The typical Demio driver

Parnelli Bone

Parnelli Bone

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Columbia, MD.
Parnelli_Bones
Just out of curiosity, who is the typical Demio driver/buyer? I'm picturing sensible, family types. Grandparents. We don't have Demios or Mazda 2s or 121s in America, so i turn to you folks out there in the rest of the world, particularly Asia, Australia, or Europe where they sell these.

Do people ever race them? Hot rod them? Is there a reason Demios keep appearing in GT games?
 
I assume by Demio you're mainly referring to this one:

mazda-demio-sport-03.jpg


Or this one:

mazda-demio-gl-x-99.jpg


As opposed to this one, which we get in the UK as the Mazda 2 and hasn't been in GT yet:

Mazda2_SAP_action_1_338087a.jpg


In the UK, the former are exclusively driven by the elderly. In otherwords, slowly, badly, and generally in the way. The latter, the new Mazda 2, I've only really seen being driven by younger drivers, mostly young women. The current 2 is a brilliant small car, my favourite on the market. It's also the basis for the new Ford Fiesta, and handles very well indeed, like a front-drive MX5.

As for the older ones, I can't find any evidence using a quick google search that they were raced or rallied significantly. I suppose PD include them in GT because they're plentiful in Japan, probably fairly popular cars so an obvious choice for inclusion.
 
I see....interesting. I was referring to the cars in GT4, but this thread can pertain to any Demio or Mazda 2 or 121.

Laughed at the "badly driven & in the way" comments! That's kinda what i expected.
 
They may be doing it for Famine but the sheer quantity of them makes it inevitable that I'm affected too...

As for other Mazda "121s", the UK got this peculiar thing which the Japanese got under a different name in the early to mid 90s:

Mazda_121_around_1991_34661_20080305_l.jpg


And this one, which was an excellent car being based on the Fiesta Mk4, but more expensive than the Fiesta:

mazda121%20copy.jpg


The Fiesta based one is another old-person special, the yellow oddity came in various other putrid shades and even offered a full-length canvas roof, and was driven by the sort of wet blanket girls who literally just chose it because "it's cute" (even though it's hideous).
 
HAH :lol: I didn't even notice that but I think you're right! That's exactly the sort of person that buys those 121s... the sort of person who'd equip it with teddy bear wheel trims. And cover the interior in nauseating fluffy wheel covers, soft toys and other awful crap.
 
homeforsummer
HAH :lol: I didn't even notice that but I think you're right! That's exactly the sort of person that buys those 121s... the sort of person who'd equip it with teddy bear wheel trims. And cover the interior in nauseating fluffy wheel covers, soft toys and other awful crap.
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Yup, i'm picturing Hello Kitty seat covers, tons of beads hangin from the mirror, stuffed animals lol.
 
Eric.
Are those hubcaps....No...They can't be....

TEDDY BEARS?!
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Those are not hubcaps. They are Ronal alloy wheels. You could buy them about 10 years ago.
 
If I remember correctly, there WAS a Demio Mazdaspeed A-spec in early GT games. If this was a real car, then someone MUST've driven them hard.
 
Jim Prower
If I remember correctly, there WAS a Demio Mazdaspeed A-spec in early GT games. If this was a real car, then someone MUST've driven them hard.
Click to expand...

Something along the lines of this, wasn't it? I even recall the 3-spoke wheels like this one seems to have:

MAZDASPEED_DEMIO.jpg


And people do apparently make an effort to tune them...

Demio%20Nezart%203.JPG


They're not bad cars I guess, they're just a bit dull. I'm sure as everyday, practical, reliable transport they're great. The only "Demio" that interests me however is the current Mazda 2. And you can get a Mazdaspeed version of that which looks much more interesting...

IMG_2251%20copy.jpg
 
Jim Prower
If I remember correctly, there WAS a Demio Mazdaspeed A-spec in early GT games. If this was a real car, then someone MUST've driven them hard.
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Yes, that's the car we won & sold over and over again for those precious early credits. :D
 
Incidentally Parnelli, what made you select the Demio in particular? Whilst I have no complaints on the thread, it seems gleefully random to just think "hang on, those Demios are always in GT" :lol:

Could the Demio be the blandest car that always makes an appearance? I've just realised how few I actually see on the roads over here.

Oh, and re: the teddies... they are alloys

7058887_86ed34afb2.jpg


How on earth could Ronal do such a thing?

That said, if you take a look at the ones on the yellow car, they look a little different and do actually look like hubcaps.
 
They copied a cookie?

51elm-2P9ZL._SL500_AA280_PIbundle-12,TopRight,0,0_AA280_SH20_.jpg


Sweet.

===

Demio... I'd figure they'd be purchased by frugal folks who have a bit more of a taste for actual driving pleasure than those who would pick up a comparable Renault or Peugeot. Then again, I've got no idea.

We're getting the Fiesta instead. I'll take that.
 
The current Demio/2 you would pick for driving pleasure as well as it's other many virtues. The previous two models you certainly wouldn't. The comparable Renault or Peugeot would run rings around them, and even they aren't that good to drive any more.

Apart from probably the MINI and apparently the new Fiesta, the current 2 is the best handling car in the class. And I think I'd actually pick the 2 over either. Mine'd be a 1.5 Sport in gunmetal, unless I had the extra dosh for the Mazdaspeed...
 
homeforsummer
Incidentally Parnelli, what made you select the Demio in particular? Whilst I have no complaints on the thread, it seems gleefully random to just think "hang on, those Demios are always in GT" :lol:
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I'm just curious about Demios. Why on earth they keep appearing in each game? With a Civic or a Mirage you can see why. A Civic is an everyday driver, for instance, but so many people tweak on them, it makes sense that they're in GT, but why the Demio? Like i said, we dont have Demios in America. i was just trying to figure out what's so important about them? Do people tweak them or street race them...
 
People do tweak them and I wouldn't be surprised if a few are raced in Japan, or were raced in any sort of series ten or so years ago, whenever that particular model came out. I'm sure pretty much everything has been used competitively at some point! Here are a few tweaked models:

demio.jpg

img1.jpg

img2.jpg


And for nostalgia's sake, here's the A-spec in Gran Turismo 1:

2219673089_e8b51dec36_o.jpg


Must say, 94bhp and 900kg sounds like it could be fun.
 
Oh man! The Demio A-spec from GT1! That car was so hilariously fun. It was so light that it took corners up on two wheels about to tip over! Pretty decently quick too due to its weight.
 
Yea, i find them surprisingly fun too. I've just started driving around a used Demio in GT4. :) Not a whole lot of power, of course, but watching the replay, in which one of these mommy-wagons does major damage to an actual sports hatch or whatever is definately worth a laugh. :crazy:
 
ND4SPD
Oh man! The Demio A-spec from GT1! That car was so hilariously fun. It was so light that it took corners up on two wheels about to tip over! Pretty decently quick too due to its weight.
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Not to mention the sound of that thing was the best in the game! I love that car. I want it in GT5, in race car form, so bad!
 
Re the original Demio from GT. Here in Hong Kong I rarely see modified ones, other than lots of Hello Kitty stickers or the like. They're usually driven purely for getting from A to B and driven by people with no interest in cars. They always seem to be dark metallic green too.
 
um....

Where's my Black and Green Wrecking Machine when I need it? We seem to be reviving threads an awful lot, lately...
 
In Japan, people buy these sorts of cars for the substantial money savings that the government offers for owning a small car. I see plenty of them driving around kitted up with nice wheels, lowered, etc. I doubt anyone is racing them, but they're definitely modding them. Pretty much everyone I know under the age of thirty has a small car like this unless they're REALLY into their cars. It's just the standard thing to do, like buying a Commodore in Australia.
 
Duke
Those are not hubcaps. They are Ronal alloy wheels. You could buy them about 10 years ago.
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Duke
They're not hubcaps. They are alloy wheels, made by none other than Ronal:

teddywheels.jpg
Click to expand...

Yeah.. You already said that :P
Ronal Teddybears are awesome.. Oh, and 1st gen Mazda 121s were available in the US under a different name..
 
My stepmum has a second gen mazda 2 (demio), with sports suspension, mags and a bodykit. Goes pretty well for a 1.3 and hangs on to the road really well, its like a bigish go kart. Passed my licence in it as well
 

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