Where have you gone, Joe Isuzu? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.

"ImmoralMinority" (araimondo) 12/01/2016 at 08:03 • Filed to: None

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Japanese automakers used to be quirky, fun and cool. What they tried did not always work, but they were bold and put fun cars on the road.

The list goes on and on, interesting compacts, light trucks, plenty of automotive goodness for a variety of tastes while America was stuck in a sea of cheap malaise plastic. What do we get today? Dullsville.

C’mon, fellas, I know you can do better than this.

XJDano > ImmoralMinority 12/01/2016 at 08:14

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Some of his YouTube commercials are gold.

404 - User No Longer Available > ImmoralMinority 12/01/2016 at 08:16

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That Impulse looks like a DeLorean and an Audi Quattro had a baby. I love it.

fourvalleys > ImmoralMinority 12/01/2016 at 08:22

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Hey, good timing! I just saw an Impulse yesterday, but it was one of the 2nd generation models with the very handsome flip-ups.

Having said all that, this one looks like a less awkward Scirocco, and I like that very much.

LongbowMkII > ImmoralMinority 12/01/2016 at 08:40

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Japanese cars used to be so boring and predictable:

I’m glad they finally got around to doing something exciting even if it doesn’t always work.

I’m glad you guys figured out how to loosen up a bit

LongbowMkII > fourvalleys 12/01/2016 at 08:45

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Both designed by giugario I think.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > ImmoralMinority 12/01/2016 at 09:02

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I love those Impulses. They almost look like Siroccos mixed with a Lotus Esprit V8 Turbo.

Probenja > ImmoralMinority 12/01/2016 at 09:07

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They went back to Japan to make cool little cars, because the cars that you listed didn’t sell very well at all.

I have to agree that 90's Japanese cars were cool but they have toned things down, just like everyone else, to get more sales because boring cars are the ones that people like.

fintail > ImmoralMinority 12/01/2016 at 09:15

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The people who bought these interesting cars 30 years ago are now largely middle aged milquetoasts nearing retirement, and dearly need that Civrolla Camcordius CRAV4. The following generations haven’t seen their overall affluence. Those who once marched against the establishment are now the establishment, and the cycle continues. Can’t wait to see how dull things are in another 30 years.

NJAnon > ImmoralMinority 12/01/2016 at 23:24

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They did do better. They made the Lexus LF-A. And I agree it is kind of depressing for a decade long developed car that is really awesome to have been curtailed in production and still shamed by some.

But really though, all carmakers had to smooth out the rough edges on their car production in their never ending reach for $$$. Plus it didn’t help more recently that US carmakers and the whole buyout thing. Now carmakers can’t afford to include “what they tried sometimes didn’t work” in their design plans. ergo, global platforms, narrowed down list of vehicles to choose, shared powerplants, shared architecture, etc.

Nauraushaun > ImmoralMinority 12/03/2016 at 22:24

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I went to a Japanese car show today and I saw most of these cars, including 2 Impulses and an XT