
Why? Because it is a small and not that powerful, even absolutely thrashing the car and revving it out on public roads won’t bother anyone’s day, and you won’t be breaking any laws, since most of this will be around 30-50 mph. If you want something that is fun and you can use all of the car’s powerband, this is the best car to buy. Is the Beat practical? Not in the slightest. But, Honda made the decision to produce a Pininfarina-designed, mid engined roadster within the kei class. That, when coupled with Honda’s famously high revving engines from the 90s, resulted in a car that is truly special, and best described as a “half-sized NSX.”

Like nearly every other Kei Car, the Honda Beat has a 660cc 3 cylinder engine that produces 63 horsepower. Example: If a car's VIN number is less than 25 years old, the car is not legal for import in the U.S.However, from these size limitations an excellent type of sports car emerged that was even smaller than the Mazda Miata, and among the best of those is the Honda Beat. Keep in mind that buying a car and importing it are two different things. There are a couple of auction sites where you can find and bid for the JDM vehicle of your choice. A JDM version of the Honda Integra can differ from the Honda Integra, sold in the US, in terms of engine power (usually due to emissions) or even exterior features, like bumpers. This can also be a Japanese car sold for a market outside of Japan. Q: What is not JDM?Īny car that isn't built in compliance with Japanese regulations and is not meant for the Japanese market. The easiest way to find out if your car is a JDM is by checking the vehicle identification (VIN) number, which is usually stamped somewhere on the car's body, most often in the engine bay or around the inner sides of the door sills. Q: What counts as a JDM car?Īny car or a version of a car that was originally intended for sale on the Japanese market and has been built to comply with Japanese regulations. Currently, they are also the most expensive ones to purchase and import. Q: What's the most popular JDM car?Ĭurrently, there are many contenders for the title, but the most notable ones are the Toyota Supra Mk IV and Nissan Skyline GT-R. Some homologation may be necessary if you really want to import a JDM car to another market. Mitsubishi 3000 GT and Mitsubishi GTO) have not been crash-tested or emission-tested outside of the Japanese market, where safety and emission standards may differ greatly. JDM is illegal because JDM cars, especially ones that don't have export equivalents (eg.

Q: What are considered JDM cars?Ī JDM car is any car that is sold on the Japanese market and has been built in compliance with all Japanese regulations. The term describes vehicles that are meant solely for the Japanese market. RELATED: Exclusive: JCCS 2022 - The West Coast Mecca of JDM In this list, you will find the original ten cars and a few extra models to give you more options to learn about or to refresh your memory. Updated July 19, 2023: Since so many groups of people in North America love JDM cars, it was thought that this list should be updated instead of letting it get lost in the piles of old information.

Without further ado, these are the best JDM cars that were produced in the 1990s. That may seem contradictory, but even though JDM cars have a great resale value in North American markets, they are still priced lower than what a version modified initially for sale in America could be found for. Plus, if they are ever sold, the resale values are always fairly good because so many people on this side of the world are looking to get their hands on one. The great thing about these cars for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere is that they are much more cost-friendly, and since they are reliable and built to last, they make great cars to have around.
