Most iconic Japanese car?

[SeanPlunk]

This one is harder than the American. I think it might be the Skyline or maybe the Z cars? Thoughts?

[Vettezuki]

Skyline. Period. Starting with its legendary history.

[jedhead]

1968-1974 Datsun 510. This car changed the way the world thought about Japanese cars. A sedan that went head to head with the best sports sedans in the world, Alfa-Romeo and BMW to name some, and came out on top in competition. The suspension and engine was the basis for the 240Z that came later.

Bob

[Vettezuki]

1968-1974 Datsun 510. This car changed the way the world thought about Japanese cars. A sedan that went head to head with the best sports sedans in the world, Alfa-Romeo and BMW to name some, and came out on top in competition. The suspension and engine was the basis for the 240Z that came later.

Bob


That's important, not iconic. :)

[SeanPlunk]

Skyline. Period. Starting with its legendary history.

Yeah, the history (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Skyline) is pretty amazing actually.

[Damian]

Skyline hands down.

[BRUTAL64]

240z

[st-evo-9*corn fed-8urvet*]

im gonna throw in my bid for the evo line up.

i feel like it embodies everything people dont think of a japanese car as being, but pulls off.

-supercar performing quality parts for a budget price
-good performance car styling
-awd
-could out handle almost all supercar's
-kept getting better each incarnation too date
-18 year consistant model run sense 1992
-driving experience that you couldnt get out of a car till u spent 6 digits
-had a warrenty
-left a mark in several motorsports
-jeremy clarkson owns one - that should say something
-had 4 door's, seats 5 people, still has its econo car roots
-the best out of pocket expence to power gain ratio of any car.
-its stayed constant to its core market of consumer's wanting performance on a budget sense day 1, none of this lets make the new model twice what its worth and aim it at a new market business.

so everything i listed above could probably compete with the skylines list, to be the most iconic jap car.

but here are the last 2 things i forgot to mention, that i feel push the evo over the skyline as the most iconic japanese car.

-use of a historic engine the 4g63, that has consistantly been around in one form or another sense 1983. so a 24 year old "iron" block that kept improving and setting records and win's, and has shown to hold up to 600hp+ in factory form.

and second

- the 4g63 is a "4 CYL" engine

when thinking of japanese car's and they engine's what first pops into your head.....4 cylinder's not 6 that switch from inline to a V configuration.



if someone out due my claim with another car. ill paypal them $5, if someone can make a good argument and make me switch my answer to the skyline ill paypal them $10

GAME ON!!!

[SeanPlunk]

Cornfed,

I think you make an excellent case. I think part of the problem for me in deciding is how few of the cars we're talking about have made it over to the states. We didn't get our first Evo until 2003, so it didn't pop into my head as having too much longevity.

[Vettezuki]

Cornfed,

I don't think a car that started in the 80s can really achieve the level of "icon" under any circumstance. The Evo is a magnificent car and it's clearly iconic for your generation, but not on the grand scale IMO.

[eric97srad]

I'm gunna go ahead and throw in the Supra... I think they are easily the most recognizable japanese sports cars to date even by non-enthusiasts. Granted, production didn't start until quite a bit after the Z cars, and on the performance level I think they are way over-hyped, but you can't deny the success of that car.

[st-evo-9*corn fed-8urvet*]

Cornfed,

I don't think a car that started in the 80s can really achieve the level of "icon" under any circumstance. The Evo is a magnificent car and it's clearly iconic for your generation, but not on the grand scale IMO.

if you wanna take a deeper looking into the evo lineage and go for the subject wording of lancer-to-evo or lancer/evo or just lancer. you will come to find that the lancer started life in 1973 and was competing in rally's it was released in the US in 1977 as the dodge colt. for a couple of years, before they switch that up to another chassis in the dodge/chrystler/mitsu clusterfuk of naming confusion that they like to do.

threw a long, confusing lineage the lancer-to-lancer evo family has been around and a performing sports car. it has history in the same way the skyline has, given the skyline lineage is still slightly older but by only a few year's.

so my claim still stands :bigthumbsup:

[Vettezuki]

. . . it has history in the same way the skyline has, given the skyline lineage is still slightly older but by only a few year's. . . .

Uh, 1957 vs. 1973 (being generous) is not exactly "only a few years." And the Skyline was racing against and holding its own against the Europeans early on. In later years it was categorically dominant in some racing series, to the point where rules were enacted to effectively eliminate them from competition.

[Vettezuki]

Maybe it's sorta like in the American section.

Skyline = Corvette
Evo = Mustang

However, while I supported the Mustang in the American section, I'll take the Skyline in the Japanese section as most Iconic.

[BRUTAL64]

You know the more I think about it--The Honda Civic (1974).:p

[Vettezuki]

You know the more I think about it--The Honda Civic (1974).:p

That was hella important for sure.

[st-evo-9*corn fed-8urvet*]

Uh, 1957 vs. 1973 (being generous) is not exactly "only a few years." And the Skyline was racing against and holding its own against the Europeans early on. In later years it was categorically dominant in some racing series, to the point where rules were enacted to effectively eliminate them from competition.

ya a few year's may have been slightly used out of the norm.

what would your requirements be for a car to be an icon?

brutal did throw in a good contender

*i think the Z's should be taken out or explained a little better to me because they wherent a car so much as a line up within a lineup. kinda like the wu-tang clan way to many of them and rotating to count as a single icon.

*and the supra should be taken out and because it falls a little short on the history. starting at only 1979

*the evo should be changed to lancer

*civic should be thrown up.

*and for the final contestant i believe the RX line of rotory cars from mazda should be thrown into the mix. especially after you statement of racing rules having been created to get the rotory engine kicked out of some motorsports

[Vettezuki]

ya a few year's may have been slightly used out of the norm.

what would your requirements be for a car to be an icon?

brutal did throw in a good contender

*i think the Z's should be taken out or explained a little better to me because they wherent a car so much as a line up within a lineup. kinda like the wu-tang clan way to many of them and rotating to count as a single icon.

*and the supra should be taken out and because it falls a little short on the history. starting at only 1979

*the evo should be changed to lancer

*civic should be thrown up.

*and for the final contestant i believe the RX line of rotory cars from mazda should be thrown into the mix. especially after you statement of racing rules having been created to get the rotory engine kicked out of some motorsports

I think your consideration of the Lancer (Evo) is perfectly valid. Just arguing. Good call on the RX series.

[st-evo-9*corn fed-8urvet*]

I think your consideration of the Lancer (Evo) is perfectly valid. Just arguing. Good call on the RX series.


thank you now lets get more people on this thread. i think its a very good debate. more so then the american iconic car thread. being as how most of us know is limited to the vette, pony car, and camaro. with the vette and mustang riding high.

the japanese iconic car is alot more for us to think about.


also make a euro iconic car thread or maybe split it to an english, german, italian, or euro and supercar catagories.


and i got this idea from a top gear episode...made a thread on the most iconic car maker as a whole! :-) *this one should be fun*

[big2bird]

240z

Yep.

[enkeivette]

Skyline R-34, no more hype about any Jap car ever. The Supra was sexier IMO, but in any Jap racing video, the Supra always bows down to the Skyline in the end.

[BADDASSC6]

In order:
Skyline
Z cars
Supra
Rotary


Hondas never really mattered.:(

[SeanPlunk]

In order:
Skyline
Z cars
Supra
Rotary


Hondas never really mattered.:(

LOL, Honda's are really well made cars. My family has owned many of them and never had a lemon. Having said that, to me their current lineup is uninspired at best. And don't even get me started on Acura's designs - I can't figure out what the hell they're doing.

I still love me some S2000 though :drool2:

[big2bird]

Icon implies infamous. I am 55, and remember the impact the Z car had in the so cal scene in the 70s. The rotary caused quite the stir, then fizzled. Honda was thought of like Hyndai is today.
Untill I read this thread, I never even heard of a Syline, so icon it's not.

[SeanPlunk]

Icon implies infamous. I am 55, and remember the impact the Z car had in the so cal scene in the 70s. The rotary caused quite the stir, then fizzled. Honda was thought of like Hyndai is today.
Untill I read this thread, I never even heard of a Syline, so icon it's not.

Your point is very valid - the first Skyline we have seen in the states is the current one :huh:

The Z's have been around for a very long time.

[BRUTAL64]

Icon implies infamous. I am 55, and remember the impact the Z car had in the so cal scene in the 70s. The rotary caused quite the stir, then fizzled. Honda was thought of like Hyndai is today.
Untill I read this thread, I never even heard of a Syline, so icon it's not.

So true. The first jap car I ever rode in was a 69 Toyota. The VW beetle was better thought of than the Toyota back then. I remember hearing back then that Honda was going to make cars. My thoughts were "That'll be a piece of crap.":smack:

[enkeivette]

Icon implies infamous. I am 55, and remember the impact the Z car had in the so cal scene in the 70s. The rotary caused quite the stir, then fizzled. Honda was thought of like Hyndai is today.
Untill I read this thread, I never even heard of a Syline, so icon it's not.

Datsun Z with a rotary?

[BADDASSC6]

Sean,
Just because you had hondas doesn't mean that they matter or anybody cares.:( THey are still open deck shit boxes. S2000 suck too. They pretty much stripped the SRT-4s crown for off throttle spins into walls.
CNJ

[Vettezuki]

. . . S2000 suck too. They pretty much stripped the SRT-4s crown for off throttle spins into walls.

Why that dynamic? I know why the old 911s used to go ass end into everything, but the S2000? Snap over steer? Never heard that before.

[Throttle Crazy]

Datsun Z with a rotary?

I think he was stating that the Mazda rotory came in and fizzled out, but the z car remained popular.

[Throttle Crazy]

Icon implies infamous. I am 55, and remember the impact the Z car had in the so cal scene in the 70s. The rotary caused quite the stir, then fizzled. Honda was thought of like Hyndai is today.
Untill I read this thread, I never even heard of a Syline, so icon it's not.

I agree 100%. I know alot of people including myself that had never even heard of a Skyline until it hit video games in the late 80's early 90's. The Z cars made a much larger impact (at least in the U.S.). When I think of icon, I think of great significance and definitely legendary, the Z cars are both.

[BRIAN]

In order:
Skyline
Z cars
Supra
Rotary

Basically listed most expensive to least.


*and the supra should be taken out and because it falls a little short on the history. starting at only 1979

The Supra begins it's life in 65' with the 2000GT.



This topic is subjective to us here on this side of the Pacific but putting myself in there shoes I vote for the Skyline. I'm not motivated to argue as I see remarkable success in each auto respectively. God willing I would get my hands on each and everyone one of them.

[SeanPlunk]

Sean,
Just because you had hondas doesn't mean that they matter or anybody cares.:( THey are still open deck shit boxes. S2000 suck too. They pretty much stripped the SRT-4s crown for off throttle spins into walls.
CNJ

I think you're judging them only by track performance. I'm judging them in a more overall sense. I think that Honda makes great vehicles overall. They're high quality, reliable, and get great mileage.

I also think the S2000 is an excellent performance vehicle. It has all the qualities listed above, has by all accounts one of slickest shifting gearboxes ever, and looks good. Would I choose an S2000 for an all out track car? The answer is no. I agree that for track purposes a Vette is definitely the best bang for buck. That doesn't mean the S2000 is a shit box though.

[enkeivette]

Someone answer Adam now! What's a Z car? Datsun Z?

[SeanPlunk]

Someone answer Adam now! What's a Z car? Datsun Z?

This. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/240Z)

[enkeivette]

Thanks, that's what I thought. No, those don't win.

[BRUTAL64]

Thanks, that's what I thought. No, those don't win.

Yes, they do.:p:inout:

[enkeivette]

Yes, they do.:p:inout:

No they don't times infinity plus one!

[big2bird]

No they don't times infinity plus one!

That's it. "Double secret probation for you."

[big2bird]

I think you're judging them only by track performance. I'm judging them in a more overall sense. I think that Honda makes great vehicles overall. They're high quality, reliable, and get great mileage. So do Chrysler Minivans.


They also make great lawn mowers.:jester:

I am surprised that you have not brought up the fact that Honda builds all the Indy Car engines anymore.

[big2bird]

No, those don't win.

Yes, they do. I have sox older than you.:lmfao:

[BRUTAL64]

Yes, they do. I have sox older than you.:lmfao:

I've got a baby glass older than you.:boggled:

I don't think these guys have it right yet. We were lucky to grow up when we did. We saw the birth of Muscle cars and the birth of Jap "econo" cars and the first of their "Hi perf" vehicles. The first real performance jap car was the 240z that EVERYONE was talking about.

So the 240Z is an icon.:thumbs_up:

[SeanPlunk]

The 240z is definitely iconic. It was one of the first imports I was aware of when I very first started getting into cars.

[BADDASSC6]

Basically listed most expensive to least.

Bullshit a Supra Cheaper than a Z??????? Surpas, 300zx, and RX-7 were about the same price in the eighties. Rx-7 were cheaper in the 1990 because people started realizing how worthless rotary motors are.

[SeanPlunk]

Bullshit a Supra Cheaper than a Z??????? Surpas, 300zx, and RX-7 were about the same price in the eighties. Rx-7 were cheaper in the 1990 because people started realizing how worthless rotary motors are.

I think the 3rd Gen (FD) RX7 is a great car. It's great looking and the twin turbo rotary is cool :bigthumbsup:

[BRIAN]

Bullshit a Supra Cheaper than a Z???????
Your right a Supra was only 6k more than the Z at most but you get more for your buck is what I'm getting at from your list.

My list would be the same but the Supra would be at the bottom under the RX's.

[Vettezuki]

I think we could make the case, that in the sense of "icon" the Z car (e.g., 240Z) is the icon in the U.S. For Japan, I'm *pretty* sure it's the Skyline. I'll research it a little. For Global icon, I'd still have to go with the Skyline because of the GT-R, which is effectively the first Skyline to come to the U.S.