Would the japanese be dissapointed?

[rcsmith01]

I was thinking today, what if the Japanese came to watch us drift. Practically everyone is running the same cars as in Japan, 240's and Hachi's.

When they come here they want to see american muscle at the tracks, Mustangs, Camaro's, Vettes etc.

Just like when we go to Japan, we want to see the cars we don't have here, Skylines, S15's etc.

Just a thought.

[Andrew Bohan]

they should go watch drag racing then.

[TurDz]

No, they'd be flattered.

[Chernobyl]

Nascar. They love nascar.

[MakotoS13]

FC's S13's and AE86's are popular because:

they're dirt cheap

vettes and higher end american muscle:

sucks if you hit a cone or wall or whatever

i'm thinking about gettin a new GT stang this year and i'd take the S13 to autoX, a dorifto event, or track meet WAY before that sucker

[the head]

Biggest problems with camaros and trans ams is the fact that they don't have a very wide sweep in ther steering range compared to most other cars so 1. you cant get as much angle because you hit the lock too soon and 2 the cars are rather notorious for going into tank slappers when they come out of a slide or losing traction to the front end when the rear hooks up

[MakotoS13]

Fbodies are not for road racing or anything requiring more than straight line efficiency. i've driven SUV's and trucks with a tighter turning radius.

they sure do look hawt though :)

[HyperTek]

American cars suck!!! less quality per dollar... and the designes just are not as efficient..sloppy designs imo, they needed brute force via v8s just to move those dam boats.. hence why these are mostly popular in the home market, not overseas, where as european and japanese cars are loved world wide.

[drftwerks]

uh, japanese LOVE american car, go to a japanese book store ad go see all the american car mags, and see how much they are selling the cars for.

[Yoshi]

uh, japanese LOVE american car, go to a japanese book store ad go see all the american car mags, and see how much they are selling the cars for.

Totally! They love the USDM hotness, hahaha :)
Seriously tho, they have a cult following for UDSM stuff just like we have the same for JDM here... u know how much those crazy peepz will pay for Autometer gauges just cuz they're american? UGH. I'll take GReddy or Omori gauges over autometer any day.

[the head]

Fbodies are not for road racing or anything requiring more than straight line efficiency. i've driven SUV's and trucks with a tighter turning radius.

they sure do look hawt though :)

actually autox wise the WS6 and firehawk versions handle well I have competed in auto x since I was 16 first in a 94 1LE interceptor Transam and now in a 99 WS-6 the car does rather well and is very competitive in it's class

[Angel]

actually autox wise the WS6 and firehawk versions handle well I have competed in auto x since I was 16 first in a 94 1LE interceptor Transam and now in a 99 WS-6 the car does rather well and is very competitive in it's class


My 96 firebird handled very well. Custom spring rate eibachs, koni double adjustables, subframe connectors, triangulated strut brace, 17x9.5 17x11.5 forgelines with michelin mxx3's 295 front 315 rear, and although it didn't help in the grip department 383 stroker 416 rwhp and 13.5" 6 piston alcons to slow it down...... it was a really easy car to go fast in and was fairly light because I started with a stripper v8 model no pw, pl, t-tops leather etc.

[The ROMAN]

I had a 94 formula. They do handle well they just can feel really big (because they are) in tight turns and quarters. I've actually been thinking about getting another.

[Angel]

I had a 94 formula. They do handle well they just can feel really big (because they are) in tight turns and quarters. I've actually been thinking about getting another.

No doubt exagerated by the huge dash and long nose, but mine felt pretty light on it's feet and it was so easy to throttle steer that car..... good power from just off idle all the way up. And turn in was really good.

Lost interest in it when I bought a 95 supra turbo and my wife started daily driving the pontiac until I finally sold it, now I wish I had kept it.

Oh yeah I forgot that it had sway bars, diff, carbon driveshaft, alu. flywheel as well.

[The ROMAN]

heh yeah I've never been in a car that had such an enormous dash. I love how GM shoehorns the engine in under it so you can't change all the spark plugs.

Mine just had a bunch of engine bolt-ons, programmer and SS wheels, oh and it was a six-speed. Dammit I want another.

[HyperTek]

handles well comparing to what?? a stock fbody versus a modded fbody doesnt tell much..

[S13 Charlie]

A buddy of mine here at work used to work at TRD (USA) and told me a story about taking a Japanese Engineer to the Drag Races at Pomona.. At first the Japanese Engineer didn't "get it", that is, he didn't understand why we Americans were spending so much time with these enormous engines. Then when the first Top-Fuel car went down the track and he'd about crapped his pants, he turned to my buddy and said something like "wow, now I get it".

On Topic though, I think they'd be neither flattered nor disappointed, there's a reason why these lightweight, inexpensive cars are so popular for drifting..

-C

[MakotoS13]

American cars suck!!! less quality per dollar... and the designes just are not as efficient..sloppy designs imo, they needed brute force via v8s

hey mental giant, america invented the sports car. really? yes. some guy a long long time ago said "i wonder what would happen if i put my big huge truck motor in my tiny coupe. ba'am instant hotrod.

foreign is more loved ALWAYS. in the UK BMW's are like fords are over here. in japan the Japanese cars are all over theplace so people like what's different what's different? oh some lumpy high torque NA V8 powered muscle car.

so, before you hate on your heritage and prove to the world what a short sighted arse you can really be i recommend a little self reflection to help dissolve the ignorance you so boldly distribute.

[infinitexsound]

different taste in motorsport, we drive what we like...

[AenjukuCar]

American cars suck!!! less quality per dollar... and the designes just are not as efficient..sloppy designs imo, they needed brute force via v8s just to move those dam boats.. hence why these are mostly popular in the home market, not overseas, where as european and japanese cars are loved world wide.


you might wanna look in the middle east there is alot of rich arab people over their that love vettes. And the new C6 Z06 is going to have 500horsepower and be lighter. They dont call it the snake eater for nothing.

[HyperTek]

corvette is and always was originally european influence since its creation...

and that craze america created was the "hot rod" .. supped up street cars and street racing... not the true sports car.

Im not hating on american cars.. when i was a kid, we had a 5.0 mustang that i thought was the coolest cars in teh world... even as i got older, i drove that thing and it would scare me shitless with torque.. :bowdown:

Its just that majority of the car designs imo, where designed to fit the image that america demands,.. tons of power in a straight line in a huge car.

I can see how a japanese person would be interested, becuase it is different then what they have... somewhat how we jock thier things... I personally dont plan to buy an american car anytime soon...

But then again, its bastards like me who ruin the economy by not buying american :duh:

[IGSDann]

I just like what's fast, good handling and good looking... Why debate about where it comes from?

[TurDz]

I think it's just a matter of different priorities. In Japan, it seems technology, efficiency, and wow factor is at the top of their lists, even in ordinary passenger cars. Same with Europe. Personally, American race culture is still based around straight line acceleration. Fast to the majority of Americans is fast in a straight line, not a race track. So I guess you can say you always want something you can't have.

[MurdarioStomp]

exactly. seems like the default question down here in mountain town athens is "whats that lil jap car run in the quarter mile?" i dont care...its fun to drive in other directions than straight

[AKADriver]

foreign is more loved ALWAYS. in the UK BMW's are like fords are over here.

Fords are domestics in the UK (Ford UK has a long history of building unique cars unrelated to US models), BMWs are imports there. Also BMWs are so loved, they're like Fords in most US cities now too, hahaha. 325i's as far as the eye can see!

Euro drifters love their BMWs though. Guys in the UK have a larger percentage of Japanese cars than the mainland, lots of 200SXs. But yeah, BMW 3-series. I came really close to buying an E30 before I found my second S13, but it ended up getting sold. It was a '91 318i, a 4-door with the nicer looking small bumpers and the high-winding 16v M42B18 motor, not the old 8v M10B18 that gives the 318i a bad name.

[Annoying Eric]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid162/p21c4865cc4236395a5f2d1a789e1cb84/f4b5f258.jpg.orig.jpg


I <3 my z28...

[ThatGuy]

ImageStation > You

Imageshack.us > ImageStation

[Annoying Eric]

http://img52.exs.cx/img52/8545/dsc003383fj.jpg

[AlligatorBling]

Q: Would the japanese be dissapointed?
A: Hell no, theyd say God bless them American boys for all they worth.

[kuramaya]

Well with over 6 years in Japan and multiple locations I can tell you that I have seen maybe 6 Firebirds and Z28's combined..not many..now you do see a shit load of full size chevy pick ups and vans...

[MakotoS13]

Fords are domestics in the UK (Ford UK has a long history of building unique cars unrelated to US models), BMWs are imports there.

most of their parts and cars come from their US brethren.

mondeo = contour
cougar = cougar
ranger = ranger
GT = GT
focus = focus

and the have a few other little tiny cars like the KA and such. i think the fiesta is coming back in the form of a cool little econobox or sumthin.

[mjjstang]

no matter how you slice it though, the japanese have better technology, and their cars have a lower rate of malfunctions, I mean I stepped into my buddies 1991 toyota privea, and thought I was in the jetsons cruizer, the japanese will always be one step ahead, I own a mustang and a 240, its not like Im all hardcore for japanese cars, I really am not impressed with my car at all, sure it is an economy sports car and its not supposed to have the best engine but comon, 193 hp out of a 3.8 in 2001, that is disgusting, hell the 240 is probably in the same class as the 6erstang sept it manages to outperform my mustang in every aspect, while being 10 years older, Oh and btw im talking about when it was a ka, letalone sr. Although I hear the avalon is having a lot of quality issues, so who knows, I think the jap cars will always be more reliable though.

[Fastback180]

yup...they're always a step ahead
http://www.tomo.coo.net/car/s-townace.jpg

[G_Fish240]

Well with over 6 years in Japan and multiple locations I can tell you that I have seen maybe 6 Firebirds and Z28's combined..not many..now you do see a shit load of full size chevy pick ups and vans...
And How many of those had Y plates?

[AlligatorBling]

http://www.tomo.coo.net/car/s-townace.jpg
spaceshuttle van

[kuramaya]

And How many of those had Y plates?

Only a few have the Y's..there is a "DUB" thing going, at least in okinawa I see quite a few full size GMC vans with DUB stickers all ghetto'd out..also alot of lowriders with hydros, its like 1994 all over again..

[MakotoS13]

isn't it pretty true that the japanese get the cars before us meaning that they pretty much have TONS of time to find any malfunctions before they even ship any over here?

[mjjstang]

well yah you do have a point there on the reliability standpoint, and their cars arent that much more stylish then ours, but something about japanese cars technology wise, i donno,

[SimpleSexy180]

Only a few have the Y's..there is a "DUB" thing going, at least in okinawa I see quite a few full size GMC vans with DUB stickers all ghetto'd out..also alot of lowriders with hydros, its like 1994 all over again..


wow next thing you know youll see escalades on twenty fo's there :hahano:

[MakotoS13]

well yah you do have a point there on the reliability standpoint, and their cars arent that much more stylish then ours, but something about japanese cars technology wise, i donno,

tech? its only recently that americans gave two craps about tech. we weren't interested in anything other than SUV's for a long time. cars are marketed towards what companies think they want.

[mjjstang]

thats what im saying that they have better tech, japanese that is,

[sportcars14a]

I think the Japanese get excited over seeing us drift, period. Of course they root on the domestic's because that is opening a broader fan base then just import fanatic's.

As for america or any other country not making good cars, I had a 97 240sx I used to drift all the time, I am now driving a 95' M3 and taking that to a drift event this upcoming saturday, and my next car will probably be a c5 z06, to me it dosent matter who makes the car, as long as it is a balanced sports car in my opinion. People who are brand happy like Nissan only or Toyota only, or Japan only etc. Need to open up to the WORLD of sports cars, there are so many different manufacturer's in the world who make kick ass sports cars who wont get a second look from the average drift guy cuz he is so focused on the jDm TyTe factor. I still have a love for wastegated silvia's making 400hp

[Rusker]

Interesting..

[drftwerks]

wow next thing you know youll see escalades on twenty fo's there :hahano:


haha, just go look at LA STYLE in a kinokunia book store.

[AllenRPS13]

American cars suck!!! less quality per dollar... and the designes just are not as efficient..sloppy designs imo, they needed brute force via v8s just to move those dam boats.. hence why these are mostly popular in the home market, not overseas, where as european and japanese cars are loved world wide.

i totally agree with u!!!

[drift freaq]

the crack up is save for a few standout american cars like the Corvette C5 and C6 and the Ford GT40 our car companies do bite the big one , yet in Semiconductors and Software we are world leaders. Sure memory chips are made cheaper overseas and such but in the high semiconductors i.e. The CPU's none one beats the Americans. In fact if it was not for Silicon Valley aka the South bay part of the San Francisco bay area our country would not have the edge it does.
Risc processors Cisc processors , VLSI , Its all American and everyone else buys them from us and puts them in their stuff to make the shit happen. So why in the hell can't our car companies take note from the Semiconductor Industry?

[the head]

most of their parts and cars come from their US brethren.

mondeo = contour
cougar = cougar
ranger = ranger
GT = GT
focus = focus

and the have a few other little tiny cars like the KA and such. i think the fiesta is coming back in the form of a cool little econobox or sumthin.

You got some of that backwards the mondeo and the focus came out in europe first and are far superior cars because of it

if only we could get the european focus RS AWD turbo

Ford EU made great cars the ford Orion back in the day a friend had one when he was in Italy it handeled just like an E30 BMW looked almost the same too and it was an excellent drivers car although lacking in the HP department.

[AKADriver]

You got some of that backwards the mondeo and the focus came out in europe first and are far superior cars because of it

Yep yep. Also the Focus they get now is a 2nd gen car completely unlike our warmed-over 1st gen model.

Before the days of "globalization," Ford UK was practically a different company. Cortinas, the old RWD Escort and Capri... badass. While we had this:

http://jr.lovefords.org/galleries/images/75_fords.jpg

They had this:

http://mclellansautomotive.com/photos/B31250.jpg

:coolugh:

[SimpleSexy180]

yeah american car design skill sucks monkey balls. its sad though how there stuck on making spaceship looking cars.

[TUnity2]

The differance between japan and here, we get the crappy versions of their card while they get almost the same damn version we do of our cars. The guy that own yashio (sp?) factory has a vette along with his stable of (pink) S chassis cars.