I once started with the old Nissan 300ZX. I figured I wasn't getting far enough, so I ditched it and started a new game. The best car I'd like to recommend is the Toyota Chaser. Now, I know that heavy cars don't do too well (if that was the case, the 3000GT would be a luxury car instead of a sports car), but the Chaser has good power and a mean appearance. The more modern and cooler cars that you unlock will cost you more and remember you have to beat leaders, Wanderers, and Bosses to earn brand new cars. The only racers I forgot to mention was Osaka's NO LOSER team. You beat them, you earn their... let's call them... creative cars. But be warned. When you beat three members of the team, the fourth member you face will be an endurance. For those of you who played Mortal Kombat original, before getting to Goro and Shang Tsung, you fight in endurances, meaning when you beat one person, you face another thereafter. Same goes for NO LOSER.
So uh... have some fun on the highways of Nagoya, Osaka, and of course, Tokyo.