The big boys now recognize import tuning?
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From: Vancouver, WA USA
To reiterate:
Import tuning is now a 2 billion dollar a year industry, I would not call this a niche and I think recent trends show car companies are also starting to note this.
While these 3 magazines maybe had 1 import tuning article a year. I have noticed that almost every monthly magazine from the big 3 has had 1 or more import tuning articles.
Import tuning is now a 2 billion dollar a year industry, I would not call this a niche and I think recent trends show car companies are also starting to note this.
While these 3 magazines maybe had 1 import tuning article a year. I have noticed that almost every monthly magazine from the big 3 has had 1 or more import tuning articles.
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From: You wish
Couple of things:
1. I think y2ks2k is right, this isn't just a trend. The import/compact scene in the U.S. has been largely a Honda phenomena, but Honda's position is largely due to luck - fortuitous timing, a product line that fit the times and engineering that lent itself to aftermarket improvements. Everybody wants a piece of that pie now. Do they think that they're going to sell lots of new cars to 17 year olds who want to modify them? No. But they do realize that people expect more than just good gas mileage and reliable performance these days. They also realize that if you catch your audience young, you can hook them for life. I bought my first Honda over a decade ago and have been hard pressed to be satisfied with anything else. We've now got NHRA backed import drag racing. Open track days around the country attract a huge number of imports and compacts. It's here to stay.
2. The magazine coverage has always been there, but it has also grown as the industry has grown. The earliest article I remember is the one Chris pointed out about the Jackson CRX. Around the same era another mag did an article on a hopped up Suzuki Swift. In 1996 or 97 (dates are approximate, because I'm not going through my archives, just my memory) R&T covered Japanese tuner cars - they actually went to Japan and detailed over a dozen cars, from Veilside Supras to Mugen Integras. Every R&T 0-100-0 contest, and some of their tuner car contests, have had a modded car or two. In particular Mk IV Supra Turbos if memory serves. Motor Trend has always been pretty domestically biased, but ever since they started their performance trends section, they've always had some import/compact segment coverage there. In fact, even back in 95 MT did a tuner car shootout and included a Supra from RS Akimoto, which nearly won the lap time challenge, despite being an automatic. Car and Driver has certainly done more recently, but several of their editors/writers have been racing FWD Hondas for a decade, so they've been in the trenches too. Perhaps the increasing coverage of late also has to do with more cars to cover that have performance worth covering. Goes hand in hand with the increased popularity of the segment. Oh, and I bet if you look back in the 80's you'll see a lot of VW GTI coverage. Let's be honest on where the import trend in the U.S. really got rolling. VW owned the U.S. and they screwed up and let it all slip away.
UL
1. I think y2ks2k is right, this isn't just a trend. The import/compact scene in the U.S. has been largely a Honda phenomena, but Honda's position is largely due to luck - fortuitous timing, a product line that fit the times and engineering that lent itself to aftermarket improvements. Everybody wants a piece of that pie now. Do they think that they're going to sell lots of new cars to 17 year olds who want to modify them? No. But they do realize that people expect more than just good gas mileage and reliable performance these days. They also realize that if you catch your audience young, you can hook them for life. I bought my first Honda over a decade ago and have been hard pressed to be satisfied with anything else. We've now got NHRA backed import drag racing. Open track days around the country attract a huge number of imports and compacts. It's here to stay.
2. The magazine coverage has always been there, but it has also grown as the industry has grown. The earliest article I remember is the one Chris pointed out about the Jackson CRX. Around the same era another mag did an article on a hopped up Suzuki Swift. In 1996 or 97 (dates are approximate, because I'm not going through my archives, just my memory) R&T covered Japanese tuner cars - they actually went to Japan and detailed over a dozen cars, from Veilside Supras to Mugen Integras. Every R&T 0-100-0 contest, and some of their tuner car contests, have had a modded car or two. In particular Mk IV Supra Turbos if memory serves. Motor Trend has always been pretty domestically biased, but ever since they started their performance trends section, they've always had some import/compact segment coverage there. In fact, even back in 95 MT did a tuner car shootout and included a Supra from RS Akimoto, which nearly won the lap time challenge, despite being an automatic. Car and Driver has certainly done more recently, but several of their editors/writers have been racing FWD Hondas for a decade, so they've been in the trenches too. Perhaps the increasing coverage of late also has to do with more cars to cover that have performance worth covering. Goes hand in hand with the increased popularity of the segment. Oh, and I bet if you look back in the 80's you'll see a lot of VW GTI coverage. Let's be honest on where the import trend in the U.S. really got rolling. VW owned the U.S. and they screwed up and let it all slip away.
UL
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From: Ft. Campbell
Sorry everyone I won't go about this arguement publicly anymore, those that do it do it, those that hate it hate it, oh well... I'm going through PM's now. Once again sorry for disturbing this thread.
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