Lost the Magic? Will Japanese Cars Ever Be Cool Again?

I remember growing up in the 80's and early 90's when almost every car I loved was from Japan. The Miata,Civc si,RX7,240SX,1990 Celica GTS,1990 Accord wagon 5 speed stick(I love slick wagons),even the 80's Toyota pickup with a stick shift was a blast to drive hard.It seems that 90% of what the Japanese offer is just boring. Scion is on the right track with the FRS and now the others need to follow,Nissan with a new 240SX and a sleeker Sentra SER,Honda Prelude(maybe based of a longer S2000 chassis),Civic SI hatch,Fit Si with a revamp on the B16 for under $20k to bring the kids in to the dealerships and turn them into loyal Honda lovers,hell even a more aggressive Del sol styled targa would be cool,Toyota Celica GTS or Corolla GTS coupe and hatch to compete with the Civic si, and a new Supra,Mazda could offer a Miata coupe which allow for a somewhat pratical trunk and maybe even save a few pounds,and a new RX7,and I would love to see someone bring back the mini truck.Sorry for the long post I just miss that mojo the Japanese had back then and it would be great for them to find it again.

Will the Earth ever be round again?

Shinden, I agree. You have some great suggestions. Either the money isn't there, or maybe they're just unwilling to invest in those really neat niches anymore.

OK, or how about they focused on what sells... What gives the biggest bang for the buck.

Kids don't want cars anymore....they can't afford them (insurance). They want the latest Ipod/Ipad/Iphone. Mommy and Daddy drive them everywhere anyway.

I guess Autospies has never heard of the WRX/STi, BRZ/FRS, GT-R, 350Z and for economy minded folks, the Si and CR-Z is still out there.

I suppose since Japanese cars aren't given away for free, they're not cool.

For the people lucky enough to still own a Supra, NSX, 300ZX, CR-X, Integra, Celica etc etc, those are will always be cool no matter what the going $0 down, 0% interest rate is.

No, no, no! Dont get me wrong here, those WERE the good ole days. But, the GT-R, LFA and other very serious machines will embarrasse those rides from the past. Scion FR-S and others soon to follow will also seriously out perform past Toyotas, Hondas, Mazdas or whatever just give'em a little more time baby and your gonna love what Toyota and others got in store for you and me! I'm optimistic!

Already confirmed in the latest Automobile mag. Yeah the tech put into today’s cars is like science fiction from 20 years ago...

Bump up the Miata by 50-100 HP w/ an aftermarket SC or turbo and it will pretty much destroy most competitors, including the Boxster. In other words Mazda is indeed working on this souped up version to take over where the S2000 left off - just wondering when!

Japanese cars are still very cool, but the number of them have dwindled. But then during the era of the classic 280Z (late 70s), there were few Japanese sports cars so it took the crown. I do miss the 80s Honda Prelude before it became bloated and then had that 4-wheel steering, too over the top.

There is a difference between cool and prestige. Prestige is the new cool.

I miss my 1988 Mitsubishi Starion

I miss my 1984 RX-7 GSL-SE.

I guess agent009 didn't read several different automotive magazine where the cheaper, faster and better Nissan 370Z beat the BMW 135i and Porsche Cayman S? IMAO.....

It's take time for them to bring more of their sports car back. Have you heard of Nissan GT-R Godzilla? Lexus LF-A? Lexus IS-F, IS350 Sports, Infiniti G35/37 coupe, Nissan 350Z/370Z?, WRX/STi?, Scion FR-S and it Subaru version?

All these cars mentioned are all quite cool and some quite pricey.I would like to see the Japanese automakers get back to making cool and fun cars for everyone not just thoes with $40k or more to spend,yes we have the FRS/BRZ,WRX and STI, and SI's but where is the Celica and the Prelude or how about a Sentra or Corolla that doesn't make me laugh at their styling and have some kinda of fun factor built into them. Why doesn't Nissan compete with the FRS and release a new rear drive 240Z for $25k? There is a place for all the high dollar sport cars and super cars but if the automakers dont consider the new young drivers or the drivers of tomorrow and only offer funky overstyled slow cars with crappy interiors full of the latest tech and apple products they will only hurt themselves and the young drivers who don't have 40 or 50k to spend on a fun car to drive,in my opinion touch screen nav and bluetooth I-phone connectivity along with pandora and every other app available may be cool and convenient but it doesn't make for a exciting car to drive on a twisty road with a few good straights.

Japanese cars have never been cool. There have been a few decent jap cars (like the mid 80's Honda prelude), but overall, they lack any design character and if they were even half as dependable as most media outlets try to make people believe they are, nothing would ever go wrong with them!
The juke, rav4, element, Prius, Camry, every scion EVER made, etc...,prove that japanese cars are uninspiring, un-imaginative, vehicles. They will never be "cool" or "classic". They are just half way decent transportation, American vehicles are, by contrast, more than just cars. They represent America, which is the greatest country on earth. There have been American cars that were not the best, but even American cars that didn't quite "catch on", like the Pontiac Aztek, will one day be remembered more fondly then how they were initially received.
Time is the real test of a car's greatness, and time has proven that America has consistently built the most innovative, dependable, and the best cars we have ever seen. So my opinion is that Japanese cars will one day be more widely regarded (by consumers and the media) for the mediocrity that oozes from every car they are capable of designing.

@KeithRigsby,

where have you been living for the past 20 years? Under a rock? Or did you wake up from a Coma? No Seriously?

IMAO....... There was a comparison where they compare a used Japanese car to a newer American car and it beat the American car in reliable and quality. Do a search on google and see the proof.

I like to give credit where credit is due. I have own American cars in the past and now drive a Japanese cars because it's more reliable, better built quality, dependable, gas mileage, lighter, more fun to drive and last longer as well.

And even the German fanboi who HATE Japanese cars know that the Japanese got their reliability and quality of their cars down. Why do you think BMW partner up with Toyota? And why MB partner up with Nissan? Because both of the Japanese auto company has something the German don't have and to top it off they're very reliable and dependable as well.

Lexus,

I have been alive and well for the past 20 years, enjoying American vehicles the entire time. Giving credit where credit is due, would mean that you would admit to yourself that Japanese cars have never been cool. Enthusists always seek American vehicles after time has tested them. Old japanese cars are like used socks. They may have held up ok and did their job, but now they just stink. Old japanese cars aren't cool. They aren't great examples of innovative minds, and engineering marvels. They are just cars. That's it. The car buying public in the USA is pathetic in so many ways. If you doubt that, then just look around at the prius and camrys driving around. People should be embarrased to drive those.

Relying on "proof" from google or anything else on the internet is weak. Look around. That is all the proof you need. Of course you need to look around in places other than just where you live. An example of what I am talking about is that I live in a smaller community, north of the Dallas/Ft.Worth metroplex. The "typical" vehicle here is different than what it is in the metroplex. Here, American vehicles abound. In Dallas, foreign vehicles (japanese, german, etc...) are the norm. The same diffence can be seen comparing the mid-west to the northeast. But what is consistent across this country is when people want to collect a vehicle, they want an American vehicle. Whether it is a 1910 Model T (before japan learned from us how to build a vehicle) or a mid 1980s Buick Grand National, people somehow realize that American vehicles have always been amazing.

So, to the question that was originally asked in this post, "Will japanese cars ever be cool again"?...my answer is they were never cool.

What do you call the Miata and the Nissa Z car? And how about KING KONG Nissan GT-R that wipes the azz of Porsche and even the plastic Corvette ZR-1. Have you guys forgot about the impending new generation Honda NS?

the mid 1990's high performance Japanese cars went obsolete because Americans stopped buying them. Chicken or the egg?

Why doesn't Autospies writers consider their questions before exposing their ignorance and lack of market knowledge.