I'd rather roll in a Golf than a Fiesta or Corsa. They seem to have much sturdier pillars.
Type R and VTEC owners
- Thread starter ChrisD.
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I'd rather roll in a Golf than a Fiesta or Corsa. They seem to have much sturdier pillars.
Caporegime
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I think anyone who knows Honda knows they completely wimped out in Europe on virtually all of their Type R models for europe compared to the ones sold in japan.
just reading the EP3 differences makes me sad...I don't think they hate europe but they certainly couldn't care a dime about us.
I don't fully agree with that. I think it's just the reasons why people buy this type of car are different here. 90% of drivers here will buy for status and never drive the car to its capabilities and as such won't appreciate things like ARBs, LSD, bucket seats etc..
These things are becoming more commonly used now because of the ongoing lap time battles, but then you get people moaning about how it rides too harshly or whatever.
These things are becoming more commonly used now because of the ongoing lap time battles, but then you get people moaning about how it rides too harshly or whatever.
I don't think it's necessarily a wimp out, but rather the European taste is different. People expect a Golf GTI type car, i.e. a hot hatch with gadgets and equipment, rather than a more focused drivers car.
Also you can't blame them for not focusing on Europe. It's a fickle market where badge snobbery wins, they got royally screwed over by BAE/Rover too at a time when they were making inroads in Europe, they could have walked away entirely but stuck around to help keep people in jobs.
Also you can't blame them for not focusing on Europe. It's a fickle market where badge snobbery wins, they got royally screwed over by BAE/Rover too at a time when they were making inroads in Europe, they could have walked away entirely but stuck around to help keep people in jobs.
Soldato
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This is so true it hurts.
Caporegime
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Yes I hear driving around tokyo you're really going to need buckets, lsd, not to mention, pistons, cams, intake, exhaust manifold, fully balanced crank shaft. Lsd...
If wiki is true they made the engines for the jdm crowd in japan, shipped them to England put them in the car and shipped the car back to Japan. ...
oh yea and then there is the DC5 and FD2 ? Clearly they really love the EDM..
Caporegime
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This isn't just Honda it is pretty much every Japanese manufacturer. The strength of the pound (back then) and silly EU laws. Nissan never released it's wonderful SR20VE over here or S15 Silvia, Toyota never released it's Beams engine either. It wasn't until the second generation Impreza/Evo that you got any of the good ones either. All kept for Japan. JDM hawkeye keeping the 2.0 while we got the inferior 2.5. Etc Etc.
Caporegime
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Thats what im saying they think they can cut corners in the eu and they do. The jdm engine changes are huge. Although peak bhp is not much higher but the amount of work to convert a euro k20 to jdm k20 must run into literally 1000s $$$
I agree. It's just sad how the ep3 jdm, was made here, then sent back there. It is absolutely better then the EUDM type-r. It's just that there isn't that much of a demand, and these days, it's more about looks, 0-60, and creature comforts.
Gone are the days of pure vtec screaming machines.
Gone are the days of pure vtec screaming machines.
Caporegime
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And lopk I drive a jdm only car myself so I know that feel . Just makes me sad.
Soldato
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Apart from the UK spec TT MKiv supra
That was better.
That was better.
Don't forget the FN2
In all seriousness, different markets have different demands which Clarkey touched on. The UK car market in the 90's required Alarms and Immobilisers, you wouldn't have found them on equivalent models in Japan as they don't have as big an issue with car theft. If fitting an LSD ups the production costs and gives you no projected sales boost, then why bother? Buyers would sooner save money and buy another brand that can sell their car for cheaper with no LSD.
In all seriousness, different markets have different demands which Clarkey touched on. The UK car market in the 90's required Alarms and Immobilisers, you wouldn't have found them on equivalent models in Japan as they don't have as big an issue with car theft. If fitting an LSD ups the production costs and gives you no projected sales boost, then why bother? Buyers would sooner save money and buy another brand that can sell their car for cheaper with no LSD.
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Caporegime
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Pretty sure fiesta rs turbo and escort turbo had lsd available. At least in some models.
It's just a cost cutting exercise.
That's a point, but most people there don't buy a hot car to just mill around the city though, your typical car there is a boring automatic. Remember though, track days, drifting, grass roots motorsport is much more popular and accessible over there. They also have absolutely tonnes of winding mountain roads there.
What I'm saying is, there is more oppurtunity to use a hot motor for what it was designed for, instead of just showing off in the office carpark and giving it the occasional but of welly in a straight line.
Soldato
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Didn't they all get LSD in 2010?