Garage picks: twelve Japanese performance icons for BeamNG.drive, from the AE86 to the Silvia S15
Between the mid-1980s and the early 2000s, Japanese manufacturers built a run of rear-drive coupés, turbocharged saloons and rally-bred hatchbacks that the tuning world has never stopped loving. BeamNG.drive’s modders love them too: the library here holds dozens. These are twelve of the best, in chronological order from the AE86 to the S15, with what each one offers and how big the download is. The pictures are the files’ own covers.
Toyota AE86 – Fully Interactive Interior and EV Conversion
1983–1987 · 444 MB
The car that made drifting famous, with the most interactive cabin in this list: adjustable seats and mirrors, a working Alpine FM radio with presets, an Android Auto-style touchscreen with navigation and music, amplifier controls and a bass knob with a live voltage readout. An EV conversion is included as well.
Nissan Silvia S13 – 8 Configurations and Tuning Options
1988–1994 · 919 MB
Eight configurations with the CA18 and an LS1 V8 swap, high-quality exterior and interior models, a detailed engine bay with PBR materials, and an animated dashboard, pedals, gear lever and handbrake. Made for 0.39.
Nissan Skyline R32
1989–1994 · 332 MB
Thirty configurations of the car that started the GT-R legend in its modern form, with a detailed engine and engine bay, PBR materials, animated headlights and custom sounds.
Honda NSX NA1/NA2 – Fully Customizable with Custom Jbeam
1990–2005 · 630 MB
A from-scratch build: engine, transmission and chassis all made for this mod, a custom supercharged engine with a paintable supercharger, right- and left-hand drive interiors, and extensive interior and exterior customisation in leather and carbon.
Honda Civic EG6 – Drag Builds with K20, K24 and 2JZ Swaps
1991–1995 · 272 MB · the most downloaded car here
22 configurations with K20, K24, 2JZ, 4A-GE and even Hayabusa engine options, naturally aspirated, turbocharged or supercharged, in front-, rear- or all-wheel drive. Drag, street and all-motor builds, including replicas of real Civics. Our drag racing guide was written with cars like this in mind.
Mazda RX-7 FD3S – Amemiya & Mazdaspeed Tuning
1992–2002 · 84 MB
Five configurations built around famous tuner cars: the Amemiya Boost Up 7, the Mazdaspeed A-Spec and the Mazdaspeed GT-Concept, with custom wheels and openable parts. At 84 MB, the lightest download in the list.
Subaru Impreza 1992-2001 – Revamp with Police Configurations
1992–2001 · 465 MB
A ground-up rework of the first-generation Impreza, released as early access with more updates planned. Four police configurations with a light bar, a Tommykaira wing, rally pod lights and yellow headlight lenses for the stage-car look.
Toyota Supra A80 (MK4)
1993–2002 · 297 MB
The 2JZ legend in a deep set of configurations, from a near-stock cruiser to boosted builds. One of the steadiest downloads in the whole library, week after week.
Nissan Silvia S14 Kouki – JDM Drift Sports Car
1996–1998 · 789 MB
41 configurations around the turbocharged SR20DET, with detailed engine and under-bonnet work, PBR materials, headlight washers, custom sounds and an animated dashboard, pedals, gear lever and parking brake. Made for 0.38.
Toyota Chaser X100 – 30 Configurations and 4 Body Kits
1996–2001 · 249 MB
The four-door drift weapon: 30 configurations, pre-facelift and facelift versions, three engines, TRD, Kazama, BN-Sports and Traum body kits, extensive tuning and custom physics. Made for 0.38.
Nissan Skyline BNR34 – High-Detail Japanese Sports Coupe
1999–2002 · 165 MB
Fourteen configurations with high-quality exterior and interior models, a detailed engine compartment, baked lighting, working mirrors and lights, an animated dashboard and pedals, and brake discs that glow when they heat up.
Nissan Silvia S15 – 89 Configurations and 20+ Body Kits
1999–2002 · 1.39 GB
The most configurable car here: 89 configurations and more than twenty body kits, among them Vertex, D-MAX, Uras, 326Power, Top Secret and Origin, with a Veilside kit added in version 1.79 and physical quarter-panel add-ons you can remove or paint. The biggest download in the list, and worth it.
Build ideas
- Drift garage: S13, S14, S15, Chaser and AE86. All rear-drive, all with drift-oriented configurations; the drift tuning guide shows how to make your own from any of them.
- Drag strip: the Civic EG6 and the Supra. Measure with a dyno, then follow the drag guide.
- Rally stage: the Impreza, with the R32 and R34’s all-wheel drive as tarmac alternatives.
- Photo shoot: the NSX and the RX-7, at golden hour; the photo mode guide has the settings.
A note on game versions
Several of these were made for 0.38 or 0.39. Vehicle mods in general came through the 0.40 update unharmed, as our 0.40 overview explains, but check each file’s page and comments if something looks wrong. Every file was scanned on VirusTotal before publication, and the result is on its page.
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