A new generation of hobbyists, enthusiasts and consumers love taking vehicles you’d expect to see in a school pick-up line, and turning them into high-performance vehicles for track, rally, and street racing.
While most of these models have factory-made performance versions, import fans find ways to milk every ounce of performance possible out of these platforms no matter the trim.
We regularly see many of these vehicles listed for sale and won at auction by resellers looking for inventory and customizers looking for project base and parts cars.
Nissan Skyline GT-R
American gearheads discovered this high-performance sedan from 1989 to 2002 across three generations with all-wheel drive, and twin turbos on the inline 6 engine that delivered from 280 to 330 horsepower in stock configuration. These vehicles are also easy to work on and aftermarket parts remain plentiful.
This legend lives on today in the Nissan GT-R. with the 2024 model offering a 3.8-liter V6 that delivers 565 to 600 horsepower. It can take you from zero to 60 in 3 seconds, and keep accelerating up to 200 MPH.
Subaru Impreza
The Impreza offers symmetrical all-wheel drive on all models for excellent control and stability. It comes with a 2.0- or 2.5-liter Boxer horizontally opposed engine that fans say enhances handling with its balance and smooth operation. While stock engines produce 152 and 182 horsepower respectively, The WRX-STI model, discontinued in 2021, comes turbocharged with 300 horsepower.
Mitsubishi Lancer
Mitsubishi sold the Lancer in the United States from 1973 to 2017. This compact SUV offered a naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine, with optional all-wheel drive. People know them as roomy, dependable cars good for daily driving. But in the hands of a skilled customizer, it can become a high-performance machine.
The factory performance model was known as the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, or “Evo” and came with a turbocharged engine tuned for high performance, all-wheel drive, racing suspension, bucket seats and more gauges to show off the enhanced performance.
Honda Civic
The Civic represents affordability and near-endless reliability to many drivers. It’s light weight, handles well, and its popularity means aftermarket parts remain plentiful. What makes customizers really love them is that the engines, especially with VTEC, can be modified to provide much greater horsepower and torque.
For example, the stock V4 engine offers 158 horsepower, but the turbocharged engine in the factory performance Type R model offers 315 horsepower.
Toyota Supra
What started out as a performance trim of the Celica was built between 1978 and 2002. It comes with rear-wheel drive, a turbocharged inline 6-cylinder engine, and suspension and chassis tuned for performance. The stock engine produces an impressive 230 to 245 horsepower, but can be modified for much higher performance, especially the 2JZ-GTE engine available from 1993 to 2002. Some highly-modified models have achieved 1,000 horsepower.
The Supra was revived in 2019 and continues to be made as a modern sportscar.
A Few Things They All Have In Common
All of the models we mentioned came with high-performance factory models that often included additional styling to give them a more sleek, sporty and aggressive look. But many racers and customizers choose stock model platforms to modify because the outer appearances hide the high- performance capabilities.
Plus, maximizing the performance of a normal car into a racer brings more bragging rights.
Did we mention your favorite? Have you turned a stock import into something special? Let us know in the comments on social media or at Communications@copart.com.
