Japanese car

[Bright]

Japanese auto industrials are already gorgeously successful by now. But I heard lots of Japanese are still keen to some Foreign auto makes. Some one says Germany cars are on the top of the list. Why?
I quite like Lexus which is mainly towards normal American market. And I still consider it's a Japanese make. TOYOTA also launched some certain sub-make especially for local market such as SCION. Is it welcomed by Japanese?
Is there substantial demanding from Japanese about their own cultural expression or concepts

 

[pipokun]

ﾂ ﾆ椎槌誰ﾆ探ﾆ湛窶弭窶堙娯?｢~窶冢窶堙坂?啀窶唹窶唹窶唹窶凖侏?按湘｣窶堙?出ﾅｽ窶倪?ｹﾃ?窶堙坂?啀窶弭窶｢ﾃ懌?堋?窶堋ｽ窶堙ｨ窶啀窶唹窶ｰﾂｭ窶ｰ~ﾋ?按湘｣ﾂ。ﾆ短ﾂーﾆ停?ｹﾆ湛ﾆ湛ﾆ耽ﾆ鍛ﾆ稚窶堙債「窶妊ﾂ秀窶堙??覇ﾅｽp窶兌窶氾ｭﾂ、ﾂ身窶卍ｷ窶啀窶堋坂?啖窶啜窶堡停?堋才?按湘｣窶堙?地ﾆ嘆ﾂ、ﾆ断ﾆ置窶堙坂?｢s窶ｰﾃつ」窶堙??堋｢窶堙≫?堋ｽ窶ｹK窶凖ｨ窶堙懌?堙??堋?窶堙ｩﾂ。

http://www.auto-g.jp/news/200502/10/topics01/index.html

Toyota proceeds a new strategy, Lexus dealers, for a top end market in Japan this year.
The applicants to a sales rep in the dealers should be...
Intelligent
Good-looking
Over 1.75m in height
No bald
No fatty

I clear the last 3 minimum requirements, but not sure the first 2 ones...

 

[Iron Chef]

Pipo is right. There was a recent story on the news about how Toyota will start up a new Lexus line domestically to compete against Mercedes and BMW who dominate the luxury car class atm. Apparently Mercedes and BMW aren't too concerned at the prospect of competition but I think Lexus could give them a run for their money. Should be interesting to see how this folds out.

 

[Bright]

That's interesting! Almost every car make has its own market strategies, and the output of their products are based on these. Like BMW mainly produces luxury cars which towards the top end market; and Renault always shows cute designs for youth and families. Toyota's brand image is "Vibrant Clarity" which could be expressed through their " CS&S " and "Prius". In a word, TOYOTA is not suitable for luxury car market as BENTLEY or ALFA ROMEO. etc. Thus its crusade needs knights for this expedition.
Actually lots of international car makes call for knights for competing the luxury high-land. Instance:
Mercedes-Benz under DaimlerChrysler
Alfa Romeo under Fiat
Astom Martin under Ford
Cadillac under General Motor
Bentley under VolksWagon

 

[Mike Cash]

I've noticed a new Lexus dealership under construction in Ageo (Saitama).

For a certain segment of the Japanese population, the appeal of foreign cars has more to do with conspicuous consumption than with the cars themselves. Sort of the Japanese version of bling-bling.

 

[budd]

"For a certain segment of the Japanese population, the appeal of foreign cars has more to do with conspicuous consumption than with the cars themselves. Sort of the Japanese version of bling-bling."

bingo

"TOYOTA also launched some certain sub-make especially for local market such as SCION. Is it welcomed by Japanese?"

could say that, except that there is no scion in japan (afaik) and most of those models have been released in japan for years ie. the bb and xa
they came up with that name for us boneheads who might not think toyota wasn't a cool enough name, ie what was done with acura infiniti and lexus
props to mazda

 

[Pachipro]

Japanese auto industrials are already gorgeously successful by now. But I heard lots of Japanese are still keen to some Foreign auto makes. Some one says Germany cars are on the top of the list. Why?

For a certain segment of the Japanese population, the appeal of foreign cars has more to do with conspicuous consumption than with the cars themselves. Sort of the Japanese version of bling-bling.

Mike has hit the nail on the head. To be seen in a European sports car is the epitomy of being cool and projecting the image of having money. They are also "chick magnets" for Japanese guys.

For an interesting view on what one Japanese person thinks of guys who drive these types of cars check out this site:
http://masamania.com/archives/2004/10/stylish_sports.html

 

[Bright]

Why, Why?!!!
Why are Japanese so keen to foreign sense? Is there really a big market of Luxury car in Japan? Do people indeed want it?
What about K-car? What about car-sharing proposal in some Japanese metropolis such as Tokyo?

Is there a demanding about Just-Japan in domestic car market?