Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnyGrey
Why would I need custom anything? Toyota puts the 1NZ into the Corolla on a regular basis, just not in the US. I don't need to replace the transmission so that means same axles, same shift linkage, and maybe a different (factory) motor mount than the 1ZZ.
An echo is an all around cheap car. This is what I was complaining about earlier, the fact that automakers think cheap and fuel efficient should always go together. Why can't a nicer car be fuel efficient? Why can't I find something with leather seats that gets more than 40mpg hwy? Just because I shell out for leather doesn't mean I want to shell out for gas!
I want to drive something that doesn't look like a joke, that's pretty decent on the inside, that doesn't have the instrument cluster in the middle of the car, something that has a tachometer for god's sake! Why does Toyota give this option to the Japanese and not us? Probably because it would hurt more profitable Prius sales.
Take a look: http://www.japan-partner.com/Auto/24...-for-sale.html |
Roflwaffle already hit on it.
In most countries you are taxed on displacement and/or size of the car. So that is why kei cars are so popular in Asia.
If you want leather interior go to an upholsterer and pay for it.
It could cut into Prius sells, but car companies make cars they know will sell. So in that effort they cater to the masses, not niche customers. They are trying to undo the image that Japanese cars are weak and torqueless.
Center mount tachs are for factory line efficiency.
Go ahead an import the OEM components, but I am more than confident having them custom fabricated would ultimately be cheaper.