#COOL 90S JDM CARS TV#

The Honda NSX for instance was priced at RM 440k when it was officially on sale in Malaysia during the early-90s, about as much as the period Porsche 911 or BMW 8 Series. This just meant fewer people bought them (because they bought the Porsche instead), leading to far fewer examples on sale 25 years later.Īlso read: Kept in a garage for 22 years, this 1995 Toyota Supra is up for auction from RM 140k When Toyota, Nissan and Honda actually build performance cars, even ones based on cheap cookie-cutter models, they often cost as much or more than their European counterparts. Then, as now, the Honda NSX represent the pinnacle of Honda powertrain technology.

#COOL 90S JDM CARS TV#

Whilst TV and magazines created the aspiration, the PlayStation and other gaming consoles allowed enthusiasts to drive their JDM dream cars (at least virtually).īeyond just driving, games like Gran Turismo and Need For Speed also allowed enthusiasts to tune and customise their cars from mild to wild - fortifying another central appeal of JDM cars - aftermarket tuning and modification.Īlso read: Gran Turismo is now an official Olympic event Limited supply to begin with The fastest car in the original Gran Turismo game was a little-known (at the time) Suzuki Escudo

They were the hero cars of the PlayStation generation Whilst their parents desired the Mercs, Aston Martins and Porsches (for their silver screen stardom), JDM cars represented the new age of cool, inextricably intertwined with millennials. Just like the Aston Martin DB5 (for its role in James Bond movies) was the stuff of dreams, JDM cars have filled that gap for a new generation of car lovers The Fast and Furious franchise, Initial D and Jackie Chan’s Thunderbolt glorified cars such as the Mazda RX-7, Toyota AE86 and Mitsubishi Evolution models.Īlso read: Fast and Furious Toyota Supra sold for record-breaking RM 2.2m Perhaps the biggest motivator of JDM’s popularity is the roles these cars played in movies, pop culture and movies. The pop culture factorĬars like the GTR, Supra and RX-7 gained their Godlike status by starring in the Fast and Furious franchise Today, enthusiasts who grew up in the '90s want a piece of that history.

Many car enthusiasts grew up reading magazines like Import Tuner, watching bootleg versions of (Japan’s) Best Motoring, and telecasts of the Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC) and Malaysian Rally Championship (MRC).īesides the entertainment factor, watching and reading about JDM cars inspired a deep-rooted sense of aspiration and passion for their 'street cred' and how these cars perform. Many millennials will remember packed bookstands with automotive magazines from all over the world.

This doesn’t only apply to JDM cars, even toys (i.e.: Hot Wheels, Gundam), it’s also the reason a certain Nokia 3310 handphone was reimagined. Unlike the ‘YOLO’ Gen Zs that prioritise lifestyle and digitally captured moments, millennials are obsessed with nostalgia and will pay good money to relive their childhood. Games like NFS Underground allowed you to customise your favourite JDM cars. Growing up in the age of the satellite TV, PlayStation and early internet, this generation now has the means to live the dream and drive the cars they glorified in movies, gaming consoles, websites and magazines. There’s a multitude of reasons why the '90s and 2000s JDM cars have shot up, but to understand why – you first have to follow the money. A new demographic of car nuts now have money (function() ) īut, why has this happened, and has it got something to do with humble models such as the Proton Satria going up in price too? Let’s break it down.

Cool 90s jdm cars