Most iconic Japanese car?
 

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

Skyline. Period. Starting with its legendary history.

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. :)

Yeah, the history is pretty amazing actually.

Skyline hands down.

240z

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!!!

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.

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.