Plymouth laser vs 06 wrx stg 2

**SD_GR** · 08-10-2010 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by zax

Ah you may be correct SD, I stand corrected. I constrained my mind to thinking in only one dimension: The Eclipse never made it to the shores of the land of the rising sun. I had neglected to consider the European market. This was always quite laughable to me, since many have considered the 2G DSMs integral in the Japanese Import tuning scene. I find this humorous because the Eclipse is actually an import to the JDM! Not surprisingly, this is like making the argument that Ford UK produces USDM cars....

Similar: The other day I saw one of those great Ford vans that I really do feel are quite practical driving around in California. The van is made in Turkey.

I am really quite unclear what constitutes a "made in XXX" car any more.

EDIT: Does anybody know if the Mitsubishi FTO shares anything more than a passing similarity in appearance with the corresponding 2G DSM years?

**06scoobyrex** · 08-10-2010 07:25 PM

What about the mitsubishi starion/cordia, crystler conquest, and dodge daytona? Were those all american mades too?

**SD_GR** · 08-10-2010 07:38 PM

The Daytona is a K car despite looking like a Mitsu.

The Starion was assembled in Japan and exported to three continents at least. It was Mitsu's only attempt at Group B at one point, but was stillborn for rally. It did make Group A though, where it was very useful comedic relief after the Lancias would go by to the wins. I think it did better on tarmac in Group A.

**zax** · 08-10-2010 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by SD_GR

I am really quite unclear what constitutes a "made in XXX" car any more.

A very understandable observation. Regardless of the location of the final assembly, most automobile parts are machined and imported from a variety of different markets.

**06scoobyrex** · 08-10-2010 09:25 PM

Originally Posted by SD_GR

The Daytona is a K car despite looking like a Mitsu.

The Starion was assembled in Japan and exported to three continents at least. It was Mitsu's only attempt at Group B at one point, but was stillborn for rally. It did make Group A though, where it was very useful comedic relief after the Lancias would go by to the wins. I think it did better on tarmac in Group A.

The daytona/conquest was powered by a mitsubishi motor as was the old glh dodge omni I believe that was also... it seems like crysler tried to really hard to launch the sport compact car prior to its time using mitsubishi's technology instead of doing it on their own...

**SD_GR** · 08-10-2010 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by 06scoobyrex

The daytona/conquest was powered by a mitsubishi motor as was the old glh dodge omni I believe that was also... it seems like crysler tried to really hard to launch the sport compact car prior to its time using mitsubishi's technology instead of doing it on their own...

This brings us to another thing I like thinking about -- who launched the sport compact car?

My guesses:

BMC in 1959 (Mini)
Hillman in 1963 (Imp; rear engined too!)
Fiat in 1971 (127)
Alfa Romeo in 1971 (Subaru fans that bought into the Subaru lies about only doing boxer motors because they're somehow special, pick this one; it had a boxer motor like the WRX).
NSU in 1965 (TT; this lives on as the Audi TT IMO)
VW in 1974 (Golf)

My first pick would be the Golf. The initial 1.6L GTI may have been local (FR) but it did set the stage for the hot hatch globally IMO; the 1.8 GTI 8V with its then-massive 112 HP output is where the sport compact was defined in the modern era.

All this IMO.

Chrysler came to the dance too late -- with the Horizon. The various Conquest etc. stuff was decades later.

Back to DSMs: saw a 96ish Talon TSi today. Time hadn't been kind. Those cars looked great when released but this one had all the usual stuff wrong with it. The registration tags said it all, two years out of date because there is no chance it meets any sort of emission standards currently in our civilisation (the thing was smoking out the tail, squatted on rear springs that had problems, with expired tags, dents, etc.). Shame.