1989: one year, many beginnings

Japan's asset-price bubble provides the context for an unusually ambitious period of product planning.

1. 1986

   Japan's asset price bubble ran from 1986 to 1991.

   Source: Japanese asset price bubble — Wikipedia (English)

Luxury flagships for new brands, a lightweight two-seater and the return of a performance nameplate all arrived within the same year.

1. 1989

   The Toyota Celsior went on sale in Japan in October 1989, the same year the model was launched as the Lexus LS for the U.S.-focused Lexus brand.

   Source: トヨタ・セルシオ — ウィキペディア日本語版
2. 1989

   The Mazda Roadster went on sale in the U.S. in May 1989 and in Japan on 1 September 1989 as the Eunos Roadster.

   Source: マツダ・ロードスター — ウィキペディア日本語版
3. 1989

   The GT-R name returned in 1989 on the R32 Skyline, 16 years after the previous GT-R ended production.

   Source: Nissan Skyline GT-R — Wikipedia (English)
4. 1989

   Toyota's Lexus brand was launched with the LS in 1989; Lexus did not exist as a brand in Japan until 2005.

   Source: Lexus — Wikipedia (English)
5. 1989

   Nissan's Infiniti brand began on 8 November 1989, initially in North America.

   Source: Infiniti — Wikipedia (English)

The same year, the industry adopted a voluntary ceiling on advertised power that would last into the 2000s.

1. 1989

   After Nissan held its 1989 Fairlady Z (Z32), Skyline GT-R (BNR32) and Infiniti Q45 to 280 PS under administrative guidance, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association adopted 280 PS as the voluntary upper limit for domestic cars.

   Source: 自動車馬力規制 — ウィキペディア日本語版
2. 2004

   On 30 June 2004 the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association informed the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism that it would abolish the 280 PS limit; the fourth-generation Honda Legend (300 PS) was the first car afterwards to exceed it in catalogue specifications.

   Source: 自動車馬力規制 — ウィキペディア日本語版