North Americans love to claim that driving on the left side of the road is the ‘right’ way to drive. But the fact of the matter is, most of the world drives on the right side of the road! Wait, wasn’t it just the UK that used right hand drive vehicles? Yes, the UK, including some other countries like India, Pakistan, Japan, Australia, Indonesia.. You get the idea. In total, 74 countries drive on the right side of the road.
And since Japan and UK are known to be powerhouses when it comes to cool and desirable vehicles, you can be sure that North Americans are missing out on some truly great vehicles simply because these cars weren’t produced in left hand drive variants. Right hand drive cars in North America are extremely rare, or are only used as utilitarian vehicles.
In this post we’re going to be looking at 5 right hand drive cars North Americans love to admire, drive and most of all, would love to own.
1. Nissan Skyline GTR R34
The Nissan Skyline GTR R34 is one of the most legendary sports cars to come out of the Land of the Rising Sun. With an unassuming exterior, you’d never believe that this Japanese coupe could give most supercars of the day a run of their money.
The secret to the level of performance the R34 GTR offered was to be found not in just the power it produced, but the way handled that power. Under the hood, you’ll find a 2.6-liter V6 engine, which doesn’t sound that impressive. That’s until you learn that it’s been boosted by not just one, but two turbochargers. The car made around 300 horsepower from the factory.
300 horsepower in the 90s wasn’t anything special. How then, was the Skyline able to rival supercars of that era? Put simply, because it had the best computer-managed handling system. Power was sent to all four wheels, where it was managed exhaustively by a computer. You’d have to try really hard to make the R34 lose traction.
The levels of grip the Skyline R34 was able to achieve were simply unheard of outside race cars. And even with so much computer intervention, journalists described the R34 as feeling natural and mechanical. And then came the Fast and Furious franchise, which skyrocketed the R34’s popularity and cemented its legendary status in automotive history.
2. Ford Falcon Cobra
It’s no secret that North Americans have a huge appetite for big and powerful muscle cars. But did you know that there’s another continent where V8-powered bruisers are just as popular? The Ford Falcon Cobra is a classic Aussie muscle car, and its creation is certainly interesting.
In 1978, Ford Australia was readying its next generation Falcon, ditching the coupe body style in favor of a sedan or station wagon. The only thing – they had around 400 coupe body shells of the Falcon lying around that were destined to be scrapped.
What Ford did with them instead was incredible – they made a special Cobra version. This could be had with either a 5.0- or 5.8-liter V8, a manual or automatic transmission, and in two colors, white or blue. The car also had racing stripes, as a home to the Shelby Fords of the US. Today, the Falcon Cobra enjoys legendary status and any muscle car enthusiasts in North America would love to own one.
3. Mazda 1100 Cosmo
The Wankel rotary engine made headlines as a single piston engine with a high rev limit, small capacity and lightweight design. But because it was a completely new engine design, manufacturers were hesitant to include it in their car lineups. Mazda was brave enough to put it in one of their cars, the 110 S Cosmo, which debuted in 1967.
Just looking at the car, you would have no idea about what lay under its hood. This was a sharp-looking car, with styling derived from the legendary Jaguar E-Type. And it was powered by a, wait for it, 982 cc engine. But it wasn’t just an ordinary combustion engine, it was a Wankel rotary.
That meant that the tiny engine could produce up to 130 horsepower, an insane amount of power for an engine of that size, even by today’s standards. Add to that the car’s lightweight dimensions, and you had a pretty nimble car that handled well.
4. MG X-Power SV Coupe
The MG X-Power SV Coupe was designed as a legitimate sports car, albeit with parts that had been taken from much lesser cars. It featured Italian styling, a roaring American V8, and British heritage. The cars were constructed in Modena, Italy and finished in England. MG really wanted to create something special.
The reason we’re including this car on this list is because it has genuine appeal for the North American market. Thanks to its aggressive styling and a V8 soundtrack to match, the driving experience of this car was all about the drama. Under the hood was a 4.6-liter Ford V8 taken directly from the Mustang, which MG tuned to produce 320 horsepower. There was even a supercharged version with 540 horsepower.
Sadly, even though this car was a genuine showpiece for the roads, it never really gained any popularity, especially in North America.
5. Autozam AZ-1
This odd-ball of a car will throw many car enthusiasts in a state of confusion. It might look like it means business in pictures, but in real life it’s a tiny little car. It’s a kei car, a popular segment of cars in Japan with engines limited to 660cc.
And this car did come with a small 3-cylinder 660cc engine that made ‘just’ 64 horsepower. Mazda made it and Suzuki sold it, albeit in limited numbers. Only 5000 of these automotive curiosities were made, so they’re certainly exclusive.
Still, because of the styling and its eye-catching gullwing doors, the Autozam AZ-1 is considered a supercar in the kei car segment. And it was certainly designed with the same vision as a supercar. It had an excellent chassis that responded well to user input. And even though it only had 64 horsepower, its feather-light weight made the most of it. No wonder it was a favorite amongst driving enthusiasts in Japan.
And even though North Americans prefer much bigger cars with preferably a V8 under the hood, there’s something interesting about the AZ-1 that a lot of enthusiasts here would appreciate.
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