7 Rarely Mentioned JDM Engines With Surprising Power - Jalopnik

What the report says

Jalopnik published an enthusiast-focused explainer by Max Larsen on July 26, 2026, highlighting Japanese domestic market and Japanese-built engines that the site says deserve more attention than the widely celebrated Toyota 2JZ-GTE, Nissan RB26DETT, Mazda 13B and Honda K24. The piece argues that Japan’s automakers produced many strong performance engines outside the best-known 1990s and 2000s icons, including units used in limited-market cars or overshadowed by later models.

Among the examples Jalopnik details is Toyota’s 7M-GTE, a turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six fitted to the A70/Mk3 Supra Turbo and the Japan-only second-generation Toyota Soarer from 1987 to 1992. The article reports factory output of 232 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque, supported by a CT26 turbocharger, intercooler, oil cooler and upgraded ignition system.

The article also spotlights Nissan’s VH45DE, a naturally aspirated 4.5-liter V8 developed for upscale sedans including the Infiniti Q45 and Nissan President. Jalopnik describes it as a contemporary rival to Toyota’s 1UZ-FE, with an all-aluminum design, forged crank and connecting rods, and an official rating around 277 horsepower and 294 pound-feet.

Mazda’s 20B-REW three-rotor rotary and Nissan’s early S20 straight-six are also presented as underappreciated milestones. Jalopnik notes the 20B-REW’s use in the Japan-only Eunos Cosmo and its sequential turbocharging, while the S20 is framed as the engine that helped launch the first Skyline GT-R. The broader significance is historical: the piece widens the usual JDM performance conversation beyond a small group of famous engines.