The Empire strikes back 

"El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!" (lightningzone) 01/20/2016 at 12:40 • Filed to: None

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Years ago, Clarkson talked about how the Japanese automakers took over the world. And then lost it. It looks like they’re talking it back. By Force.

For Sweden > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! 01/20/2016 at 12:47

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Someone warn China

macanamera > For Sweden 01/20/2016 at 12:48

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They don’t need to be warned, they are doing just fine. The Swift Wind Mountain Breeze Lotus Blossom XPS is an excellent competitor.

EL_ULY > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! 01/20/2016 at 12:48

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......hey Clarkson....

gin-san - shitpost specialist > EL_ULY 01/20/2016 at 12:54

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Enthusiasts have been saying for years that Japanese cars have been the boring, but reliable machines. It’s just recently that they’ve started listening, and recent concepts and production models seem to reflect this.

Even Korean cars are starting to present some neat concepts, even if they do look like a merging of many existing design concepts. However, every now and then you get something neat - Kia concepts have been interesting to me, like the GT4 Stinger, the Trackster, and that boxy-looking SUV concept that was on Jalopnik within the last couple of weeks.

I just really hope that Japanese/Korean manufacturers don't fall into the habit of making great concepts and not manufacturing any of them.

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > For Sweden 01/20/2016 at 12:59

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I don’t think Chiba can do much. At least not yet.

TheHondaBro > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! 01/20/2016 at 13:19

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One of those doesn’t even have an engine.

Breakfast Burrito: The True Resident Burrito > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! 01/20/2016 at 13:19

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Hmm... let’s take a closer look at all this “force.”

Acura NSX: Middle of the road performance, plus a bit too expensive and heavy for how long we waited for it.

Mazda Skyactiv SwoopyConcept ™ : Nothing to see here. No engine, no real interior design. Exterior design that pulls harder at our E type heartstrings than the production car will ever deliver. That is, if they ever make another RX. Call me when they’re at least serious enough to put side mirrors on it. PS: Those DLRs just look like very large panel gaps.

Lexus LF LC: Impressive that this is so faithful to the concept. I know some production engineers within Toyota itself that would refuse to handle more than half of those sharp creases. It’s the best that can be done with such an awful design language, but that’s not saying much. Its performance figures again don’t seem to justify the price, and that blacked-out a-pillar looks dorky.

Toyota FT-NotSupra: Again not real. Looks decent enough but again, call me when they’re serious enough to at least put real mirrors on it.

Nissian GTR: Impressive performance and value, but dying out. Getting more stale with each passing year.

Übel > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! 01/20/2016 at 13:22

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I spy two non-production concepts, one nearly decade old Nissan, a week old production concept, and a Honda that spent 800 years in development only to get upstaged by a V6 Ford at its own reveal, then drown a year later in a wave of lukewarm reviews. Looks like they have the Force ability of Han Solo.

At least they’re finally trying again though, I will give them that.

wiffleballtony > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! 01/20/2016 at 13:29

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From top to bottom:

NSX: Meh.

Mazda whatever: not going to happen.

Lexus whatever: Also meh, probably going to follow is F series tradition of underwhelming.

Toyota FT1: Even more not going to happen than the Mazda.

GTR: I can’t believe this is still in production.

wiffleballtony > gin-san - shitpost specialist 01/20/2016 at 13:30

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Start? It’s been a habit for a decade now.

wiffleballtony > Breakfast Burrito: The True Resident Burrito 01/20/2016 at 13:32

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Spot on.

Goggles Pizzano > Breakfast Burrito: The True Resident Burrito 01/20/2016 at 13:43

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Thank you for your proper use of the term ‘design language’.

Also, very much agree with your opinion of the A-pillar. Unsure how that made it half way through the review process, let alone onto the stage.

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > wiffleballtony 01/20/2016 at 13:54

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Of course the Toyota will happen. Do you think they will just walk away from their partnership with BNW? It may not be a detail for detail design transfer like it happened with the Lexus LC, but that car is happening. And it may not be the only one to come out of that partnership.

wiffleballtony > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! 01/20/2016 at 14:00

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Do I think that specific car will happen remotely as close as the picture? Nope.

TheHondaBro > wiffleballtony 01/22/2016 at 12:13

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That exact car won’t happen, because it’s just a design concept. However, there will be a new Supra on the next Z4 chassis that will look similar to it.

wiffleballtony > TheHondaBro 01/22/2016 at 13:58

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I will believe it when I see it in a dealership, when I drive by it in my new RX7.

TheHondaBro > wiffleballtony 01/22/2016 at 14:06

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Well I guess you’ll believe it by the end of this year.

http://www.autoblog.com/2016/01/18/bmw…

wiffleballtony > TheHondaBro 01/22/2016 at 15:26

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Color me doubtful. That mule looks nothing like the concept.