What does Japan think?

[ponycar17]

No, the Japanese see our stuff as inferior to their's. They are very uptight when it comes to business and manufacturing. They are very effecient and have high quality standards. They see us a being lazy and ineffecient. They also see our quality standard as being low. Plus our stuff is too big and bulky for them. They like small and compact. The cars the are sold in the U.S. are designed specifically for the U.S. market. We love big and bulky. They like simple and effecient. Get the most out of the basic. 300hp 4cyl, small, efficient and powerful. Enough said.

I was in Japan twice last year for a month total. Yes, they're VERY arrogant in regards to American quality. No, the average car there isn't above 100 HP. The average car hovers somewhere around 1.5-1.6 Liters... They're into small cars. It took me several days to even spot a GT-R, and I finally spotted an ealier generation EVO in Tokyo. They don't get the big motor thing at all there. I did spot a few Mustangs and some Camaros, but I was quickly told by my racist/arrogant Japanese coworker that Japanese people thought Mustangs were unreliable. I guess I should take my 198,000 mile 2.3 and 97,000 mile 5.0 (drag raced heavily) to the dump now because the Japanese don't approve...

 

[Rootus]

Funny that they would be arrogant about American quality, when in many aspects they try very hard to emulate Americans.

 

[ponycar17]

Unfortunately only V6's. I'm sure wealthy people there who are muscle car fans have Mustangs. No, the Japanese don't consider our stuff inferior. The Japanese government persuades the Japanese to buy Japanese products, to remain as loyal as possible. This stimulates their economy. They are an EXPORT only economy for the most part.

No, there are in fact V8 American cars there. I saw several GT Mustangs and one '70s Vette with a nasty cam... It's just like my coworker said... They do think that American cars are unreliable. Case in point, Toyota sells a Chevrolet Cavalier in Japan under the Toyota brand name, and the Japanese hate it because it's American.

Here are some pics for you...


One GTR after a week of hunting...

This is the typical Skyline you see... Not the GTR...

Yes, there are Mustang GTs...

This is the most typical form of transportation you'll find... 0.6 Liter or so Vans... And they're everywhere, especially in more rural areas.

And I can't forget the Toyota Cavalier... This one was in a car lot on my morning walk to the factory that I was visiting there....

 

[spanky442]

Heh i find it funny that you all say the japs will hate the 2005 when at my college i have a japanese exchange student who has the 2005 Mustang as his wallpaper and refers to it as "way cool".

you mean "wayo coolo"

 

[85GTKid]

you mean "wayo coolo"

No I dont.

 

[ponycar17]

No I dont.

I work with them every day in a Japanese-owned company. They definitely think we're all idiots, even if our quality tolerances are tighter than our Japanese counterparts, and they are (I've seen this first-hand in Japan)...

Sorry man, I work with the Japanese wayyyy too much to defend them... Most of them really think we're idiots, and their racist attitudes show up everywhere. I'm sooo tired of hearing "they build a superior Japanese x......"... It really gets old how racist and closed-minded that group of people really are. Well, the engineers anyway...

 

[Dr.Bleed]

No, actually the Corvette gets better mpg:

Corvette Coupe Manual (350Hp): 19-28mpg
Corvette Z06 Manual (405Hp): 19-28mpg
Mustang Cobra (390Hp): 17-24mpg

Subaru WRX Sti (300Hp): 18-24mpg
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo (271Hp): 18-26mpg

Notice that even though the Cobra produces more power and is heavier, it has about the same mpg as the Sti.

What really upset me about that as far as the EVO/STI goes in comparison to the Cobra... The Cobra's have to pay a gas guzzler tax, where the STI, which is rated at almost exactly the same economy, fuel consumption wise, as the Cobra does not fall victom to the gas guzzler tax. Why? I dont know.

 

[Maxima02]

hello everyone

just want to add a little bit of info here about the "280hp"
That is called the "gentleman's agreement" where they would not rate their cars above 280hp for a reason I cannot recall.

Well in reality, the Skyline GTR R34 makes between 320-330bhp
The WRX STi there makes around 300hp there as well and not 280 like it states

Their WRX STi may have the same HP ratings as ours but I would guess our WRX STi has more tq. due it's higher displacement (2.5l vs. 2.0l)

A little bit more off topic info...their WRX STi has 2.0l because Subaru needs to sell a certain amount of WRX STi's with that displacement to be allowed to use that car in the WRC (world rally championships) -- that is why the EVO engine is 2.0l

They also use little engines because the higher the displacement, the more they will get taxed on the car. That is where forced induction (mainly turbo) helps them out.

 

[Maxima02]

edit..double post

 

[GT5oh]

The Cobra's mileage fell just under the EPA's 22.5mpg factored average which is the magic number to beat to not get slapped by the guzzler tax. Hot Rod's assesment of the poorer mileage from the STi is due to the lack of lowend torque verse the Cobra's motor, so the STi motor had to be kept in the revs a lot more than the Cobra to really perform. I also recently read where the automatic GTO's will suffer this guzzler tax as well but the manual goats will not.

 

[Jerm95gt]

Come on guys, you can't try and classify all of japan when most of you don't have a clue. They like cars that perform well, they just have strict emissions standards and develop faster thats why smaller displacement cars became such a boom there as they are starting to here. One of the guys from i believe mazda i think maybe even the owner said one of his favorite things was still an american v8. Japan has WAY better cars than here so i don't see how you guys can try and hate.

 

[85GTKid]

I work with them every day in a Japanese-owned company. They definitely think we're all idiots, even if our quality tolerances are tighter than our Japanese counterparts, and they are (I've seen this first-hand in Japan)...

Sorry man, I work with the Japanese wayyyy too much to defend them... Most of them really think we're idiots, and their racist attitudes show up everywhere. I'm sooo tired of hearing "they build a superior Japanese x......"... It really gets old how racist and closed-minded that group of people really are. Well, the engineers anyway...

Most of the ones I have met and lived with are very nice people. Maybe it’s a generation gap?

 

[Joe 5.0]

Just a note, my Acura is 75% American, and was assembled in Ohio.

I always thought it would be kinda cool to roll around Tokyo or Italy in a loud ass 500hp Mustang and frighten everybody. Thats probably not something they see very often, but here it's very common.

 

[falchulk]

the 2 liter limit has nothing to do with tax. Its a rally standard. The 'Kiss Me''Kiss Me''Kiss Me' version of the STI only make 275 HP not 300. Thats wht the US sti was a big suprise. First they broke the 2 liter standard and 2nd because it has so much more power then the EVO. The 2 cars were suppose to compete on even ground. Mitsu was blindsided and their eng's voiced their opnions about it all over the international press.

 

[Maxima02]

the 2 liter limit has nothing to do with tax. Its a rally standard.

I never said that...you didn't read my reply right. I said Subaru needs to sell a certain amt of WRX STi's (or WRX's) in 2.0l form to be allowed to use that car in rally.

Then I said about being taxed more on displacement but that applies to every car.

 

[spanky442]

No I dont.

Hey relax, I wasn't trying to be racist or anything. I have no problem with Japanese people. They are hard working and very efficient. I'm sure they make fun of American's who can't speak their language well when they are over there. I apologize for any offense, all in good fun. Just like, we pick on their cars, they pick on ours. I think they have excellent technology, great cars for the most part except they rust out fast, but so do american cars. I prefer Euro cars myself, that what I grew up with, but I've had Toyota and Hondas and only dumped them because the body rotted away.

 

[ThRippeR]

Japan has WAY better cars than here so i don't see how you guys can try and hate.

That's a matter of opinion. I would have to say that the NSX, Supra, and Skyline would be my favorite Japanese cars, and I would take a Viper over any of those ANY DAY. Easily.

What Japan needs over here at least is one of their finely tuned VTEC machines in a V8 form. I guarantee that once the import crowd hears it fire up out of one of there own machines, they would immediately start flocking to the displacement.

 

[Z28x]

I only have one thing to say about the Japanese, Most Extreme Elimination Challenge

 

[Maxima02]

What Japan needs over here at least is one of their finely tuned VTEC machines in a V8 form. I guarantee that once the import crowd hears it fire up out of one of there own machines, they would immediately start flocking to the displacement.

what about Nissan? no love for us guys?

for real though..i just checked Honda of North America's website..wow they don't make any V8's

That's where Nissan has them ...good V8's I may add

 

[paintballtommy]

that nissan titan looks pretty sick i dont know if id take one of em over the new f150 though.