New Skyline coming to america
Was a Z Guy...
Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Wichita Falls, Texas
Most people here are as well. My best friend and his mom are from Japan, so brand-conscious Japanese are nothing new to me. Americans were up for discussion, so I went with that. However, Lexus in Japan I didn't know about. Wherever you live, it's stupid as Hell. A fool and his money is one big party...
Int'l Man of Mystery
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Central Florida
^^ Yeah... Toyota made the big move to introduce Lexus to Japan starting this year with the new GS and IS... rebadged the SC too I think. I'm curious as to how well it will do. It may succeed... but I'm betting it won't. The Euro luxury buyers get those cars specifically because they are foreign and luxury on top of that. The foreign thing is big... that's why even the American cars can sell (not as well though)... there are eevn whole magazines devoted to it. I don't know how they drive them on the roads here, but I do see Suburbans, Explorers, Escalades...
You are right though... just because you have money doesn't make you smart. Unfortunately there are many without money who like to pretend they do too.
You are right though... just because you have money doesn't make you smart. Unfortunately there are many without money who like to pretend they do too.
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: University of Maryland
Lexus and Infiniti are both launching in Japan soon
its funny how a lot of G35 drivers here are debadging their cars and put JDM Nissan and Skyline 350GT badges on their car, but in Japan they are doing the opposite, putting infiniti badges on their Nissan skylines
to their credit though, lexus and infiniti and acura models in the US all have vastly improved interiors and often more features and options. its not just simply changing the badge and call it a day.
its funny how a lot of G35 drivers here are debadging their cars and put JDM Nissan and Skyline 350GT badges on their car, but in Japan they are doing the opposite, putting infiniti badges on their Nissan skylines
to their credit though, lexus and infiniti and acura models in the US all have vastly improved interiors and often more features and options. its not just simply changing the badge and call it a day.
Last edited by playdoh43; Dec 28, 2005 at 09:46 PM.
Was a Z Guy...
Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Wichita Falls, Texas
I've heard that about American rides as well. But I hear mostly rich guys get them, since they're so thirsty for petro-chemicals.
Yes, all of the pretenders are pretty silly, but I guess it takes all kinds.
Yes, all of the pretenders are pretty silly, but I guess it takes all kinds.
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: University of Maryland
Ive family in Osaka, it seems they dont respect American sports cars much. They are really big on european imports, but they dont really have much respect for the Stangs and Corvettes compared to the bmws and benzes etc. And it seems its tru in most of Asian and Europe also, Corvette being as great as it is, just dosnt seem that popular. Everyone wants a skyline GT-R or AMG or BMW M car. Tsuchiya didnt give the Vette a great review in the latest Touge test on BMI.
Int'l Man of Mystery
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From: Central Florida
Depends on what suits your fancy. The Stang is hard to get and NOT cheap in Japan. The previous GT cost about 4million yen. You could pickup a Evo, STi, or Legacy B4 for just over 3 million yen. A used R32 GT-R is 3.5 million-ish and a used R34 is a little under 4 million yen.
So cost is a serious ouch. Availablility is low. Gas... ouch! Aftermarket mods available in Japan... few.
Most importantly... if it don't handle... why bother? A lot of small tight roads means a tight turning radius is much needed. Going all out on the highways still requires good handling... the Shuto (Capital) Expressway in TOkyo is WAAAAY too curvy for a sloppy handling car... the scrapes and paint on the walls and rails tell that story well enough. Even fairly open straight highways like the Kanetsu or Tohoku (Chuo is low traffic, but pretty mountainous) still have some banked curves. The European sports cars are designed better for this environment. Other Asian makes? Like Hyundai? I see more American cars on the road than any of them.
There are American car fans. Those who like SUV's, or big luxo cruisers... or big vans. In Japan they are best suited for this. Driving through the tight roads in neighborhoods... no way. I have enough fun with my Familia Wagon (Protege5)... it amazes me when I see people do it in Crowns and vans.
So cost is a serious ouch. Availablility is low. Gas... ouch! Aftermarket mods available in Japan... few.
Most importantly... if it don't handle... why bother? A lot of small tight roads means a tight turning radius is much needed. Going all out on the highways still requires good handling... the Shuto (Capital) Expressway in TOkyo is WAAAAY too curvy for a sloppy handling car... the scrapes and paint on the walls and rails tell that story well enough. Even fairly open straight highways like the Kanetsu or Tohoku (Chuo is low traffic, but pretty mountainous) still have some banked curves. The European sports cars are designed better for this environment. Other Asian makes? Like Hyundai? I see more American cars on the road than any of them.
There are American car fans. Those who like SUV's, or big luxo cruisers... or big vans. In Japan they are best suited for this. Driving through the tight roads in neighborhoods... no way. I have enough fun with my Familia Wagon (Protege5)... it amazes me when I see people do it in Crowns and vans.
I don't buy Kool-Aid
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Vegas Baby!
Originally Posted by greycell
Due to release in 2008. The proto look nice. Price is rumured to be up there.
check out link.
http://www.carlist.com/newcars/2008/ncr1001.html
check out link.
http://www.carlist.com/newcars/2008/ncr1001.html
under nissan GTO-PROTO.
Looks cool if you ask me.
Blackbelt Thread Hijacker
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From: Dallas, Texas!
I read somewhere that it would be an Infinity when it arrives on our shores.. and at first I didn't like it much but I saw a photoshop of it in (don't remember the magazine) but : side profile, black, with tint and nismo rims! I almost shat myself!!! gorgeous car!!
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From: Hell in the desert
Originally Posted by Japan8
WARNING... 
You really have no idea what you're talking about do you?
The Japanese are THE MOST brand conscious society. People would buy import BMW's and Benz' so they would be LHD instead of RHD just to look that more pretentious. To make it worse... BMW picked up on it and offers most models in both LHD and RHD versions.
Brands like Coach, Louis Vitton, Tiffany, etc. are like Honda... Honda make something like 90% of their sales in the US. These "premium" brands all make record sales and profits in Japan. Not to mention that their stuff is all maked up much much higher than what you'd pay in the US. Same goes for BMW, Benz and other car brands.
The dealership network in Japan it totally different than the US today. All the dealers in Japan are owned by the respective manufacturers. As you alluded to, they usually divide the models up along certain lines and sell them at different dealers (with slightly different names). The Nissan Skyline is hardly high end... the Fuga, Cima and President would be the high end luxury models.
Why do you think Toyota is starting the Lexus brand in Japan? Maybe people in the 70's and 80's didn't care, but with the advent and succes of Lexus, Acura and Infiniti... you see many people changing the badges on their cars in Japan. You also have seen significant growth in sales of major European luxury brands. People would rather drive a BMW or Benz than a Toyota Crown or Nissan Fuga. Image matters in Japan... probably more than it does in many other societies.
You really have no idea what you're talking about do you?
The Japanese are THE MOST brand conscious society. People would buy import BMW's and Benz' so they would be LHD instead of RHD just to look that more pretentious. To make it worse... BMW picked up on it and offers most models in both LHD and RHD versions.
Brands like Coach, Louis Vitton, Tiffany, etc. are like Honda... Honda make something like 90% of their sales in the US. These "premium" brands all make record sales and profits in Japan. Not to mention that their stuff is all maked up much much higher than what you'd pay in the US. Same goes for BMW, Benz and other car brands.
The dealership network in Japan it totally different than the US today. All the dealers in Japan are owned by the respective manufacturers. As you alluded to, they usually divide the models up along certain lines and sell them at different dealers (with slightly different names). The Nissan Skyline is hardly high end... the Fuga, Cima and President would be the high end luxury models.
Why do you think Toyota is starting the Lexus brand in Japan? Maybe people in the 70's and 80's didn't care, but with the advent and succes of Lexus, Acura and Infiniti... you see many people changing the badges on their cars in Japan. You also have seen significant growth in sales of major European luxury brands. People would rather drive a BMW or Benz than a Toyota Crown or Nissan Fuga. Image matters in Japan... probably more than it does in many other societies.
In other words, the nameplate doesn't make a luxury car a luxury car, the car itself does. However, one thing that does help is the type of dealer services you get from one brand to the next but that's an entirely different story. All I was saying is that there really isn't a need for a seperate lineup, we just have it because that's the way old american market works..
Int'l Man of Mystery
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From: Central Florida
Originally Posted by NomisR
No more than any other society in the world, but I'm more refering to automotive world in regards to how in the past, US requires multiple brands for basically the same car. GM, Ford, Chrystler with the same overlapping lineup of the same car with different name plate and it's suddenly a luxury car? That's what I was more refering to.
In other words, the nameplate doesn't make a luxury car a luxury car, the car itself does. However, one thing that does help is the type of dealer services you get from one brand to the next but that's an entirely different story. All I was saying is that there really isn't a need for a seperate lineup, we just have it because that's the way old american market works..
In other words, the nameplate doesn't make a luxury car a luxury car, the car itself does. However, one thing that does help is the type of dealer services you get from one brand to the next but that's an entirely different story. All I was saying is that there really isn't a need for a seperate lineup, we just have it because that's the way old american market works..
LOL. History lesson. Let's all put our thinking caps on.
Once upon a time all the GM and Ford nameplates were separate, individual companies. They each had totally independent development, models, etc. Then one day they all got bought up and folded into one company. Chassis... platform share began... why not? It makes perfectly good business sense and doesn't necessarily make a car bad from an engineering and consumer standpoint. Problems began in the 70's. Oil Crisis.. rise of Japanese cars. 80's trying to fight back... buy stock, partnerships with japanese markers... rebadge their popular car and it'll sell... right? Wrong. Why design a whole new body, interior, etc.? We need to have x,y and z class cars sold under a,b,c nameplates... so why not just rebadge it? It's a good car to start with...
And that was the downfall. Chassis... platform sharing is ok. The Ford Thunderbird (RIP) and new Mustang were both built on the same platform, derrived from the Lincoln LS sedan. Each one is quite different, eh? So this isn't the problem. The problem is rebadging. GM and Chrysler, moreso than Ford (Ford did do it too), never considered the fact that it wasn't necessary to offer a version of each car across all their nameplates. Cutting GM a little slack... from the old days each nameplate had a full line and had loyal customers... so they wanted to provide for them. Unfortunately this was a grave error as consumers and the market changed.
Ok? This wasn't a market... a consumer's taste thing. It was mismangement, idiot bean counters and worthless people in marketing at GM.
As far as dealer services go... well... there are many stories of how BMW didn't and still can't compete with Lexus on service. Does that make BMW any less of a luxury brand? No. It just means Lexus does it better and it getting customers because of it. BMW can easily retain many just because of image.
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