Nissan/Datsun Z

You cannot talk about the greatest Japanese cars and not bring up the Nissan/Datsun Z-cars. The legend of the Z-cars stretches back to the 1969 introduction of the Datsun 240Z. The 240Z combined power and nimbleness like none before it, thanks to a low curb weight, a well-tuned suspension, and a 2.4-liter inline-six engine that developed 151 horsepower.

In the early 1980s, the Z gained a turbocharger in its 280ZX generation, and this model produced a mighty-for-its-era 180 horsepower and 203 pound-feet of twist. Power continued rising throughout its generations to 300 horsepower in the 300ZX of the 1990s.

Nissan discontinued the original Z-cars in 1996, but later revived the name with the release of the 2003 350Z, which used a 3.5-liter V-6 to crank out 287 horses. Currently, we know the Z-car as the 370Z, which uses a 332-horsepower 3.7-liter V-6.