Contents
Overview
Exciting JDM Cars shows quality is not everything when it comes to sales. Japan’s automotive industry is one of the largest in the world, and some of the world’s most unique and extraordinary cars were born here. JDM is popular and desired by many for its robustness, amazing designs, high performance, and budget-friendly. But unfortunately, not every awesome car from the land of the rising sun made its way to the top. Despite providing the bang for the buck, they ended up selling much less than the expectations. Here is the list of JDM cars that went to the grave. (This list is sourced from Hotcars.com)
10. Acura NSX
Honda shocked the world when it unveiled the iconic NSX in the early 1990s. Honda all of a sudden had a supercar that rivaled Ferraris and Lamborghinis in performance. It is propelled by a sophisticated AWD system that uses two electric motors on the front wheels in addition to a 3.5L twin-turbo V6 to power the rear wheels. But unfortunately, due to poor sales, it was discontinued.
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9. Lexus LC
Lexus has been producing the LC grand tourer since 2017. The LC was the first Lexus to use the cutting-edge GA-L platform, and it replaced the SC. The Lexus LC500 comes with a 5.0L V8 engine producing 471hp and 398lb-ft of torque and with a ten-speed automatic transmission. The LC was too slow to keep up with the Europeans, and hence suffered a sales decline.
8. Autozam AZ-1
The majority of gearheads aren’t aware of this, but Mazda once had a sub-brand called Autozam that produced several awesome cars, primarily for the Kei car market. The AZ-1 is arguably the best vehicle Autozam has ever produced. The AZ-1 is a mid-engined Kei class sports car that was first introduced in the early 1990s. But the engine figures producing 63-hp made it sell just 800 units per month, and the $12,400 expensive price tag discontinued it eventually.
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7. Mazda Rotary Pickup Truck
First sold exclusively in North America, from 1974 to 1977, the Rotary Pickup became the first Wankel-engined pickup truck. It featured nice interiors and flared fenders, equipped with a four-pot 1.3L powerful rotary engine under the hood. The car was highly fuel-efficient, with impressive precise steering and strong brakes. But somehow, this pickup truck didn’t attract many buyers and only 15,000 units were built.
6. Toyota Celica T230
The Celia was created as a cheaper and affordable alternative to the Ford Mustang. It was lighter, powerful, and is one of the best Toyotas ever made. The Toyota Celica came with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produced 200 ponies and 200 pound-feet of torque capable to achieve a top speed of 153 mph. But later on the faulty engines of T230, sales declined heavily with 3,113 cars were sold.
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5. Subaru SVX
From the most enthusiastic cars, Subaru has created its reputation for also making one of the most reliable and fun to drive cars in the market. With a powerful 3.3-liter six-cylinder engine this Subaru SVX produced 231 hp paired with a four-speed automatic gearbox. Most of you can find the SVX for a cheap price, but this SVX was only sold for 14,257 units, making a lot of declines.
4. Infiniti Q70
Founded in 1989 as Nissan’s luxury brand, Infiniti has a pretty successful lineup of models like the Q50, QX60, and QX50. But, the midsize Q70 luxury sedan, failed on the market. Produced to compete with the BMW 5 Series, the Q70 was contemporary, luxurious, and powered by powerful engine options. But, sales flopped massively due to changes in buyers’ preference for SUVs and crossovers. In its last model year, only 2,552 units were sold.
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3. Mazda Eunos Cosmo
The Mazda Eunos Cosmo is unique in a variety of ways. It featured a contemporary design, cutting-edge features like an integrated navigation system, and a touchscreen for climate control, and it is still the only Mazda to be powered by a triple-rotor Wankel engine, a 2.0L unit that produces more than 300 horsepower. However, due to its high price and failed complying to dimension regulations, made the brand was discontinued.
2. 2020 Toyota Supra
This vehicle has a 3.0L turbo inline-six-cylinder engine that can generate a maximum power of 382 hp and 500 Nm of torque. With the standard rear-wheel drive that vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.7 seconds and can reach a top speed of 155 mph. But despite its amazing technology and the performance it offered, it failed to attract important traffic. Only 2,884 units were sold in the U.S.
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1. Honda Insight
The final gen of the Honda Insight was unveiled in 2018 and won the 2019 Green Car of the Year award. Despite being America’s first mass-produced hybrid car, Insight didn’t sell as expected. Even with the tax incentives, only 17,020 units were sold globally.