With the Forza Horizon franchise containing some of the most expansive and diverse car lists in all of gaming, it's no wonder that specific groups of cars have gained such a following in the games.
From a vast group of exotic European supercars, modern American muscle, classic rare cars, and tough off-roaders all available plus many more, it's no wonder that there's so much interest around the series.
One of the most popular groups of car culture currently is easily anything from the Japanese Domestic Market. Luckily for many who cannot afford the eye-watering prices for one in real life, there is a great range of JDM cars available in all the Horizon games.
This list compiles the best JDM cars to ever feature in Forza Horizon and outlines exactly in which of the five games you can take them for a spin.
10 2000 Nissan Slivia Spec-R
Starting the list, we have a car that gearheads in the US still have to wait a few years for before being able to drive, the 2000 Nissan Silvia Spec-R. Being one of the few cars to feature in every single Forza game released is not a coincidence, as the Silvia Spec-R is one of the best cars to rip around the many locations of Horizon.
Featuring a wealth of body mods allows you to uniquely customize the Spec-R to your liking, which, when combined with some power upgrades and tires, creates a fantastic-looking, and driving, drift legend. Currently, in Forza Horizon 5, the Spec-R can be purchased for 35,000 CR from the Autoshow, so once you're finished reading, you know exactly what to do.
9 1997 Mitsubishi GTO
The GTO is an incredibly underrated JDM car of the 90s period, and since being added to the open world series in Forza Horizon 4, has stapled itself as one of the best JDM cars in the game.
Due to being all-wheel-drive stock, the GTO creates a great base for road race-based modifications, as you can cram so much performance into one while still being in A class. The GTO is incredibly cheap in the newest game, only costing 20,000 CR in the Autoshow, a great 'David' to take down the Goliath.
8 2005 Honda NSX-R
It's a tough pick between the two NSXs, with them having identical performance ratings in the newest game, but the 2005 Honda NSX-R just wins it onto this list. Despite missing the pop-up headlights of its older brother, the newer NSX-R just has a little more wow factor than its predecessor.
The ultimate edition of Honda's mid-engined sports car creates a great foundation for racing, with being both lightweight and already powerful. In Forza Horizon 5, it's possible to pick up the NSX-R from the Autoshow for 150,000 CR, a little more expensive than others on the list, but very worthwhile. The car is also available in Forza Horizon's 2-4.
7 2002 Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type-A
In the US, you're probably much more likely to be struck by lightning than owning a Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type-A, but that's exactly why games like Forza Horizon are perfect for special cars like the Spirit R.
With its high-revving rotary engine, the Spirit R easily becomes a perfect drift car with the press of a couple of buttons. Additionally, the Spirit R has a wealth of body modifications available, allowing you to really dig into some JDM culture. The Type A may be a unicorn in real life, but when you can purchase one in the Autoshow of FH5 for 30,000, the myth becomes a legend.
6 1999 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI GSR
So many of the great Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions are available in the Forza Horizon series, but none dominate quite like the Evo VI GSR. Having that rally pedigree clearly carries over into the Horizon games, as the VI GSR makes light work of any dirt race it comes up against, due to its great suspension system and all-wheel-drive.
The VI GSR is surely going to be the perfect car to use in the upcoming rally DLC expansion, and with it only costing 28,000 CR in the FH5 Autoshow, could cause many headaches to your rivals. The GSR is available in every horizon game too, so why not try testing it across all the UK, Mexico, Australia, Europe, and the US?
5 1998 Toyota Supra RZ
Before you ready your pitchforks, the Supra RZ is easily one of the top 3 Japanese sports cars in history which is true, but in Horizon, Toyota's flagship JDM car has never truly lived up to its real-world counterpart. Yes the Supra features a nice variety of customization and upgrades, and yes you can through as much horsepower at it as you like, but if compared to the cars below it on this list, in a race the Supra gets smoked, even with equal upgrades.
5th is still a great place for the Supra to sit as of the fifth installment of the franchise, and who knows, maybe in Forza Horizon 6 the Supra will come out on top. The RZ is available in all installments of Horizon, and as it costs just 38,000 CR in FH5, there's no reason not to add at least one to your collection.
4 2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-SPEC II (R34)
As one of the most famous and well-adored JDM cars in history, the 2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-SPEC II is another JDM gem available in the Horizon games, and easily grabs its place on this list.
Godzilla's successor may not be quite as overpowered in road racing, but its styling, engine sound, and available upgrades bring it pretty close to its tail. In Forza Horizon 5, the R34 sits on the Autoshow for just 64,000 CR, an absolute steal for a car with endless possibilities. Race it, drift it, off-road it, the R34 is available in all 5 of the Horizon franchise games, so the choice is up to you.
3 1995 Nissan Nismo GT-R LM
Utterly unique and monstrously fast, the Nismo GT-R LM is the rarest JDM car ever made. With only 1 ever being produced, what better car is there to take for a drive around Horizon?
The 1995 Nissan Nismo GT-R LM Forza Edition dominated S2 racing in FH4, and the standard model continues its wrath in Forza Horizon 5. Being so lightweight stock, when a little more power is added to the GT-R LM, there's not much that can keep up. The Nismo LM is the most expensive car on the list, coming in at 1,100,000 CR in the FH5 Autoshow. It's an incredibly worthy investment, however, if you want to seriously annoy your friends.
2 1974 Honda Civic RS
There is no real other way of putting it, the 1974 Honda Civic RS is completely and utterly overpowered. A car that, in any other game, would have no place being here, sits comfortably second on this list. It may be recency bias, but in FH5, there are none better at road racing in B class.
When you slap some drag tires and a couple of power upgrades onto the little 70s hatchback, something incredible happens, the car gains more grip than a Bugatti and accelerates faster than any supercar. The Civic RS is a much-needed tool in any racer's arsenal, and when it costs just 25,000 CR, it's one that there is no excuse not to own.
1 1993 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-SPEC (R32)
The best JDM car in Forza Horizon couldn't really have been given to anything else. There's a reason it's known as 'Godzilla', for the 1993 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-SPEC claims the title of being a JDM car that may never be beaten.
When it comes to A-class road racing, there's not much better than the R32. With its great balanced chassis combined with an all-wheel drive system, the '93 GT-R is pretty dominating if tuned and upgraded correctly. Combined with some great visual upgrades like a stunning Pandem Rocket Bunny kit, the R32 is the epitome of JDM in Horizon, and is available in Horizon 2 to 5.,