Why ’90s JDM Cars All Had 280 HP

In the 1990s, every Japanese sports car — Skyline GT-R, Toyota Supra, Mazda RX-7, Honda NSX — claimed to have exactly 280 horsepower.
But that number? It was a lie.

This was the result of the “Gentlemen’s Agreement” — an unofficial pact between Japanese automakers to limit horsepower to 280hp on paper. The goal was to avoid a horsepower war, keep insurance costs down, and maintain public safety… but in reality, these cars often made 300+ horsepower from the factory.

Here’s how the 280hp lie shaped an entire era of JDM legends.

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