QotW: What’s the next Japanese car to cross the six-figure mark?

The classic car market is going bananas right now, leading to some sky-high prices for Japanese cars. The $112,000 Integra Type R is just the latest example of it, but we’ve already seen plenty of others cross the six-figure threshold. Then there are cars that are just on the precipice. All it’s going to take is a low-mileage cream puff with the righht color code and options to push it over the edge.

What’s the next Japanese car to cross the six-figure mark?

The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What movie or TV car scenes have angered you most?“.

Understandably, the wanton destruction of classics is what irked many of you. Brett was justifiably upset at the trashing of an Aston Martin DB4 in the Italian Job, which they didn’t even get on film. Jonathon P. was angered by the blowing up of a 1970-71 Olds Cutlass in The New Karate Kid. It’s also why I never liked Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, even if the Ferrari was a fake.

Incongruent sound effects were another point of contention, as nominated by Leek and wil d. Bad commercials, particularly about hands-free driving, annoyed Taylor C. and speedie. However, by far the most answers this week had to do with The Fast & The Furious franchise, including our winner, Frank G., with his tirade about Fast Five:

In a franchise filled with hot garbage, the opening car chase from Fast Five is one of the worst. The gang is trying to break Vin Diesel out of jail by chasing down the prison bus that he’s riding in with an NSX, Charger, and Firebird. I forget why he’s there in the first place but it matters not. The plots of F&F movies are like lettuce in a salad. They are just filler and have no taste.

Anyway, the NSX plays chicken with the bus, forcing it to swerve into the Charger. The Charger slams on its brakes, and when the bus rear ends it at speed it flips clear over the Charger and rolls so violently and so many times every passenger on the bus would have snapped their necks. The Charger doesn’t budge an inch and escapes without a scratch.

That is not what would happen in a world governed by Newtonian physics, people! A 35,000-pound Greyhound-style coach slamming into a 3,000-pound Dodge would have crunched that Charger like an egg. Unless the car was made out of some kind of ultra dense black hole substance and actually weighed several times the bus’s weight, or had secretly burrowed some indestructable pillar into the earth’s mantle, there’s no way it’s staying planted on the road when the bus slams into it.

There are 9 movies of idiocy like this, and I’m sure there are far more offensive things in other ones, but for some reason this is the one that sticks out to me.

Oh, and the Firebird is completely wasted as it does jack squat in this scene.

Omedetou, your comment has earned you a set of decals from the JNC Shop!

JNC Decal smash

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16 Responses to QotW: What’s the next Japanese car to cross the six-figure mark?

  1. speedie says:

    Toyota Supra Third Generation (A70). A Teal Metallic,1992 Turbo with a 5-speed manual and only 13K miles just sold on Bring a Trailer for $75,000. This car checked all the boxes: Desirable model, correct trim, low mileage, manual, and a rare color (Teal Metallic was only offered in 1992). With Gen 4 Surpas regularly going for over $100K these days it’s only natural that the 3rd gen would start to get some serious attention. These were fantastic GT cars in the true European touring tradition. It was the sports car of choice for that mid-level executive who still had a bit of boy racer in them and wanted an image car that was a bit more luxurious than a Corvette. I expect to see one pass the $100K mark this year.

  2. Negishi no Keibajo says:

    One of three Toyota-Shelby 2000GT’s are coming up for auction in the neighborhood of $3 million +/- .5.

  3. gaijinshogun says:

    Instead of “what’s the next Japanese car to cross the six-figure mark,” I’m going to make it “What SHOULD be the next Japanese car to cross the six-figure mark.” I can’t think of Japanese car more deserving in so may ways:

    The Subaru 360

    We’re already half-way there. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1969-subaru-360-sedan-deluxe/

    They make a big deal of the original ’58 Toyopet Crown not being appropriate for American roads, when only hundreds were sold. How about those poor 10,000 happy tento-mushi Malcolm Bricklin Subaru 360’s thrown out of their element to battle with 500 cu Cadillacs and 18 wheelers? To further insult the little lady bug, Consumer reports had the gall to say “It was a pleasure to squirm out of the Subaru, slam the door and walk away. In sum we rate the Subaru 360 Not Acceptable.” Then the poor Subaru had hacksaws (no cordless reciprocating saws just yet) taken to their roofs, and then finally some of them were just tossed into the ocean.

    We need to avenge the Subaru 360 in the US market, which was the Ford, Model T, Volkswagen Bug, Renault 2CV of the Japanese market, and get them to think it’s a $100,000 car.

    Besides, what better way to demonstrate your commitment to vintage Japanese cars, then then to support a vehicle that would be a mere speed bump to a Karen texting in her SUV or Tesla?

    So get your shrill bids ready for the next spectacular Subaru 360 that comes to auction and let’s make that $100k mark. Just make sure you’re not the last one standing…

    • I like where your head is on this, though it should be noted that neither the Model T, Beetle nor 2CV (nor the o.g. Mini, which should be on this list) is a $100K car at this point in time, so the comps don’t line up.

      Also, I know you meant “shill” bid, but “shrill” is funnier.

      • gaijinshogun says:

        As the self-appointed flag-bearer to redeem the Subaru 360’s historical slight in the US, this seemed the perfect opportunity to initiate the cause.

        You got my “shrill” reference without the quotes. I’m on to something here.

  4. Dimitry Mochkin says:

    Simple, the absolute simpleton of a car – the TE27 Corolla. The car that put Toyota on the map worldwide and Japanese automotive brand names as a whole.

    Corolla has existed in various models over the decades around the globe and there’s almost not a single place in the world where people haven’t been driving one. It’s simple, cheap, reliable, thus checking all the boxes that regular people usually look for in a car.

    Corolla saw success not only on the street but on track as well, competing in miriads of championships and single-make series around the world. And I mean, who hasn’t heard of the now legendary AE86. The car that used to cost maybe 1k$ 10 years ago, and tenfold that now.

    Here’s to Corolla breaking the 6 figure barrier.

    • Tofu Delivery says:

      If there IS a Corolla that would break the 100,000 barrier, it would be the AE86. Not that I’m biased or anything.

      • Mark F Newton-John says:

        Doubtful. Almost every one has been modified beyond belief, with a few exceptions, but not rare enough to merit a huge auction price.

    • Mark F Newton-John says:

      I agree. There is that one red original SR5 out there that is *almost* perfect: it doesn’t have the factory Nippondenso air conditioner. It even has the original Koito sealed beam headlamps.

  5. Mark F Newton-John says:

    A 707 color code (turquoise metallic) original 1974 USDM big-bumper TE27 Corolla SR5. With factory Nippondenso air conditioning.
    Haven’t seen another one yet. Not counting the nisemono conversions.

  6. Taylor C. says:

    I was going to say an S2000 CR, but I guess that already happened. What you have on your cover image, an FD, might be a pretty good candidate. Not as atrociously expensive as the Supra, and not as unfortunately neglected as the wonderful Z32 300ZX, I think the FDs are steadily reaching the six-figure mark. Having only three years of new-car availability (1993-95) is going to help as well. They’ve almost doubled in prices the past four years, so it’s just a matter of time for that low mileage R1 edition to break that. No car company could ever redo a car like the FD: lightweight handling, twin turbo Wankel, minimal computer assists, thin pillars, and the lovely shape; there are your ingredients.

  7. Sammy B says:

    Simple: I’m asking $101,000 for my 1984 Toyota Van 5MT.

    I KNOW WHAT I GOT

    “real” answer: likely a Toyota Land Cruiser

  8. Negishi no Keibajo says:

    One of three Toyota – Shelby 2000GT’s is coming to auction, expecting to fetch $3 million +/-.5. THAT is North.

  9. Shaun says:

    Not an answer to the question per se…..I’m an Aussie so our exchange rates mean $100k US is about $130k AUD approx. I’ve just done a search on the most used domestic used car website here for anything JDM made before 2000 and with an asking price over $130k. For general interest, the top results by model are:

    1994 Skyline GTR V-Spec $450,000
    1984 Toyota Landcruiser LWB Manual 4×4 $200,000
    1971 Datsun 240Z Manual $175,000
    1973 Mazda RX-3 Super Deluxe S102A Manual $160,000
    1999 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Version 6 Type R N Manual AWD $160,000
    1992 Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 Manual 4WD $159,000
    2000 Toyota Supra RZ Manual $158,000
    1969 Mazda R100 M10A Manual $150,000
    1970 Nissan Skyline 2000 GT Manual $149,000
    1991 Honda NSX Auto $145,500
    1994 Mazda Cosmo Type-S JC Auto $130,000
    1994 Mazda RX-7 Series 6 Manual $115,000 (less than $130k I know, but just for interest)

  10. Shaun says:

    Now this IS my (rather left field) answer: the 1987 MITSUBISHI DEBONAIR AMG

  11. Jonathan P. says:

    Well. I would say the R34 or R32 Skylines, but I’m sure those have already taken that position. The FD generation RX-7 is on the list, for sure, but simultaneously, I really haven’t a clue. My flavor of cars is mostly oddball, so when I look at car prices online for kicks I don’t usually look for ones like Evo’s or WRX’s, or GTR’s. I usually look for stuff like Starion, Geo Metro or Storm, Celica Supra, Porche 924, Chevy Monza, just to see if they have one.
    I apologize for the long read, but this is a question that I don’t have a good answer to.

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