(And, “No” it doesn’t have anything to do with how kooky their car designs are becoming.)
Jeremy from Autoblog finds this report from the Detroit News, that basically says auto dealers in Japan are in for a rough 2009. They are predicting a 30 year low for auto sales this year because more of the youth are using public transportation and spending their hard earned dough on gadgets.
Unfortunately for Americans, with our wide open expanses, don’t have a lot of public transportation options in most of our cities and public officials are slow to push anything more than buses. What do you think will be the choice for young Americans looking for transportation in these recessional times? Bikes? Buses? Used cars? Smaller, less expensive cars? Motorbikes (motorcycles, scooters)?
1. January 2009 at 8:56 pm
It won’t matter. Japan has the highest percentage of population over 65 and the lowest birth rate of any nation on Earth. One hundred years from now, Japan will be inhabited almost entirely by robots. They don’t need vehicles…
__Orin
Scootin’ Old-skool
3. January 2009 at 11:43 am
Yes car sales had -30% “with out 660cc car”, 660cc class had down 0.7% from last years same month,
Many new car buyer choose 660cc from last summer high price fuel,
Some big city had spaghetti subway and train net, But I live local small city 100km north from Tokyo,
Car is “Must” item for transport to supermarket, 660cc car is enough for these purpose,
6. January 2009 at 6:34 pm
Hey Orin! But… Robots on scooters is SOOOOO awesome!
Akisan! What is the most popular 660cc car in Japan? Does it get good fuel economy?
7. January 2009 at 10:43 am
Result of sales NOV/2008 was following,
1:Daihatu Move
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=84isg_lckxM
2:Suzuki Wagon R
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=–dWKpOxRms
3:Daihatu Tanto
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=qRuzcYyegdQ
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=gsN4ijQDZbM
Fuel economy around 30 mile/Galon,
add
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=me2v7wMpyMU
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=uwqsAd4TGWY
7. January 2009 at 5:30 pm
Aki! Thanks again! Great videos. Daihatsu has the best commercials!
That last car was really drifting! It’s also just 660cc? That would be like a Suzuki Burgman engine dropped into a car.
I really like those tiny vans. Arigato!
7. January 2009 at 5:32 pm
Oh and ZZ Top doing a commercial for Honda? Nice. It’s funny to hear them pronounce it “Zed” when we normally hear it as “Zee” in America.
8. January 2009 at 2:34 pm
No it’s not burgman or GSX-r 600 engine,
All Suzuki 660cc car had 3 cylinders DOHC engine,Some model had Turbo charger,
Small drifting car was Suzuki Caputino,
So about 10 years ago some maker sold 660cc two seater sports,
Honda Beat
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=C7XTholPJ2g
If you like BOX Van…
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=tQfa085K8Fk
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=nWK_PjDACWI
And my business car is this one,
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=crhgGBwrOAk
One more 660cc story,
1993 Subaru vivio(660cc) in Safari
rally,
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=XK000pK2mKE
9. January 2009 at 6:59 pm
The Suzuki Box Van is kind of cool, but the Mitsubishi i is fantastic! I would own one. I know we’ve got them in US laboratories (SoCal Edison) as they try to convert them to electric, but that means we won’t seem them until 2012.
The EVERY has a funny commercial… comparing a family to a box lunch? :D
Oh, and that Vivio was tearing that road up! Pretty impressive for 660cc!