I would pick that one mostly because I’m assuming I could easily fit in the driver’s seat.
My “runner-up” car would be a Lexus SC300 with a manual transmission. I’ve even found one that is owned by someone at a local Barnes & Noble, though it’s quite scruffy.
I would suggest that the “Golden Age Of Japanese Sport Coupes” started (in the USA) with the 1970 Datsun 240Z?
I would suggest that the “Golden Age Of Japanese Sport Coupes” started (in the USA) with the 1970 Datsun 240Z? I would have to go with the 67 Toyota 2000GT
On the west coast of the USA, perhaps the Toyota 2000GT was known about. In the rest of America, nobody knew about it unless they had a subscription to “Road & Track” magazine.
But, by late 1971, every car crazy kid, even in the mid west of Oklahoma and Kansas, knew what a “240 Z car” was and lusted after one.
My uncle had an orange ’70 240Z and my dad had a red ’70 Mach I. I had a hard time deciding which one was coolest. I still don’t know.
Among the more expensive RWD offerings, the Toyota Supra Turbo.
Among the cheaper FWD platform stuff, the Eagle Talon Turbo (pretty sure there was an AWD version available).
Boy, there really were a ton of cool Japanese cars back then, many of them 2 doors. My favorites would probably be the JC Mazda Cosmo or the tech-laden 3000GT VR4, for sheer audacity on both counts. Many others are favorites though. I have always pined for a nice MX-6, or Legend GS coupe, or maybe a Prelude with 4WS, or the drop dead gorgeous Z32 300ZX, or the original Lexus SC… There seem to be many less choices today, to make room for SUVs and crossovers of all sizes.
Let us not forget that even alot of cheap mainstream economy cars came in 2 door sedan form back then. Sentra SE-R, Impreza coupe (STi 22B?), Corolla, Paseo, Mirage coupe… And wagons, too!
As a fan of all things Mazda, the last RX7 has to be my favourite. A few years ago I met a guy at work who had a serious RX7 and he let me have a drive of it. Once I’d managed to squeeze myself into it I loved it, even at the modest speeds I was driving.
Him ” It’s popping and banging a bit as it’s running a little rich at present”
Me ” Isn’t that going to f*** up the cat?”
Him ” What cat ?”
Me “How do you get it through the emissions test without a cat?”
Him “What test ?”
Easy – and one I believe nobody else has mentioned.
Lexus SC300 with manual transmission.
Datsun 510
I’d go:
Isuzu Impulse RS. Been there, want another one. Mine was red like the one in the picture but sans sunroof. The XS version is also welcome.
Z32 Nissan 300ZX. 2 seater coupe.
2nd (and last) gen Ford Probe GT. Of those twins, Ford got it right. They still look beautiful.
5th gen Celica, widebody, hatch and with the JDM 2.0lt engine is better.
Lexus SC300/SC400 – 2nd gen Toyota Soarer. The V8 with a proper exhaust.
for pure metal art it’s the FD RX-7 for me. i think this is Japans E type. there is not a line or curve or dimension that is in conflict. even the wheels can’t be improved upon. and only because it was my first new car, my way back runner up is a 94 Sentra SE-R. an honest little box containing an ideal mix of performance and handling for real world driving.
The first generation Isuzu Impulse, nee Piaza. For a weird choice,how about the Subaru SVX? In black, it looks like something a Japanese Batman might drive
Never owned any of them but based on what I *think* they’d be like- and appearances- my Top Three would be CRX, 300ZX, and MR2. I once was thiiiisssss cloooossseee to owning a MR2 but the deal didn’t happen.
For me it was the Ford Probe, 1st generation only……..until I drove one. The ergonomics were so awkward with the steering wheel so high.
Therefore: Mazda RX 7. I never had a chance to drive one, though.
Terrible question for me– I spent 8 years of the 90s in high school and college, and in ’98 when I got back to Chicago and actually could afford a car these were mostly all gone. Totally missed out on what was at least a Silver Age.
I’d have to second the Stealth/3000GT although I always saw them as a notch above the regular Japanese sport coupe. In the smaller, more affordable realm I’d have to go with the MX-6.
We bought the 95 Mitsubishi Eclipse GST. Five speed manual, no AWD but all the other goodies. Beautiful lines. That car was a lot of fun! No problem keeping up with modern Corvettes in a drag, Blew their doors off in the curvy hills. Awesome factory stereo system. It was always serviced promptly. However, by 85k miles, the crankshaft was walking in its journals. Thrust bearing shot. Fixed that. By 120k, the thrust bearing was going out again. Fifth gear would not engage. Starter would stick. We learned our lesson. No more cars with first year new mechanicals. A blast that did not last. Replaced it with a boring Accord Coupe V6 that we still have.
A Mazda MX-6 LS five-speed would be most closely attuned to my personal tastes, followed by a pre-facelift Z30 Lexus SC or Toyota Soarer. Most tempting is the FD RX-7, which is almost Italian in its ability to be both highly desirable and an obviously bad idea. (They were high-strung, twitchy, and have a reputation for fragility, but so fast, so agile, so pretty.)
I wouldn’t mind another Prelude Si 4WS, although I really wish the U.S. car had been available without a sunroof. It also needed a better stereo, which is fixable, as well as ABS and less buzzy gearing, which is not so easy.
Perfect summation of the RX-7. I wish they sold more so they weren’t as rare today, Their lines are like you said quite Italian in their seduction, but one knows that the rotary engine that lies beneath the hood isn’t known for their longevity and durability
I wasn’t just thinking of the engine. The early ones had problems with paint longevity and even suspension bolts working themselves loose (which may or may not have been a recall — I don’t remember without looking it up).
I think you summed up the RX-7 perfectly, and I do remember it got blasted pretty quickly for its frailty. I even recall comments that it was really easy to dent the delicate sheet metal.
Funny that you mention the Prelude sunroof. I never liked how it opened outside the car, and since it was metal, you didn’t get the benefits of the glass panel like the previous version with the sunshade. I had an ’88 Prelude where I took advantage of the moonroof all the time, and it really enhanced the open airy feeling of the car. My ’92 felt much tighter inside due to the dark sunroof, and I almost never opened it.
When I had a Prelude (third-generation), the moonroof became the bane of my existence because I discovered that if you were parked on a grade (like my assigned parking spot), sufficiently heavy rain would overflow the internal drainage channels — even if the drain pipes were clear. That was enough to erase any positive benefits of the moonroof and make me feel that people shouldn’t go cutting holes in perfectly good metal roofs.
Though a 1985 concept car, I must admit to a growing appreciation for the Suzuki RS1
Aim at a Cappuccino and you’ll be nearly there
For driving enjoyment plus looks, FD RX-7. For comfort and practicality plus looks, 2nd-gen Acura Legend Coupe. To this day I think that was a gorgeous design.
Mitsubishi 3000GT/Dodge Stealth. At least from a styling standpoint. They were just fabulous styling. They seemed to be wider than most cars; it gave them a super-car appearance. Much the same way the current Nissan GTR looks.
Lexus SC & Celica Supra
I’m very partial to the Honda Prelude. Looking at Prelude production data points to the ’80s being the golden age of the Japanese Sports coupe. Each generation of Prelude was built for four or five years. The first and third for four years each, and the others for five years each. More than twice as many second generation cars were built between ’83 and ’87 than first or third generation cars were built. Only about 60% as many fourth generation cars were made in the early to mid ’90s as there were third generation cars in the late ’80s. By the end of the ’90s, the Prelude was a low production niche car. It went from 336,599 sales in its second generation to 58,118 in its fifth. The first generation Prelude, which seemed to struggle to find an identity, sold three times as many in less time.
The last gen Preludes were very neat cars. Good looking and a lot of trick chassis tuning. If I recall correctly it had some form of 4WS.
It depended on the market. Fifth-gen U.S. cars were only available with an unusual trick differential, although you could still order 4WS on JDM cars.
In the FWD category, 1988-91 Prelude, back when there was an essential, low cowl, airy, miles beyond the competition “Honda-ness”. The ’92, with a dash that could have come from concurrent Cutlass, was a turn-off.
In the RWD, the Supra Turbo final generation. Some light mods and you could drive it to the track, run 11s or better, and drive home with the AC on.
I’m not a huge import car fan, but If I had the choice to own one, it would be a Z series or an Acura NSX. There’s one or two NSX’s that come to the car shows here, and I always enjoy looking at them, as they’re just an overall tremendous car. Supras are cool, too.
Celica Alltrac. Second gen models were tanks and twice the car an Eclipse/Talon was.
Still have the one I bought in 2000. My kids going to drive it.
Integra. I had a ’90 GS.
I LOVED my 94 Milano Red Prelude Si just like the one in the picture. Sadly, it was totaled 7 years and 70K miles later when an Expedition turned left on red as I was going thru an intersection with a green light. Both air bags deployed which is why it was totaled. I still miss that car.
I was the second owner of this one – bought from friends who purchased it new in 85. More of a boulevard car than the original Z or the later iterations but with the turbo and 5-speed, it was a great performer for its time. The tech was fun back in the day – digital dash, “audible warning system,” even power lumbar control. They sold well and were all over SoCal. A rare sight today.
The FD Mazda RX7 is the Japanese E-Type Jaguar. High strung and finicky, but there will never be another car like it. Mazda won Le Mans just as this car was being introduced, and that moment in time turned out to be the high point for the company, the rotary engine, and the Japanese auto industry all around. That there were so many other great Japanese cars at the time just puts an exclamation point on that moment and Mazda’s achievement. One could also argue that the Japanese auto industry has been living off of that moment in time ever since, as good cars have been built since then, but the sheer excitement of NSX! ZX! Supra! RX! and all the great other, lesser Nissans and Hondas of the day is no more, and may never be again. Enjoy your Priii, people.
My favorite Jap coupe ? My first ’69 Corolla 2 doors and my last and present Toyota coupe , a TC ( Zelaz , socal scion no more ) . Also a Toyota ”La Canadienne edition ” in 1979 .