JDM engines have long attracted car enthusiasts ... This engine powered the famous Mazda RX-7 and later the RX-8 — some might even say that it ushered in an era in sports car history.

Mazda RX-7, Nissan 240SX, and Toyota Supra and Celica joined the Nissan 300ZX in U.S. showrooms. But the real pivot toward JDM vehicles came in the 1990s, when magazines like Sport Compact Car and ...