2008 Best Car Series: Japan

[homeforsummer]

I nominated the evo x and I cant comment on whether the STI is as good as the Evo X as I have driven neither but I wont be sad if I owned one or the other. However from the reviews I have read I got the impression the Evo was the better car. I think the STI needs more power to be honest.

Fifth Gear tested both tonight (and almost crashed them). They said the Evo was better, but the Impreza sure did look fun...

 

[YSSMAN]

Spaceship aside, Clarkson happily pointed out that the Mitsu is a bit more "direct" than its main STI competitor, so take what you want out of that.

BTW: I'm sad people aren't sharing my love for the Honda Fit Sport. Methinks you have to drive one to completely understand it.

 

[Tornado]

Having driven a Fit, I will agree that it is a fantastic little car.
But I couldn't very well not nominate the S2000, could I? Exactly.



Some more problems may be because in Europe they get a suck version of it.

 

[Joey D]

Spaceship aside, Clarkson happily pointed out that the Mitsu is a bit more "direct" than its main STI competitor, so take what you want out of that.

BTW: I'm sad people aren't sharing my love for the Honda Fit Sport. Methinks you have to drive one to completely understand it.

I've driven the Honda Fit and I agree it's an awesome little car but in terms of best Japanese car I think there are better ones then it. Plus it's not going to get much love from the Europeans since it's viewed as an older person's car I believe.

 

[homeforsummer]

Exactly. It's not a bad car by any means, it just looks like a mini MPV, we don't get the best engine (at least not last time I checked) and there are far more interesting rivals. Like the Mazda 2.

 

[nd 4 holden spd]

I'm going to try this Aussie talk for a size...

Ok here mate listen up hear... I know what a Skyline Sedan is... Maybe if you re-read my post you will see that I said that the Skyline Sedan is a less lux version of the G35... I do take it that Nissan does have to many sedans... Maxima, Altima, and the Skyline... At first when you were talking about Skyline I was really thrown off because I thought you were talking about the GT-R.

The Camaro is more expensive and faster then a Z and a GT-R is more expensive and slightly faster then the Z06. How is that about the same?

And I don't see you moaning about GM's armada of SUV's... Hummer H2 which is the same thing as a Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade. Then theres those Buick crossovers... The reason they made them and Nissan made them and every other damn manufacturer because they sell ridiculously well.


Now please lets get back to teh japaneze....

Ah, Aussie talk, now I get you. When you speak of the GM SUV line-ups you are 100% right, I didn't even consider it because in Oz Holden only has the Captiva, and then the Colorado (Rodeo) is a ute. But in the US, their SUVs are rediculous. Stupid GM! Spend more on sports cars and less on pieces of crap!

The Camaro is faster than a Z? I didn't know that.

I think he meant how each sits in the range. One is the sports car, one is the flagship.

Ah ok then yes I agree.

I'm not sure how you were interpreting what I was saying, but glad we sorted that.

BTW: I'm sad people aren't sharing my love for the Honda Fit Sport. Methinks you have to drive one to completely understand it.

Probably. There are a few cars I've only appreciated by driving them.

 

[///M-Spec]

Exactly what I've been saying, but I don't know why no one listens. And my beef was that the Nissan Z and Nissan Skyline Coupe have the same chassis, will be the same engine, and are both 2 door sports coupes, making one of them rather pointless.

One has rear seats if the Zed (not Zee americans! ) is too inconvenient, plus more of a luxurious GT feel (which is still great in the bends), and if Nissan gets adequate sales of both then what does it really matter.

Exactly.

Sit in a 350Z. Then go sit in a G35. There is a substantial difference in the interior quality.

The Z also has less utility; it's hatchback, but the crossbrace that straddles the rear strut towers limits what you can stow in the back. The G Coupe doesn't have a very large trunk, but it's certainly bigger and a more useful shape than the Z's.

IMO, the Nissan 3x0Z / Infiniti G3x is one of the few examples of badge engineering done well.

The Camaro is faster than a Z? I didn't know that.

Depends on the exact models you're comparing. But a 4th gen LS1 powered Camaro is definately quicker than a 350Z. Jury is still out on the 5th gen cars, but the LS3 should spank any Z, while the LLT will probably be a few ticks slower.

Of course, this is all straight line stuff.

Unless you're an automotive journalist, you'll probably never drive both cars. Neither will I. By claiming that I have to had drive both cars to have any sort of an opinion, You yourself are being a hypocrite.

Not necessarily. eiriksmil has not made a definitive judgment on which car is better. He made an allusion that the Evo is very exciting to drive, but that's not a statement that requires experience with a GT-R to make.

I'm not taking a side in your debate of which car is "better", but I have to add that I frequently see many posters here on GTP make sweeping, authoritative statements about cars they've never seen or touched, much less driven.

It's like hearing someone say "that restaurant sucks" when they've never been there. Maybe they read a review or heard it from a friend. But how valuable is that sort of second-hand information anyway?

Don't think I'm singling you out or anything. It's something I've noticed for a long time with a lot of people. You just happened to be here when it was brought up. Instead of calling him a hypocrite, you could simply hold him to the same standards he holds everyone else ---ask him if he's driven an FQ-360 and what makes him so convinced it is comparable to a GT-R.


M

 

[Jim Prower]

Not necessarily. eiriksmil has not made a definitive judgment on which car is better. He made an allusion that the Evo is very exciting to drive, but that's not a statement that requires experience with a GT-R to make.

I'm not taking a side in your debate of which car is "better", but I have to add that I frequently see many posters here on GTP make sweeping, authoritative statements about cars they've never seen or touched, much less driven.

It's like hearing someone say "that restaurant sucks" when they've never been there. Maybe they read a review or heard it from a friend. But how valuable is that sort of second-hand information anyway?

Don't think I'm singling you out or anything. It's something I've noticed for a long time with a lot of people. You just happened to be here when it was brought up. Instead of calling him a hypocrite, you could simply hold him to the same standards he holds everyone else ---ask him if he's driven an FQ-360 and what makes him so convinced it is comparable to a GT-R.


M

Hm. It's a fair assessment. Thank you...I was getting a little hotheaded and probably could use those words of patience.

 

[eiriksmil]

Mr. M-spec got my points.

Lemme guess: you've driven a Lancer Evo FQ360 and Nissan GT-R back-to-back, too? Let's face it: you're just defending the Evo because you like it and you don't like the GT-R.

You on the other hand didn't at all.
I am not defending any car here. I have never stated that you have to drive these cars to have any sort of opinion. You can say the Evo looks like ****, I don't care. Didn't really like the looks of it either. You can say that FQ-360 you're talking about probably has "a bit" of turbo lag, based on common sense. Yeah, it's probably got loads. You can also assume the Nissan's quick, it should be and it probably is.

As to "what's best of that and that", in this case the Evo and the GT-R; I couldn't give a toss, and it's a comparison we did when we were 10. Two totally different price tags and you can't probably compare them directly anyway.

My original point, which I'm still standing by, reading things like "Meh, an Evo with a big turbo slapped on?" makes me laugh, but sad at the same time. I allowed myself to search your threads, and not many months ago you made a thread on here about how you were daydreaming on the E36, and had seen a 318 you wanted to check out. Obviously excited, since you made a thread and everything. And the same guy talks like he's driving high-performance cars for a living and believes that a 350+ bhp car isn't any special at all.

And as M-spec stated, you just happened to be there. I'm neither singling you out. And no, I've never driven an Evo, never a Skyline (I've rolled in a mate's though). Difference is, I don't talk like I have 👍

Sorry, I just need to get this steam out.. Just tired of seeing people able to talk the talk, but not walk the walk

 

[Tornado]

My original point, which I'm still standing by, reading things like "Meh, an Evo with a big turbo slapped on?" makes me laugh, but sad at the same time.

I'm confused. Isn't that all it is?

 

[Leonidae]

yet another vote for GT-R. as long as you guys keep debating instead of voting, this thread is useless.

 

[Famine]

yet another vote for GT-R. as long as you guys keep debating instead of voting, this thread is useless.

And if you vote in the nomination thread rather than the soon-to-be-produced voting thread, your post is useless.


This thread is for nominating the one (ONE) car from Japan, for the 2008-2009 model year, that you think is the best. If someone else has already nominated it, you don't need to. Nominations will then be carried over to a voting thread (like the GB Voting Thread following the GB Nomination Thread, and the China Voting Thread following the China Nomination Thread) where you can then vote.

 

[Alex.]

I vote for the IS-F

 

[nd 4 holden spd]

And if you vote in the nomination thread rather than the soon-to-be-produced voting thread, your post is useless.


This thread is for nominating the one (ONE) car from Japan, for the 2008-2009 model year, that you think is the best. If someone else has already nominated it, you don't need to. Nominations will then be carried over to a voting thread (like the GB Voting Thread following the GB Nomination Thread, and the China Voting Thread following the China Nomination Thread) where you can then vote.

You're allowed to second nominations here though, and this thread is for the discussion and debating of which cars are worthy from what I understand of the rules, correct?

 

[Jim Prower]

Mr. M-spec got my points.



You on the other hand didn't at all.
I am not defending any car here. I have never stated that you have to drive these cars to have any sort of opinion. You can say the Evo looks like ****, I don't care. Didn't really like the looks of it either. You can say that FQ-360 you're talking about probably has "a bit" of turbo lag, based on common sense. Yeah, it's probably got loads. You can also assume the Nissan's quick, it should be and it probably is.

As to "what's best of that and that", in this case the Evo and the GT-R; I couldn't give a toss, and it's a comparison we did when we were 10. Two totally different price tags and you can't probably compare them directly anyway.

My original point, which I'm still standing by, reading things like "Meh, an Evo with a big turbo slapped on?" makes me laugh, but sad at the same time. I allowed myself to search your threads, and not many months ago you made a thread on here about how you were daydreaming on the E36, and had seen a 318 you wanted to check out. Obviously excited, since you made a thread and everything. And the same guy talks like he's driving high-performance cars for a living and believes that a 350+ bhp car isn't any special at all.

And as M-spec stated, you just happened to be there. I'm neither singling you out. And no, I've never driven an Evo, never a Skyline (I've rolled in a mate's though). Difference is, I don't talk like I have 👍

Sorry, I just need to get this steam out.. Just tired of seeing people able to talk the talk, but not walk the walk

This is really getting to me, and I can't really think of any way to keep myself from looking stupid. I've edited this post a dozen times because I don't know what exactly to say without seeming like a whiny emo kid. I never really intended to speak like I've driven both cars...I thought that was implied that I haven't, and that I was going off of secondhand opinion. I don't know how to word things otherwise. I mean, don't car enthusiasts talk about cars they've never driven all the time? What exactly was it that made you think like I was speaking from experience? I guess I'd like to fix it, but don't exactly know how.

I'd like to suggest, though, that instead of the FQ360, which is sold in only *cough* ONE country, it be changed to the entire Evo range.

 

[///M-Spec]

Mr. M-spec got my points.

You on the other hand didn't at all.
I am not defending any car here. I have never stated that you have to drive these cars to have any sort of opinion. You can say the Evo looks like ****, I don't care. Didn't really like the looks of it either. You can say that FQ-360 you're talking about probably has "a bit" of turbo lag, based on common sense. Yeah, it's probably got loads. You can also assume the Nissan's quick, it should be and it probably is.

As to "what's best of that and that", in this case the Evo and the GT-R; I couldn't give a toss, and it's a comparison we did when we were 10. Two totally different price tags and you can't probably compare them directly anyway.

My original point, which I'm still standing by, reading things like "Meh, an Evo with a big turbo slapped on?" makes me laugh, but sad at the same time. I allowed myself to search your threads, and not many months ago you made a thread on here about how you were daydreaming on the E36, and had seen a 318 you wanted to check out. Obviously excited, since you made a thread and everything. And the same guy talks like he's driving high-performance cars for a living and believes that a 350+ bhp car isn't any special at all.

And as M-spec stated, you just happened to be there. I'm neither singling you out. And no, I've never driven an Evo, never a Skyline (I've rolled in a mate's though). Difference is, I don't talk like I have 👍

Sorry, I just need to get this steam out.. Just tired of seeing people able to talk the talk, but not walk the walk

This is really getting to me, and I can't really think of any way to keep myself from looking stupid. I've edited this post a dozen times because I don't know what exactly to say without seeming like a whiny emo kid. I never really intended to speak like I've driven both cars...I thought that was implied that I haven't, and that I was going off of secondhand opinion. I don't know how to word things otherwise. I mean, don't car enthusiasts talk about cars they've never driven all the time? What exactly was it that made you think like I was speaking from experience? I guess I'd like to fix it, but don't exactly know how.

I'd like to suggest, though, that instead of the FQ360, which is sold in only *cough* ONE country, it be changed to the entire Evo range.

Jim, I think it's fair for you to be a little annoyed, since his post basically amounted to an attack on your credibility.

eiriksmil, while I agree there's a certain degree of empty talk with little personal experience to back it up in this area of the forums, I think you should also back down and a little. From I was standing, there really wasn't a call for such a personal remark.

Let's just all chill out and move on.

I'm confused. Isn't that all it is?

No. In a manner of speaking, it's even less than that. Assuming it's the Evo X FQ-360 w're talking about, it's some intake side and intercooler mods along with software changes. I believe it runs on the stock turbo, though I could be wrong.

But it is a healthy power and torque upgrade. Dismissing the car out of hand would be unfair. Besides, anyone who's ever driven a stock Evo would soon figure out the chassis can easily take more power.


M