5 Budget-Friendly Japanese Sports Cars to Buy New in 2023

Well, people like you and I obviously owe a lot of credit to Japanese automakers, who’d been making these joys accessible to the masses for several years now. Despite the increased labor and manufacturing costs, the Land of the Rising Sun continues to give us plenty of fun and affordable rides to this day.

If you’re looking to quench your thirst for sporty thrills without breaking the bank, chances are at least one of those – old or new – will be on your bucket list. That being said, let’s dive in and have a gander at five of our favorite budget-friendly Japanese sports cars for the model-year 2023.

Keep in mind we’ve simply arranged our list from the lowest to the highest MSRP, so we’re not saying any of the following entries is better than the other. All these vehicles are fantastic in their own right, and deciding which one to get really boils down to how much power you’re after and, of course, the depth of your pockets.

Toyota GR86

Kicking off today’s agenda is Toyota’s nifty fastback coupe, the GR86. Marketed as the Scion FR-S in the United States between 2012 and 2016, then as the Toyota 86 until 2021, this thing is a lot more practical than other cars we'll soon discuss on account of having four seats – kind of. It came to be known as the GR86 with the second generation's debut in 2021, adopting the Gazoo Racing initials to let everyone know it means business.

The Tokyo Motor Show of December 2011 was where Toyota gave us a first glimpse of their spirited, fun-seeking 2+2 fastback. Entering production the following year as a 2013 model, the car then known as the FR-S came with a 2-liter boxer engine good for up to 200 hp. Nowadays, thisflat-four displaces 2.4 liters and is capable of unleashing 228 horses at 7,000 revs, along with 184 pound-feet of twist right below the 4,000-rpm mark.

Power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential, enabling the GR86 to go from 0 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds. Responsive handling, near-perfect weight distribution, and a low center of gravity are a few of its other noteworthy attributes, which can be enjoyed while carrying more than one passenger and a decent amount of cargo!

The lowest trim level available for 2023 is priced at $27,900, while the Premium variant has an MSRP of $32k and features 18-inch matte-black wheels, a six-speed automatic, and heated front seats. Now, there’s also a 10th Anniversary Special Edition in Toyota’s lineup that costs just over 34,000 bones, offering an even juicier set of forged alloy 18-inches and high-performance cat-back exhaust plumbing, as well as a mesmerizing orange colorway called Solar Shift.

Mazda MX-5 Miata

Our next pick is a nameplate that’s said to always be the answer, one you most certainly saw coming: the Mazda MX-5 Miata. There was no way of us making such a video without mentioning this iconic little two-seater, which had first been introduced at the Chicago Auto Show back in 1989. The first-gen Miata drew stylistic influence from the Lotus Elan, and it was designed with the “Jinba Ittai” philosophy in mind.

That basically means “rider and horse as one” – a principle clearly reflected on Mazda’s light, compact, and nimble rear-wheel drive convertible. Four generations and more than 30 years later, the same quintessential attributes defining the MX-5 are still very much alive, but its looks went from cute to downright sexy, and its power grew significantly over time.

Whereas the 1990 model came with a 1.6-liter engine making just 116 hp, the latest iteration can extract 181 ponies and 151 pound-feet (205 Nm) of low-end torque from its two-liter Skyactiv-G four-banger. A six-speed manual comes standard, and pricing starts at just over $28k for the base Sport trim.

On the other hand, an additional ten grand will get you the Club package, complete with Brembo brakes, BBS wheels, and Recaro seats. Available as either a soft-top convertible or a retractable hard-top, the 2023 Miata is sure to put a big smile on owners' faces, just like its predecessors!

Subaru BRZ

In a way, the third entry on today’s list is a vehicle we’ve already examined because it’s essentially the GR86’s twin on both a cosmetic and mechanical level. I’m obviously talking about the Subaru BRZ, which might be hard – at least for an untrained eye – to even be told apart from Toyota’s offering. Well, if it weren’t for those Subie badges, in any case.

The clearest visual differences can be spotted on the front fascia, in the side vents, grille, and headlight design. Powertrain specs are the same, and so is the cabin layout, though I personally prefer the BRZ over its sibling when it comes to the general look of the interior. Anyhow, one other key distinction is to be found in the handling department.

The way their suspension is set up differs, so the GR86 tends to be slightly more tail-happy and inclined toward oversteer, while its Subaru-badged sibling offers extra stability around corners. Steering is said to be a little heavier on the BRZ, but deciding between the two really boils down to which marque you like best. If you’re a Subie boy or girl, there are a couple of trim levels for you to consider.

With a starting price of 28,595 bucks on the manufacturer’s official website, the lower one is identified as Premium because logic is just superfluous in our day and age. Should steering-responsive headlights, heated front seats, and 18-inch footgear sound like your cup of tea, the Limited version will provide exactly that for a little over $31,000.

Nissan Z

Right, the last two cars we’ll be discussing are in direct competition with one another, and the first of them is the hyped Nissan Z put into production in April 2022. Known as the Fairlady Z over in Japan, this funky two-door coupe replaces the outgoing 370Z, which sports styling cues that nod to the original Datsun 240Z introduced back in 1969.

The world caught a first glimpse of Nissan’s new fastback two-seater in September 2020, when it appeared as the Z Proto concept in a premiere streamed globally from Yokohama. To many people’s surprise, the vehicle’s design remained largely unchanged when it hit the assembly line, but we were just as intrigued by what’s in the engine bay.

The Z flaunts a 3-liter, twin-turbo V6 codenamed VR30DDTT, which has 400 hp and 350 pound-feet of torque for you to play with. Once again, a six-speed manual is standard equipment, but one may also opt for a nine-speed automatic to have this grunt delivered to the rear wheels. Top speed is electronically governed at 155 mph, and a manual Performance variant can reach 60 mph from a standstill in 4.5 seconds.

The said trim has a price tag just shy of 50 grand, justifying it with sweet add-ons like bigger brakes, 19-inch wheels, and an upgraded LSD, among others. At the other end of the spectrum, the Sport version keeps the MSRP considerably lower at around $40k, though that’s still a lot compared to the previous nameplate on this list. Nonetheless, the Z is more than worth the additional dough, given what it brings to the table.

Toyota GR Supra

Last but not least, the final portion of our video will be dedicated to yet another Toyota, and you’ve probably already guessed that I’m referring to none other than the GR Supra. With a predecessor like the legendary Mark IV and so many years separating the two generations, it was virtually impossible for this machine to please everyone upon its debut in 2019.

The fact that Toyota initially committed the cardinal sin of only offering an automatic didn't help, either, leading many to criticize the fifth-gen Supra despite it being a great car. Perhaps pressured by the Nissan Z's arrival, the company got its act together, conjured up some good old common sense, and announced a manual option for the 2023 model-year – finally!

Assembly takes place at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria, alongside the BMW Z4, with whom the GR Supra shares many parts. Two engine options are made available by Toyota – a two-liter inline-four and a three-liter inline-six, both of which are turbocharged. The former comes with 255 hp and 295 pound-feet (400 Nm) of torque on tap, while the latter is able to spawn a much sturdier 382 ponies and 368 pound-feet (499 Nm) of rotational grunt.

The entry-level Supra 2.0 can do zero to 60 in five seconds, but its three-liter counterpart will only require 3.9 ticks to accomplish the same speed. In addition, the long-awaited six-speed manual can be equipped solely to the larger powerhouse, and all this six-cylinder goodness is worth $52,500. You'd be paying much less for the smaller mill – $43,540 – though why would you even consider it when you could just get a cheaper GR86 instead?