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Honda in Japan

CircusMonkey

By CircusMonkey,
in Japan

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CircusMonkey Community Regular

CircusMonkey

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Hi

I am new to this forum and this forums looks like one off the better sites for information on Japan and tuning in Japan.

I have some questions about Honda.

About what status Honda type r models and tuning of Honda cars have in Japan?

Are there other tuners than Mugen and Spoon?

Thanks

Paal

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Rezz Grand Master

Rezz

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this forums looks like one off the better sites for information on Japan and tuning in Japan.
Hi Paal, I thank you for your kind words about the Japan forum... cheers! We do our best.

Check out other Honda tuners like:

Feel's and...

Top Fuel

Anybody else got any more links? I'm not really a Honda man.

Honda Civics and Integras have a good following here, a whole stack of race prepared Civics come down to Umeda (in central Osaka) every Saturday night to rev their engines off at 9,000rpm and try and scare people...

Theres an abundance of track days just for Civics and Integras, and there always seems to be one or two hanging around at the Nanko illegal drags on any given night. I'd go as far to say that they're a modern classic FF car in Japan (especially the DC2 and EG).

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DaiOni Experienced

DaiOni

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Honda's have got a pretty good image here, for several reasons. One of them is that the founder of honda, Soichiro Honda, has devout 'legend' status in japan (however, his son, head of mugen, horotoshi, had a very public fall from grace last year).

While they don't do forced induction, they do make some serious rwd vehicles - many often forget about the NSX and S2000 - both of which, whether you like them or not, are 100% top shelf cars. The NSX is, arguably, the best mainstream sports vehicle to have ever been made in japan (yes, the GTR is great - but the componentry and performance of the top spec NSX is sublime. Big price tag to match it, too)

One of my impressions of the japanese car scene is that FF isn't neccesarily degraded like it is in most western countires. Also, circuit racing is seen by many as the pinnacle of tuning - as opposed to sheer straight line speed. This falls to the favor of the FF hondas - which can hold their own far better in this field. I've seen FF spoon civics demolish some very respectable 4wd cars around a circuit.

A couple of other short points:

1. Just like everywhere in the world, it seems, if you see a 'rice-d' vehicle (horrible exhaust, decals, bad bodykit, huge innapropriate wing) - chances are, it's a honda. Why is this so?

2. Hondas hold their price very well in the voracious japanese 2nd hand market. This came as a big surprise to me - someone who could never choose a small capacity NA FF car over a similarily priced and aged turbo car

3. 'honda people' are great, too! I actually worked part-time at a honda primo dealership in japan for some time (long story...) - and they are the best people I've met in japan. Irrelevant to this thread ;) but just another observation!

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  • 2 weeks later...
rb26dett Experienced

rb26dett

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i think the NSXs are quite capable of holding their own in any form of battle with a GTR. Hondas make remarkable engines...it's just that most people don't like FF cars, any they've lost popularity with the majority of the normal people who hate american rice hondas...but how many manufacturers do u know of that makes a 1.6 engine which makes 170hp?

i'm pretty sure a DC2 would or an S2000 would impress you with their handling characteristics, so don't put them down.

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PURE Enthusiast

PURE

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I wouldn't say that... I see heaps of 'em almost every Fri/Sat in Umeda, Osaka (Race and Rice)
Ha. Thats strange. I might see 1-2/week (tastfully modded) and no one I've talked to in the last 5 years has been down with them.

Here's the way myself and a few friends look at it. If you want performance/looks, there are much better choices out there. If you want an econo-car, there are much better choices out there. You can modify a honda but when you can pick up an r32, or a 180sx/silvia, etc. for dirt cheap, why in the world spend your money on a honda?

disclaimer: hondas are good cars, just saying there is much riper fruit in the garden. :(

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Demon Dave Mentor

Demon Dave

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At the RWYB track I frequent most weekends, Honda's are by far the least popular type of car I've seen there, mainly because of the FWD layout. Sure, they're great cars in general (I really liked my old civic) but as PURE said that are a lot more "suitable" road and drift cars out there for the same money...

Having said that, at an event at Tsukuba in January the car that got most attention wasn't a silvia, an Arta NSX or even a Nismo R33 GTR...

twas the Spoon Civic...geez when they started that thing up the ground rumbled :(:D;) (note the number of "enthusiasts" in the pic with their hands over their ears...whimps! :D)

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Rezz Grand Master

Rezz

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Ha. Thats strange. I might see 1-2/week (tastfully modded) and no one I've talked to in the last 5 years has been down with them.
Are you talking about Japanese, or Foreigners (or both) when you say "no one I've talked to has been down with them"?

My mate (and car industry contact) Kazuya, who works for Honda PR, seems to know about 100 guys (I say *seems*) who have EF or EG Civics who are FF crazy... alot of them are hooked up with J's Racing, so I don't know if the proximity of that workshop has anything to do with it.

Have you ever been to Suzuka Circuit? Thats Honda country. The NSX factory might have something to do with that (as well as the motorcycle tuners out there)...

My point: I'd go as far to say that Mitsubishi GTO's are rare and no one mods them, but go out to M's Factory and then suddenly it seems like every second guys got one. It depends on where you are.

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PURE Enthusiast

PURE

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Are you talking about Japanese, or Foreigners (or both) when you say "no one I've talked to has been down with them"?

 

My mate (and car industry contact) Kazuya, who works for Honda PR, seems to know about 100 guys (I say *seems*) who have EF or EG Civics who are FF crazy... alot of them are hooked up with J's Racing, so I don't know if the proximity of that workshop has anything to do with it.

 

Have you ever been to Suzuka Circuit? Thats Honda country. The NSX factory might have something to do with that (as well as the motorcycle tuners out there)...  

 

My point: I'd go as far to say that Mitsubishi GTO's are rare and no one mods them, but go out to M's Factory and then suddenly it seems like every second guys got one. It depends on where you are.

I mean Japanese. I've lived in Nagoya, Mito, and now Tokyo but they have never really been popular around me. I even takl about it quite a bit when I meet new people cus they want to know whats popular in America.

I dunno what gives but it may have something to do with the shop and it's proximity? :dunno: I have seen more modded bimmers living near Studie (like the only BMW performance shop) in Tokyo than anywhere else in the country so it's kind of similar.

BTW, how do you like Kobe? I visited it once at christmas with an ex-gf to see the illuminations. Man that was great.

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Rezz Grand Master

Rezz

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BTW, how do you like Kobe? I visited it once at christmas with an ex-gf to see the illuminations. Man that was great.
Kobe's good... city living without the congestion. I actually live out of Kobe, towards Osaka about 15 mins by train, near a place called Ashiya (you may have heard that a few celebrities live there).
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Demon Dave Mentor

Demon Dave

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Hi Dave!!! :D

Hehehe - thanks for the welcome back. Unfortunately work and family comittments have meant I haven't been able to frequent the boards as often as I would like...:D :D

BTW - still waiting for the arrival of son No.2...should have been born last week (I'm thinking he's already taking after mom, i.e: never on time :) )

should be anytime now...:)

Back on topic - Honda's aren't really very big in my neck of the words, but then again the mountain roads around here are ideal drift country and thus most of the modded cars I see are RWD and drift orientated...

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PURE Enthusiast

PURE

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You must be looking in the wrong places - hondas are big in japan, there's no doubt about it.  I agree with the sentiment about 'fruit' - you're right, in principle, but the reality is different.  The price of hondas on the 2nd hand market underlines the demand.

I would never say they are "big" in japan at all (heck I bet I see more modified Suzuki's honestly) and I've lived all over the country. There is definately a culture tho.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Ota Contributor

Ota

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You must be looking in the wrong places - hondas are big in japan, there's no doubt about it.  I agree with the sentiment about 'fruit' - you're right, in principle, but the reality is different.  The price of hondas on the 2nd hand market underlines the demand.

yeah i agree with u coz Hondas in japan are huge. u have to go down to Hamamatsu if u wanna c modded hondas

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