The Most Prominent JDM Cars From Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, And Other Brands To Be Displayed At The Audrain Automobile Museum 33rd Exhibition

The Audrian Automotive Museum in Newport opened its doors for the 33rd exhibition, themed “JDM & Beyond – The Worldwide Influence of Japanese Automobiles”. The exhibition started on March 16 and will continue through June 9. 

The exhibition features everything from the Japanese automotive industry's humble beginnings, through JDM sports cars of the 1970s, 1980s Formula 1 legends, and 1990s technologically ground-breaking performance cars like the GT-R, NSX, and RX-7 to name a few. The exhibition is not limited to cars as it also showcases a variety of iconic, Japanese motorcycles from different eras.

“It is only now with the films starring ‘tuner’ cars and the generations growing up with auto-themed video games that the obsession and cult following globally for these special and unique vehicles has been recognized. We are excited to bring these cars and motorcycles together and allow enthusiasts to experience them up close.”, said Audrian Museum CEO, Donald Osborne. But in truth, the automotive industry was marking a quiet revolution long before JDM tuner cars became popular.

What are some highlights of the Audrian Automotive Museum's 33rd exhibition?

1. 1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R R32

You can't have a JDM automotive exhibition without the Nissan Skyline GT-R R32. The first Godzilla was a homologation-special that dominated motorsports. Nissan engineers took inspiration from the Porsche 959, but improved the all-wheel-drive system, to reduce understeer, gaining the best from rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive cars.

2. 1988 McLaren MP4/4 F1

Remember the era of crazy, high-horsepower Formula 1 cars, with big turbochargers? The Honda-powered, 1988 McLaren MP4/4 F1 is one such car. Driven by multiple world F1 champion Alain Prost. The car was very successful, finishing 1st and 2nd in 1988. It was motivated by a 1.5-liter turbocharged V-6 with 685 horsepower.

3. Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution

Another homologation special includes the Dakar-built, homologation special, Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution. This short-wheel-based off-roader is still one of the more attainable JDM classics, and packs a 3.5-liter V-6 engine with 276 horsepower, although different sources claim an output of around 300.

What are some other noteworthy JDM vehicles, shown at the Audrian Automotive Museum's 33rd exhibition?
Cars:

• 1970 Subaru 360 Deluxe Sedan
• 1972 Datsun 240Z
• 1972 Toyota FJ43 LWB Land Cruiser
• 1975 Honda Civic CVCC (Lent by Ken & Sue Weidner)
• 1988 McLaren-Honda MP4/4 Alain Prost F1 car
• 1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R
• 1993 Honda NSX R (Lent by Vincent Howard and Dr. Wei-Shen Chin, with an assist from The Cultivated Collector, New Canann, CT)
• 1993 Autozam AZ-1 (Lent by Neal Heffron)
• 1993 Mazda RX-7
• 1993 Toyota Sera (Lent by Tom Laferriere)
• 1993 Falken Mazda FD RD RX7 drift car (Lent by Redline Restorations)
• 1994 Toyota Supra Twin Turbo Targa
• 1995 Toyota Supra GT300 Smokey Nagata, Top Secret Performance (Lent by Redline Restorations)
• 1997 Subaru Impreza 22B-STI Prototype (Lent by Ernie Boch Jr.)
• 1998 Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution homologation (Lent by Redline Restorations)
• 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 by Signal Auto (Lent by Redline Restorations)
• 2000 Nissan Silvia S15 by Top Secret Tunning (2001 D1 Drifting Champion – 1st place) (Lent by Redline Restorations)

Motorcycles:

• 1963 Honda C105T Trail 55
• 1972 Kawasaki H2 Mach IV 750
• 1983 Honda CX 650 Turbo
• 2003 Suzuki GSX 1300R Hayabusa, 40th Anniversary Edition
   

About the author

Dimitar Angelov's automotive interests made him an expert in a wide variety of vehicles. Japanese brands like Toyota are closest to his heart, although performance cars in general are his favorite segment, which is why he is constantly on the lookout for the best deals on the market. Dimitar Angelov's car passion and knack for the written word led him to complete a Master of Arts in Media and Communications, and classic car restoration. Dim is happy to get behind the wheel of any car and share his impressions. You can follow Dimitar on X, Linked-in, Instagram, and Facebook.