Honda NSX, Mazda RX-7, Nissan GT-R, Toyota Supra: RM Sotheby's auctioned four fast youngtimers from Japan on November 5th, 2022 in London. One was auctioned much more expensive than expected, another sold cheaply.
These four sports cars from Japan are a real alternative to the Porsche 911: Honda NSX, Mazda RX-7, Nissan Skyline GT-R and Toyota Supra were sold on November 5th in London during an RM Sotheby's auction the hammer. Disadvantage of the fast Youngtimer: They are all right-hand drive.
Wankel, in-line six and V6
This is the fastest and sharpest thing the Japanese car industry had to offer in the early 2000s. With one exception, the engines deliver 280 hp, but the ways to get there are very different: A Wankel engine with two turbochargers in the Mazda RX-7, a naturally aspirated V6 mid-engine in the Honda NSX and a turbocharged in-line six in the Toyota Supra and Nissan GT-R . The R34 Skyline has all-wheel drive, all others rear-wheel drive. All four cars can be shifted with the left hand - right-hand drive.
Honda NSX-T: 72,105 euros
Even at first glance, this Honda NSX offers two special features: It's not red like many others, but black. It is also a Targa that was available from 1995. As a late model from 2001 it already has the more powerful 3.2 liter engine and thus 20 hp more than early NSX with the 3.0 V6. The C32B was available from 1997 and had 294 hp. The NA2 also has a six-speed manual gearbox, larger brake discs and a body made of lighter and stiffer aluminium.
The offered NSX was built in 2001 for the Japanese market and registered there for the first time in July 2001. The interior features tan leather and a Bose sound system. In May 2014 and September 2019, the NSX changed hands at auction - and most recently to Hong Kong. The mechanical odometer reads 35,905. Curious by the way: The speedometer of the Japan model only goes up to 180 km/h. The sales price of the equivalent of 72,105 euros was below expectations: in the run-up to the auction, the sports car had been appraised at 80,000 to 150,000 euros. So it could have been twice as much.
Nissan Skyline GT-R: 255,645 euros
The speedometer scale of the Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 V-Spec II Nür, as it is called by its full name, reaches up to 300 km/h. It rolled off the production line in 2002 as one of 156 V-Spec Nur II painted in Millenium Jade Metallic and was registered in Japan that same year. In February 2017, his current owner brought him to Hong Kong. According to the auction house, the speedometer is currently at 61,234 kilometers. Because the car was stored for several years, a major service is due before the next trip.
As the 675th Skyline of the R34 farewell series V-Spec Nür II destined for Japan, it is one of the last models of this GT-R generation. The 2.6-liter N1 straight-six biturbo delivers 280 hp.The engine cover of the special model is painted in Silica Breath, while the carbon bonnet saves 20 kilograms in weight. The Skyline clearly exceeded its estimate of the equivalent of 140,000 to 180,000 euros: the R34 cost 255,645 euros including premium.
Mazda RX-7, estimated price: 120,612 euros
Mazda was the last manufacturer to build cars with rotary engines. The RX-7 Spirit R can certainly be considered the highlight. In the third generation of the sports car series, the twin-turbo Wankel engine delivers 280 hp. Quite a lot when you consider that the two combustion chambers of the rotary piston engine together have a volume of only 1.3 liters. Mazda itself called the Type A - there was also a Type-B and a Type-C - "the ultimate RX-7". Among other things, it has red Recaro sports seats, BBS alloy wheels in "gun metallic", larger brake discs with red brake calipers and Bilstein shock absorbers on board. 1,044 examples of the Type A were built.
The example offered is one of 217 painted in Blue Mica. It was built in May 2002, sold to Hong Kong in June 2019 and driven very little: 5,762 kilometers are on the clock. Because the car was stored for years, a major inspection would be due before the next drive, the auction house informs on its website.
Toyota Supra: 78,660 euros
Toyota put the fourth Supra generation A80 on Kiel at the end of the 80s. Production began in 1993. The in-line six-cylinder biturbo with the internal abbreviation 2JZ-GTE weighed around 90 kilograms less than its predecessor, which led to respectable driving performance: the two-door car accelerated from zero to 100 km/h in around 5 seconds and further up to 250 km/h.
An active front spoiler and a conspicuous rear wing - which was banned in Switzerland - kept the Supra on the road at high speeds. The model offered here in Super White lacks the wing, as well as the leather interior that is standard in Europe. The psychedelic cloth seat covers could also be from a Toyota Corolla, which can either be seen as a special form of understatement, or as rolling evidence of Japanese humor. The seat covers have not experienced much with a mileage of 8,293.
The selling price at RM Sotheby's auctions in London includes a buyer's premium of 15% on the first £200,000 (€228,000) of the hammer price and 12.5% over that.
Conclusion
Strong character alternatives to a Porsche 911 are always Honda NSX, Mazda RX-7, Nissan Skyline GT-R and Toyota Supra - but with estimates that reach into the six-figure range, not cheap Jakobs.
The six-digit auction results for the Mazda RX-7 and Nissan Skyline GT-R show that the value of Japanese sports cars of this generation was developing rapidly.In comparison, the Honda NS-X can almost be considered a good opportunity given its special technical position as a mid-engine sports car with an aluminum body. A Toyota Supra was even cheaper a few years ago.
