These Japanese cars are worth their weight in gold, and we'd be more than willing to pay a small fortune for them.

Japanese cars have come a long way over the past half-century or so. The demand for Japanese cars has grown tremendously in all parts of the world as more gearheads chase the simplicity, reliability, practicality, and affordability that only they can offer.

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Japanese cars have always had a reputation for being more affordable than their foreign equivalents. However, we're seeing a strong shift in the market, especially when it comes to classic cars. Some classic Japanese cars are selling for prices similar to those typically demanded for classic Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and other expensive European classic cars. This article explores ten superb Japanese classics we're willing to spend a fortune on.

The 1960s will always be considered to be the golden era of car design, as it produced some of the most beautiful sports cars of all time. These include the Jaguar E-Type, Ferrari 250 GTO, Corvette Sting Ray, and this beauty, the Toyota 2000GT.

The 2000GT was so beautiful that it appeared in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice. While its 138-hp inline-six engine wasn't as powerful as its European competitors, its sheer beauty and rarity are enough to command a price tag of over $1 million.

In the early '70s, Nissan rolled up its sleeves and built one of its most iconic models ever, the Skyline 2000 GT-R, or Hakosuka, as it's popularly referred to as. This car had everything; a beautiful design, superb engineering, and a bulletproof 2.0-liter six-cylinder engine making 158 hp.

Sadly, the oil crisis of the '70s kicked off and killed the demand for the Skyline 2000 GT-R, forcing Nissan to end its production run earlier than expected. Due to its rarity, the Skyline 2000 GT-R costs an eye-watering $120,000 today. We still want it, though.

Before 1990, Honda was mostly known for producing motorcycles and economy cars. However, in the early '90s, Honda decided to change that by developing a high-performance supercar that could compete with European giants like Ferrari and Porsche. The result was the iconic NSX.

The NSX was a masterpiece. It had a beautiful wedge-shaped design and the power to match, coming from a 3.0-liter V6. The NSX was superb to drive, as the legendary Ayrton Senna helped Honda perfect it.

The Lancer is one of, if not the most iconic Mitsubishi model. The Lancer enjoyed a successful production run of over four decades, during which it spawned multiple variants.

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Of all the Lancer versions you can buy, few are as good as the Evo VI Tommi Makinen Edition. Mitsubishi built this fantastic car in 1999 to honor rally legend Tommi Makinen, who won four WRC titles for them. The Evo VI TME was equipped with several visual and performance upgrades that justify its $80,000 price tag.

The Supra was among the best Japanese sports cars since the late '70s when it first launched as a Celica trim level. However, the fourth-generation model took it to a whole new level.

Introduced in the mid-90s, the Supra Mk4 wowed gearheads with its fantastic design, 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 with 321 hp on tap, and affordable price tag. The Supra was so good that it was featured in the Fast and Furious franchise. Due to its role in the film, the Supra Mk4 can sell for well over $100,000.

The Nissan 240Z stunned gearheads when it debuted in the '60s. No one expected one of the most beautiful cars of the day to be so cheap, which is why they sold like hotcakes. However, some gearheads felt that the 240Z was a bit underpowered, which is why Nissan built the Z432R.

The Z432R looked just like the 240Z but had a unique black and orange paint job, a much lighter body, and an upgraded 2.0-liter inline-six generating 158 hp.

Introduced in the late '60s, the Cosmo is one of the most important Mazda models in history. The Cosmo impressed many with its eye-catching design and revolutionary technologies, including the world's first Wankel rotary engine.

Although the Cosmo's engine only produced 110 hp, its importance cannot be understated, as it served as the basis of Mazda's rotary engine technology for decades. The Cosmo is super rare, with around 1,000 examples produced.

Nissan's tuning division NISMO has built many awesome vehicles over the years. However, its work on the R33 Skyline GT-R to give us the 400R will go down in history as one of its greatest achievements.

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The Nismo 400R had many upgrades over the base R33, including a 2.8-liter twin-turbo six-cylinder engine with 400 hp on tap, a twin-plate clutch, an intercooler system, an upgraded exhaust, Nismo brake pads, and others. Only 44 examples were made, making the 400R extremely rare.

Never judge a book by its cover - the Toyota Corolla AE86 GTS is a perfect example of this. From the outside, the AE86 GTS looks like just any other boring Japanese hatchback from the '80s. However, once you drive it, it becomes clear why it has such a big cult following.

The AE86 is powered by an all-aluminum 4A-GE four-cylinder engine, sending 112 hp to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual. This doesn't sound like much, but it's enough to make the 2,300-lb hatchback extremely fun to drive. $40,000 seems like a lot for this car, but you'll never think about it as you drift around town.

The Impreza 22B STI is an important part of Subaru's history, as it was a celebration of the marque's third World Rally Championship win and 40th anniversary. With around 400 examples made, the 22B is among the rarest Japanese cars ever, which is why it's super expensive.

As you can imagine, the 22B is unlike any Impreza ever built. It was powered by an upgraded 2.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing a reported 280 hp, but many believe the actual figure was over 300 hp.

Martin is a seasoned content creator who has been writing about cars for over a decade, and has been in love with them for even longer. Growing up, Martin was surrounded by gearheads who instilled a deep love and understanding for cars in him at a young age. He loves to learn and write about all the developments happening in the auto industry - especially in the EV space. When he's not writing about cars, he likes to spend quality time with his wife, kids, and fur baby.