If you’re in the market for a new vehicle these days, you may find the prices staggering. And that means the market for pre-owned is growing.
Requirement: You’ve just watched 2006’s The Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift and have developed a sudden urge to go sideways in a car (safely and on a track, of course). The best thing to do this in would be a traditional rear-wheel drive Japanese sportscar. Here are five that you can pick from, which should get the job done, each for under R200 000.
The Fairlady moniker sure has come a long way. This 350Z makes use of an effective 3,5-litre V6 while delivering power to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. It’s a car that has also been successful in both Super GT and various drifting tournaments.
Finding a stock-standard Honda S2000 will be an achievement in itself, but the effort is often worth it. It’s most notable for its timeless design and of course that high-revving, naturally aspirated 2,0 VTEC engine delivering 177 kW to the hind wheels. A few user surveys have also suggested that the S2000 provides a high overall customer satisfaction level.
This coupe was never meant to succeed the legendary RX-7, as it was marketed as a softer and more accessible Mazdaspeed experience. With its award-winning 170 kW 1,3-litre twin-rotary engine it should be able to quench your JDM thirst while comfortably seating four people.
The 86 is a CAR favourite, even with its comparatively low power output of 147 kW. It’s also famous for its ability to go sideways whenever you want it to. Since it’s still relatively new, finding one under the R200 000 margin is a challenge, but there are some available. Well-specced models should drop below this line in a few years from now.
This may be the oddball in the group, but it would also probably be the best deal. It has the most space, it’s the best-specced and, being rear-wheel drive with a 152 kW 2,5-litre V6, it should still go sideways despite having to make to with an automatic transmission (manuals are available, but rather hard to find).
