2008 Best Car Series: Japan

[YSSMAN]

We've done Great Britain (now in voting process), and we're about to finish China its time to give 'the land of the rising sun' its opportunity to shine.

The rules are simple, nominate one car explain, and feel free to banter. Give it about four-ish days, we'll move onto voting. Think hard and have fun!

----

As for Best Japanese Car, after a bit of thought, I've decided upon this:

The Honda Fit Sport

Simply put, I've never been this impressed by such a small car. Its too much fun to drive, not to mention crazy-cheap, and fuel efficent. Although ours is a bit different than what the rest of the world gets with the Jazz (1.5L engine, stiff suspension, etc), its still an amazing car.

 

[Joey D]

Mazdaspeed 3, it's fast, well made, and much better then it's competition of the Dodge Caliber or whatever else has that sort of horsepower....Cobalt SS Turbo maybe.

Unless of course we think this car is European since it's more or less a Focus/C30 underneath .

 

[Tornado]

Quite the smartass, aren't we Joey? You should learn to try harder, though, as the Mazda 3 was the first car to use that platform. In addition, your comment is rather apples-oranges as the Volvo S40 is not a rebadged Mazda 3 and niether is the Ford Focus. You see, there is a marked difference between sharing a platform and sharing every part on the car except for the center console.

Oh, any anyways:

 

[Joey D]

Ah insults, isn't it great one has to belittle themselves to do that in a thread about cars? It was a joke, get over it.

 

[YSSMAN]

Okay okay... Lets just keep it quiet until someone nominates the GT-R, kthnxbye.

 

[slidesquad#1]

Okay okay... Lets just keep it quiet until someone nominates the GT-R, kthnxbye.

No no, do carry on. My nomination:

Went head to head with the heavyweights. Humbled most of them. Does things Nissans aren't supposed to be able to.

 

[nd 4 holden spd]

*Puts on flame suit*
Infiniti M45x AWD

Why?
Because atm all Hondas, Toyotas and Mitsubishis are either boring or don't float my boat, the GT-R is not to my taste, and the rest of the Nissan line-up is canniballistic or boring. (Why the hell should they have the Z and Skyline?- Same platform, same engines, both sporty coupes). The M45x though has a V8 and AWD, in a luxurious sedan, so it also has lots of performance potential, and not only is it not boring, it doesn't cannibalise anything in the Infiniti line-up. If, because there is no Nissan version of this exact model, it is not allowed, I vote the Infiniti G37 Coupe for all the same reasons.

Ah insults, isn't it great one has to belittle themselves to do that in a thread about cars? It was a joke, get over it.

We need and smilies in all our posts in this topic...........

 

[Philly]

I think I'm going to have to second the Mazdaspeed. Sure, there are a lot of good cars coming from Japan, but I think that will give you the best bang for your buck.

 

[Prosthetic]

(Why the hell should they have the Z and Skyline?-

1. Why should Chevy have the Camaro and the Corvette?
2. It's GT-R not "Skyline"
3. There not all the same that you make it out to be...
4. Performance and price between and far from being similar..




I second the S2000 nomination... In my eyes best car ever.

 

[Speedster502]

Lexus IS-F

Why the Lexus IS-F? Well, it has to be the best car that has came out of Japan this year! Lexus has managed to pull off the great thing of combining luxury with sporty-ness. The car looks stunning, I don't know anyone that denies this (Feel free to correct me though!) the flared arches and wider bodykit around the edge gives it a all out "hardcore" feel to it. The best thing about this car is that it's a car we could all live with, it has a boot, 4 doors and back seats which mean you don't have to saw legs off. The V8 in the front is stonker of a engine.

Tom Ford, (Fifth Gear Presenter, Top Gear Magazine Writer) has said before he wouldn't mind owning this car.

And then we have the Lexus IS-F. And I love it. Why? Because I'm not a racing driver. I realise that real life is as important as the weekend blast of the car journalist. I constantly think what it would be like to live with this car for a couple of years, how successful it would be as my day-to-dayer.

This is one of the reasons why I think the IS-F should be the Japanese car of the year. And I'm surprised no-one else had nominated this to be honest...

 

[orimarc]

My vote:

Mazda MX-5 (AKA Miata): It's cheap, it's nimble, it's driftable and it is one of the most chosed at the start of any Gran Turismo.

 

[Muzaffar]

What? No love for the Lancer?

Well I choose this over the Evo is because it looks as good as the Evo and the performance and comfort is almost similar to what the Evo is. Only that it is only less powerful and much cheaper. It was either this or the Impreza but since the Impreza was awfully ugly, this has to be it. My brother thought of buying one in the future as well....... 👍

 

[Danny]

The utterly irrepressable Honda S2000.

Still a sweet-handling, beautifully crafted and good-looking convertible. Honda overcame a lot of structural barriers to make it handle how it does, and it's never far from the top in ownership surveys. What's not to love?

 

[nd 4 holden spd]

1. Why should Chevy have the Camaro and the Corvette?
2. It's GT-R not "Skyline"
3. There not all the same that you make it out to be...
4. Performance and price between and far from being similar..




I second the S2000 nomination... In my eyes best car ever.

Because the Camaro is a sporty coupe, and the Corvette is a supercar? I definitely meant Skyline, not GT-R

Same platform and soon engine as the Nissan Z. I struggle to find much difference between them. Nissan Maxima and Skyline Sedan- Difference? Nissan Dualis and Nissan Murano- difference? Nissan X-Trail, Nissan Pathfinder, Nissan Patrol Wagon- difference?

Lexus IS-F

Why the Lexus IS-F? Well, it has to be the best car that has came out of Japan this year! Lexus has managed to pull off the great thing of combining luxury with sporty-ness. The car looks stunning, I don't know anyone that denies this (Feel free to correct me though!) the flared arches and wider bodykit around the edge gives it a all out "hardcore" feel to it. The best thing about this car is that it's a car we could all live with, it has a boot, 4 doors and back seats which mean you don't have to saw legs off. The V8 in the front is stonker of a engine.

Tom Ford, (Fifth Gear Presenter, Top Gear Magazine Writer) has said before he wouldn't mind owning this car.



This is one of the reasons why I think the IS-F should be the Japanese car of the year. And I'm surprised no-one else had nominated this to be honest...

I wasn't sure if to count that car, as there is no Toyota version, and Lexus is classed as American, but as far as I know Japan did the work didn't they? I'll vote that car as my second nomination come voting time.

The utterly irrepressable Honda S2000.

Still a sweet-handling, beautifully crafted and good-looking convertible. Honda overcame a lot of structural barriers to make it handle how it does, and it's never far from the top in ownership surveys. What's not to love?

Should have just seconded Toronado.

 

[Speedster502]

I wasn't sure if to count that car, as there is no Toyota version, and Lexus is classed as American, but as far as I know Japan did the work didn't they? I'll vote that car as my second nomination come voting time.

Well I was pretty sure Lexus is Japanese, (Wiki) Wikipedia seems to say the company is Japanese. I knew the IS-F was developed a bit in America due to scenes at Laguna Seca. But as far as I'm aware Lexus is Japanese.

Atleast I think they are.

 

[homeforsummer]

Quite a struggle to decide on this one, I'd be inclined to agree with some above, but in the end there's one Japanese car that's been impressing me more than any other recently:

Mazda 2/Demio

Why? It's easy to make good luxury cars or sports cars, they have a fairly simple formula, but a small car has to be so many things to so many people. Mazda have designed arguably the best car in the class - much more practical than the Mini or Fiat 500, it's cheap, available with 5 doors, performs well even with a small engine in place, economical, it's built well and handles well. It's also been designed to be light (over 100kg lighter than it's predecessor), which is an important step that all manufacturers will have to be looking at. Subjectively, it looks fantastic, sounds good, feels quick, and the steering, gearchange and response are all actually on par with the MX-5.

I'd argue there is no better small car around at the moment. Certainly none I'd rather own.

 

[nd 4 holden spd]

Well I was pretty sure Lexus is Japanese, (Wiki) Wikipedia seems to say the company is Japanese. I knew the IS-F was developed a bit in America due to scenes at Laguna Seca. But as far as I'm aware Lexus is Japanese.

Atleast I think they are.

I was going by Lexus being in the American Showroom in GT4. I figured if the Japanese people (PD or Toyota?) considered it American, then maybe that's what it was meant to be. But I'm down with it being Japanese, I'll vote for it too like I said.

 

[Jay]

I was going by Lexus being in the American Showroom in GT4. I figured if the Japanese people (PD or Toyota?) considered it American, then maybe that's what it was meant to be. But I'm down with it being Japanese, I'll vote for it too like I said.

The reason Lexus was in the American showroom in GT4 is back in 2004/2005 when GT4 was released Lexus was not sold in Japan at all. Japan got all Lexus models as Toyota (which is why you start to see a lot here in Australia now with them all being imported).

Name brand Lexus is officially sold in Japan now.

 

[nd 4 holden spd]

The reason Lexus was in the American showroom in GT4 is back in 2004/2005 when GT4 was released Lexus was not sold in Japan at all. Japan got all Lexus models as Toyota (which is why you start to see a lot here in Australia now with them all being imported).

Name brand Lexus is officially sold in Japan now.

We'll be getting Cadillac in Australia soon too, but that doesn't make them Aussie, see where it got confusing? Ah well, Lexus is Japanese, let's get on with it.

 

[Jay]

We'll be getting Cadillac in Australia soon too, but that doesn't make them Aussie, see where it got confusing?

Doesn't compare, Cadillac is sold in the United states (primarily), while Lexus at the time was never sold in Japan.

 

[nd 4 holden spd]

Doesn't compare, Cadillac is sold in the United states (primarily), while Lexus at the time was never sold in Japan.

Yeah......which is why some people my get a little confused and think Lexus is American. Hard to tell when for a decade or so the brand was never sold in its home country.

 

[forza2.0]

Evo FQ 360, you would like a GTR, but realistically you can afford a Evo X 360, and need the practicality. Therefore japans best car.

 

[Jim Prower]

Meh, an Evo with a big turbo slapped on? and you're comparing it to the GT-R?

Well, they look kinda similar, but I doubt refinement levels are the same.

I guess I'll second or third of fourth the GT-R.

 

[Jondot]

Since my favourite (the Mazda 2) has already been nominated...

Why? Uh... erm... well... Hang on, give me a minute.




Ok, I thought of something. It's cheap. And funky. And practical. Sort of like a Citroen Berlingo, but less van like. Would I drive one? God no. Would I like to see them on the roads? Yes.

 

[homeforsummer]

*Nissan Cube*

Ok, I thought of something. It's cheap. And funky. And practical. Sort of like a Citroen Berlingo, but less van like. Would I drive one? God no. Would I like to see them on the roads? Yes.

Nice choice, I quite like the Cube, for the reasons you mentioned. I'm lucky in that a business near where I live is using one as an advertising vehicle so I get to see one on the road quite regularly. I'd love to know if you can rent them in Japan, so when I go over there eventually on holiday I can drive one around

Oh, and good first choice of the Mazda 2... 👍

 

[Jim Prower]

do you think you can get NISMO parts for them like you can get TRD parts for a Scion?

 

[homeforsummer]

Yes: http://www.poweraxel.com/nismo/news/news2005/n050019.html (In Japanese...)

 

[Bones Brigade]

i may have to back the s2k.

 

[crazyguy42]

Good choices with the GTR's and G37's, but I have to choose the Nissan Silvia S15

 

[Brett]

Oh, any anyways:

That was going to be my nomination. 👍