All aboard the Oriental Express, love or hate sir?l

[Minimad5]

either me or tontops has a broken link

[Timewaster]

[Minimad5]

Paint it brown Tontops we will never know and it's in true autoshite fashion then too

[Cavcraft]

Hey you twats, I'm getting very pissed off with this now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Everyone knows lager is for winners (ditto spirits) and that only a horse's hoof would drink at home. Or someone who is scared of their other half. Or something like that.

[UglyAmerican]

Conclusion of the Orient Express thread: MGBs are cock/great?

 

[Lukas]

I think the conclusion should be that you have to love a car that looks like this:

 

 

[Minimad5]

Shh !no more MGB talk, we don't want war... again

[Mr H Sceptre]

An MG we can all agree on........

 

[pogweasel]

Hell yes. Early MG MAestro's are sexy, in a not-trying-too-hard sort of way. The later ones with the bodykits and turbos are just tarty slags in comparison.

[saabhappy]

Precisely.MGBs are shit though

not

[Mr Lobster]

An MG we can all agree on........

Yes, do like early MG Maestros, especially with those wheels. Presumably with talking dash too?

[strangehighways]

A few things about the MGB.It isn't powerful. However, the engine sounds great.The plastic bumpers on later cars look awful, but the interior is SUPERB.Ultimately, all we can ever give is opinions though.I mean, if you judge the MGB on technical merit, it could fall flat, but so would a Ford Capri, which is one of my favourite cars of all time.Most cars that are loved have a personality, something about them, even if they are technically poor.Anyway, back to the topic of Japanese cars..... I don't like most typical Jap cars because their interiors are probably the worst around. (not the 70s ones though, which are godly). Also, their exterior styling is so so bland on the whole. There are exceptions, but the typical family Jap car just makes me fall asleep.

[Lukas]

But if you compare a typical japanese family-car like a Mazda 626 with a W126 SEC, of course the Mazda is bland. Compared with the right cars (Mazda 626 = VW Passat; or Toyota Corolla Sedan = VW Vento) you can see japanese cars are just as boring as european cars.

[pogweasel]

Right. "Japanese cars are boring"In the UK, japanese cars were subject to import quotas.Fleet buyers could not buy them. Or buy them in bulk/cheaply. So that leaves private buyers. Private buyers looking for a car that does everything nicely with minimal fuss. These private buyers with cash to wield are OLD PEOPLE. OLD PEOPLE are boring*. Ergo, Japanese cars are boring. That's how it happened.Any questions?

[UglyAmerican]

I spotted this Toyota Corona (72 maybe? I forget now) in California on my last trip.

 

 

 

Much to love here.

[brammy777]

I missed all of this? Jeeeeeeez. I was going to say I like the majorly late MGBS for humour value with their snowplough fronts but....................Back on topic, were we talking about Japanese Cars? I like Subarus, but thats only because I had 9 years of travelling in them.......Hey hold on, Protons are Malaysian! How did this even happen?

[Milford Cubicle]

I like Subarus too, the company seems stubbornly set in their odd ways, insisting on horizontally opposed engines, in the process creating the first ever flat-4 diesel in a production car - what's boring about that? It's not like any makers bother with significant 'firsts' like that any more.It's a shame their styling has gone to pot though, especially with the new Legacy.

[brammy777]

These are my favourite:

My gran had one for 17ish years.

 

To be fair, Ive only ever been in 4 Subarus, but this one had the most charecter about it. I really wish it hadnt been scrapped.

[Mr H Sceptre]

I spotted this Toyota Corona (72 maybe? I forget now) in California on my last trip.

 

 

 

Much to love here.

Would that have been badged a Cressida over here?

[Lukas]

Yes, Cressida!Sadly Subaru lost a huge amount of appeal during the design-changes in the last years. The new Impreza III looks horrible, the new Legacy too, no frameless windows anymore, no boxer-rumble anymore...

[saabhappy]

Japanese car making is a hell of a big industry to sum up its products as just "boring" - like every other country it makes and has made some good stuff and some bad. The two I've had are separated by over 30 years and they've certainly become much less OTT and more "Europeanised" in their styling - you don't find the interiors covered in scrollwork and fake tooling like you used to. They were always brilliant imitators, and once they'd worked out that Europeans and Americans had different tastes they went from strength to strength. They've even managed to get us Brits up to their standard of reliability, by and large. Some I like and some I don't: I like Legacys but not Imprezas, and I'm happy with my Mazda which is a Ford in a different frock. RX7 is a stunning car, too. But then others may say the opposite...The original Datsun 240Z is one of my all-time favourites, too. Lexus LS400? Wouldn't say no.

[UglyAmerican]

I know it's a bit boy racer Fast and Furious M8, but the final Supra had 320 bhp in 1994. That's a turbocharged inline six engine.

 

[Mash]

I've been into Japanese cars for about 10 years and to be honest I wouldn't have anything else as a daily now. I would agree that the later cars are "boring" but then most everyday cars from the 80s onwards are too regardless of make. I would also say that Japanese cars are not always 100% reliable either; I've had some bad eggs over the years but generally speaking you just can't go wrong with one for a good daily.The cars from the 60s and 70s are interesting to me because of their relative scarcity but I can find something to like in them all. For example with my own cars, the Datsun 1000 is such a wonderful little car to drive it's shame there aren't more because for all it's simplicity it really exceeds all expectations. With the 710 Violet you can only love it for the styling because what's underneath is relatively old fashioned. It'll start first time every morning but it won't thrill you like an Alfasud.The 80s cars though may be perceived outwardly as more run of the mill and boring need closer inspection. I've owned or had experience of a few different types and each has some little quirk or nuance that makes me smile in the way something is styled or operates.Just touching on the MGB for a moment again, I've always quite fancied an early GT. I've never been in a B but can someone honestly tell me what they are really like? Do they handle and perfrom respectably or are they all joking aside really a 50s saloon with a fancy frock?

[johnnysomersett]

Having being into Japanese cars for only about 3 years now, Im not hugely experienced in the field, but I have managed to own a handful and drive a few more in that time. To me, the styling stopped peaking about the end of the 1970's

 

Im not into 'bland' looking cars really, I love crazy, exaggerated styling. In reality, Datsuns tend to have quirky - almost verging on ugly - major styling points... but that's part of their charm! Toyo's tend to be slightly more restrained the later on they got and most of the others kind of floated in the middle somewhere.

 

Take for instance a '78 Datsun 280c compared to just one model previous, a 240C:

 

 

 

The later one (top) became a bloated caricature of its former self, the interior had buttons all over the place and controls for stupid things like the petrol cap!

 

Even then you've got the lunacy of the 80's ones... have you seen the dash and controls of an 80's Laurel?? Bleeding mental! And a voice system built in?.... WTF??

 

Toyota Crowns could be bought with fridges in the boot, foot operated auto-radio-search plus loads of other stupid options... what other 70's car had that level of stupidity??

 

How is this front end boring?!?!:

 

 

I cant see how reliability + crazy styling = boring!

[Lukas]

I´m into japanese cars since 1988 (I was 4 at that time ), especially Subarus and Pajeros, but last year I fell in love with a car everyone is calling boring: The second generation Toyota Camry.

 

It´s a dull looking 80s saloon with FWD and a 4-cylinder-engine. Boring like nothing else you would say, but then I´ve driven it! It feels extremely refined and well built, the engine´s smooth and quite, no torque-steering because of the automatic transmission, it´s full of convenience. It´s like James the butler. Always there when you need it/him, never demanding your attention but just there to serve you. And another plus-point is that it´s got very rare nowadays, almost all exported to Africa.

 

I´m really looking forward to driving it again in spring.

 

Lukas

 

*EDIT*

 

I think I knew your last picture from somewhere... Ahh, yes:

 

 

[saabhappy]

Can't see a Crown as boring - but might be a bit OTT chrome-wise for to me want one as a keeper.

[reallyloud]

The 80's elan Lotus Elan was also produced as the Kia Elan in the late 90's - not sure if any made it here. I think the Mazda MX5 did wonders for the reputation of Japanese cars here, considering that its major drawback was that it was bought by hair dressers, it sold remarkably well and was loved by its owners. The UK motoring press was generally apathetic and generally dismissive towards most Japanese cars in the 70's (a few acceptions were the mk1 Celica, Mazda RX7, mk1 Honda Accord and Civic and early Datsun Z range). The cars were admittedly dull to drive but the Japanese listened to the criticism and improved each model as the generations progressed. Not only that but they looked at a fundamentally good and popular idea - e.g the MGB/Lotus Elan or Land Rover and improved it. I think the only surprise with the MX5 was that the car was launched by Mazda, I really would have expected Honda to have launched such a car. I think we can also be grateful that they decided against installing a rotary engine in the MX5 - I suspect the sales wouldn't have been so strong.

[AnthonyG]

There are 'interesting' and 'not interesting' Japanese cars, just as there are good and bad from all countries. I was going to type 'good or bad' but since all Jap stuff fulfills the basic role of a car - a means of transportation which you can rely on - I can't really see how any of them can be described as 'bad'.The bread and butter stuff we get in Europe has been less interesting of late - Toyota's latest stuff demonstrates this - the most interesting cars in the range are probably the Aygo and IQ. The Avensis was probably the dullest car of the 2000's, same goes for the Corolla and Auris (so named because the Corolla badge was so associated with OAPs apparently).Back to Protons, heard of quite a few of these later ones with crap build quality and they have certainly lost the legendary reliability of the early 1980s Colt/Lancer based ones.I would pass up the one mentioned by Cavette unless it was silly cheap (like £500)!

[AnthonyG]

Just touching on the MGB for a moment again, I've always quite fancied an early GT. I've never been in a B but can someone honestly tell me what they are really like? Do they handle and perfrom respectably or are they all joking aside really a 50s saloon with a fancy frock?

They are perfectly acceptable, and you can get lots of handling bits to make them better. Just don't expect a Lotus Elan type experience.

[Guest]

Japanese cars are rubbish! etc.