Everything is relative. By 1981 standards, any car boasting 100 horsepower was doing pretty good. So good, in fact, that just seven Japanese-brand vehicles made that cut.
To put these numbers into perspective, Nissan’s least-powerful 2016 U.S. offering is the compact Versa. With 109 horsepower on tap from its 1.6-liter engine, the Versa would rank 5th among the most-powerful Japanese rides of 1981.
A little more perspective: The most-powerful Cadillac engine available for 1981 was a 6.0-liter V8. Despite its size, the big Caddy mill cranked out just 140 horsepower.
Presented here is every Japanese-brand vehicle rated for at least 100 horsepower. If you’ve spent time with any of these Asian rides, be sure and tell us about it.
Datsun 280-ZX: 145 horsepower
Engine: 2.8-liter six
Fuel Delivery: Fuel injection
Status: Standard
Note: The 280-ZX Turbo came online late in the 1981 model year. The Turbo’s 2.8-liter six was rated at 180 horsepower.
Datsun 810: 120 horsepower
Engine: 2.4-liter six
Fuel Delivery: Fuel injection
Status: Standard
Toyota Celica Supra: 116 horsepower
Engine: 2.8-liter six
Fuel Delivery: Fuel injection
Status: Standard (Supra)
5 Most-Expensive Japanese-Brand Vehicles of 2016
Toyota Cressida: 116 horsepower
Engine: 2.8-liter six
Fuel Delivery: Fuel injection
Status: Standard
Dodge Challenger and Plymouth Sapporo: 105 horsepower
Engine: 2.6-liter four
Fuel Delivery: 2-barrel carburetor
Status: Standard
Mazda RX-7: 100 horsepower
Engine: 1.1-liter twin-rotor Wankel
Fuel Delivery: 4-barrel carburetor
Status: Standard
Datsun 200-SX: 100 horsepower
Engine: 2.0-liter four
Fuel Delivery: Fuel injection
Status: Standard
10 Most-Expensive Japanese Cars of 1992
