Why the import hate?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 5,411
Likes: 2
From: N Carolina 08 Z51 Coupe
I guess many of you forgot about the "dumping" practice.. of the Japanese... where they were selling cars here for less then it cost to make... killing all the competition. What about fair trade.. They tax the hell out of imports to their country.
That's what bothers me.. but I guess we can blame the politicians too.
I don't have anything against imports... My wife drives a Honda.. It's a new world...
Now that GM is cranking out world class cars that can compete in most segments of the market... I have no need to buy an import... I would rather keep my money here... as much as possible anyway..
That's what bothers me.. but I guess we can blame the politicians too.
I don't have anything against imports... My wife drives a Honda.. It's a new world...
Now that GM is cranking out world class cars that can compete in most segments of the market... I have no need to buy an import... I would rather keep my money here... as much as possible anyway..
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,448
Likes: 4
From: Sarasota Florida
St. Jude Donor '06
Why do people come here and talk about imports? Or ask about imports? Or ask why people "hate" imports? Or even care what OTHER PEOPLE think about imports? What does any of this have to do with Corvettes? Answer: nothing. Go to an import forum if you want to talk imports; there are plenty. Or at least go to CFOT. This is not the import forum.
You don't see the Mustang guys or the Charger guys or the F-body guys or the GTO guys hanging around here whining about how they don't get any "respect". Why do the import guys do this?
You don't see the Mustang guys or the Charger guys or the F-body guys or the GTO guys hanging around here whining about how they don't get any "respect". Why do the import guys do this?
Last edited by Gannet; Mar 12, 2008 at 08:37 AM.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,499
Likes: 5
From: Meadville Pennsylvania
First I can't believe that you would suggest that the Mazda RX-8 is better built than a Corvette. My girlfriend has one and it is the biggest POS I've ever seen. With just 47,000 miles on the clock she has had her engine replaced once with the second one now starting to go, it burns a quart of oil every 1000 miles, it get terrible gas mileage, she has had 2 sun visors melt and fall off, the A/C went out, the breaks have squealed since day 1, her ABS computer shorted out once causing the car to stall intermittently or have no interior power, the car stalls occasionally just sitting at stop lights, and its flooded twice because if you don't let a rotary warm up all the way apparently it floods. Not even my 95 Pontiac Formula (which was a huge POS with constant problems) was that unreliable. Plus over on the RX-8 message board that she frequents they have a thread that keeps a running total of everyone who has had an engine swap. As far as body panels are concerned all of mine are perfectly aligned but so are hers I can't say anything about that.
About your original question, these import guys always have such a chip on their shoulder about HP/liter, or push rod technology, etc. I love hearing things like "Yea Corvettes are nice but they're American you should have gotten something fast like an Acura TL", "Why do you drive a chevy you could've gotten something reliable like a Mitsubishi", or my personal favorite "I only lost because my car isn't all plastic, if Lexus used plastic to make a car like Chevy does than I would have won" this was a guy telling me about his SC430 out at the SpeedWorld drag strip.
I guess you could say that I don't hate imports just your typical ignorant import driver.
About your original question, these import guys always have such a chip on their shoulder about HP/liter, or push rod technology, etc. I love hearing things like "Yea Corvettes are nice but they're American you should have gotten something fast like an Acura TL", "Why do you drive a chevy you could've gotten something reliable like a Mitsubishi", or my personal favorite "I only lost because my car isn't all plastic, if Lexus used plastic to make a car like Chevy does than I would have won" this was a guy telling me about his SC430 out at the SpeedWorld drag strip.
I guess you could say that I don't hate imports just your typical ignorant import driver.
Pretty much it's been my experience that people that love rotarys...and no how to maintain and drive them...usually get good life out of the engine. As I said, the only problem I had with mine...I also have with the vette....brakes
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 6,412
Likes: 1,295
From: Bluffton, SC
Personally, I really couldn't care less. I don't even know what an American or imported car is anymore.
If you consider an American car as one that is made here, then many Hondas, Toyotas, Hyundais, BMW's, and Subarus, etc. would have to be called American cars. If an imported car is one made of non-American parts, then all American made cars would have to be considered imported. Even the Corvette has lots of foreign made parts.
As U.S. and foreign corporations merge with, buy, and partially take over other companies, the lines between what is domestic and foreign are no longer that clearly defined. Right now, domestic versus foreign, in cars, is merely based on a percentage of non-American made parts. Since many "foreign"car brands are now assembled here, how else can you do it?
Again, I don't see it as a deciding factor in my car purchases. I'll buy whatever car I feel best suits my needs. Whatever that turns out to be, I'm buying it from an American dealership, with American employees, and paying for it with American dollars.
If you consider an American car as one that is made here, then many Hondas, Toyotas, Hyundais, BMW's, and Subarus, etc. would have to be called American cars. If an imported car is one made of non-American parts, then all American made cars would have to be considered imported. Even the Corvette has lots of foreign made parts.
As U.S. and foreign corporations merge with, buy, and partially take over other companies, the lines between what is domestic and foreign are no longer that clearly defined. Right now, domestic versus foreign, in cars, is merely based on a percentage of non-American made parts. Since many "foreign"car brands are now assembled here, how else can you do it?
Again, I don't see it as a deciding factor in my car purchases. I'll buy whatever car I feel best suits my needs. Whatever that turns out to be, I'm buying it from an American dealership, with American employees, and paying for it with American dollars.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,605
Likes: 2
From: Latrobe PA
Most but not all of the WRX, kinda drivers are generally the young aggressive type. They are usually out to prove their cars are better and faster than most, including the vettes.
I just see it as more of a driver thing rather than a particular ricer thing. I even saw an older lady driving an imprezza the other day and she was doing like 45 in a 60 mph zone so I guess thay are not all bad.
I just see it as more of a driver thing rather than a particular ricer thing. I even saw an older lady driving an imprezza the other day and she was doing like 45 in a 60 mph zone so I guess thay are not all bad.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 399
Likes: 0
From: St.Charles IL Member Black Sheep Squadron
I have an 08 triple blk vert - my daily driver is a Nissan Pathfinder. My wife has a 03 Nissan 350Z - and her daily driver is Jag S-type. My son drives a 01 Chrysler Sebring and there's a 62 Impala sitting in the garage also. 3 American - 3 non Americans
As you can see I don't appear to hate rice burners---I just don't want to talk about them on a CORVETTE forum.
As you can see I don't appear to hate rice burners---I just don't want to talk about them on a CORVETTE forum.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,294
Likes: 612
From: I love the Big Butt Corvettes
St. Jude Donor '08
Personally, I really couldn't care less. I don't even know what an American or imported car is anymore.
If you consider an American car as one that is made here, then many Hondas, Toyotas, Hyundais, BMW's, and Subarus, etc. would have to be called American cars. If an imported car is one made of non-American parts, then all American made cars would have to be considered imported. Even the Corvette has lots of foreign made parts.
As U.S. and foreign corporations merge with, buy, and partially take over other companies, the lines between what is domestic and foreign are no longer that clearly defined. Right now, domestic versus foreign, in cars, is merely based on a percentage of non-American made parts. Since many "foreign"car brands are now assembled here, how else can you do it?
Again, I don't see it as a deciding factor in my car purchases. I'll buy whatever car I feel best suits my needs. Whatever that turns out to be, I'm buying it from an American dealership, with American employees, and paying for it with American dollars.
If you consider an American car as one that is made here, then many Hondas, Toyotas, Hyundais, BMW's, and Subarus, etc. would have to be called American cars. If an imported car is one made of non-American parts, then all American made cars would have to be considered imported. Even the Corvette has lots of foreign made parts.
As U.S. and foreign corporations merge with, buy, and partially take over other companies, the lines between what is domestic and foreign are no longer that clearly defined. Right now, domestic versus foreign, in cars, is merely based on a percentage of non-American made parts. Since many "foreign"car brands are now assembled here, how else can you do it?
Again, I don't see it as a deciding factor in my car purchases. I'll buy whatever car I feel best suits my needs. Whatever that turns out to be, I'm buying it from an American dealership, with American employees, and paying for it with American dollars.
Couldn't have said it better.
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Supporting Lifetime
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From: Syracuse NY
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This is an interesting exercise in exploring the Corvette owner's psyche. I can only speak for myself (well, that's not true. I guess I can speak for anyone and everyone, but if I do, don't listen to me 
). I happen to love a lot of imported cars . . . Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati . . . but of course those aren't the cars we're talking about. I also enjoy a well-tuned Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan or Toyota, especially when the owner has put his or her dollars into awesome high-tech upgrades that transform some of these cars into absolute rocket sleds.
What I DO tend to "hate on": Clapped-out ten-year-old Honda Civics with two-story plywood spoilers, huge fart-can exhausts, and stereos making the whole car buzz and shed parts at every stoplight. These are the 16-year-old geniuses that are pointing over at "the old guy in the Corvette" and laughing with their clueless friends. No, on second thought, I don't really "hate on" them, either. After all, I raised three sons, put them all through college, and watched with pride as they all went on to (A) earn (and pay for) their own Master's Degrees, (B) learn to do their own basic automotive maintenance, and (C) move from their growing-up Nissan 240SX's, Miatas and Chevy pick-ups to where they are all ready (mentally and financially) to consider their own new Corvettes.
My youngest son's 1990 240 SX was a sight to behold - pearlescent white paint, Alpine stereo, huge wheels and tires, lowered, and many, many performance and handling upgrades. It was a sweet-sounding, sweet-handling car and he sold it (reluctantly) when he went to college. I think I was almost as sorry to see it go as he was - at least I could always hear the very distinctive exhaust note whatever time he came home. He spent a lot of time (and ALL of his part-time job money) on that car, and he learned a lot along the way.
I guess the moral of the story is that we don't collectively hate imports (there I go, speaking for everyone else - I warned you about that!). I believe we respect good automotive engineering, quality work, and speed - not necessarily in that order. You can find a lot of that in the modern "tuner" crowd. It's the nitwits in cars like that 10-year-old Civic I described that drive us nuts . . . but I can't imagine the true, dedicated "tuner crowd" think that much of them, either!
). I happen to love a lot of imported cars . . . Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati . . . but of course those aren't the cars we're talking about. I also enjoy a well-tuned Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan or Toyota, especially when the owner has put his or her dollars into awesome high-tech upgrades that transform some of these cars into absolute rocket sleds.What I DO tend to "hate on": Clapped-out ten-year-old Honda Civics with two-story plywood spoilers, huge fart-can exhausts, and stereos making the whole car buzz and shed parts at every stoplight. These are the 16-year-old geniuses that are pointing over at "the old guy in the Corvette" and laughing with their clueless friends. No, on second thought, I don't really "hate on" them, either. After all, I raised three sons, put them all through college, and watched with pride as they all went on to (A) earn (and pay for) their own Master's Degrees, (B) learn to do their own basic automotive maintenance, and (C) move from their growing-up Nissan 240SX's, Miatas and Chevy pick-ups to where they are all ready (mentally and financially) to consider their own new Corvettes.
My youngest son's 1990 240 SX was a sight to behold - pearlescent white paint, Alpine stereo, huge wheels and tires, lowered, and many, many performance and handling upgrades. It was a sweet-sounding, sweet-handling car and he sold it (reluctantly) when he went to college. I think I was almost as sorry to see it go as he was - at least I could always hear the very distinctive exhaust note whatever time he came home. He spent a lot of time (and ALL of his part-time job money) on that car, and he learned a lot along the way.
I guess the moral of the story is that we don't collectively hate imports (there I go, speaking for everyone else - I warned you about that!). I believe we respect good automotive engineering, quality work, and speed - not necessarily in that order. You can find a lot of that in the modern "tuner" crowd. It's the nitwits in cars like that 10-year-old Civic I described that drive us nuts . . . but I can't imagine the true, dedicated "tuner crowd" think that much of them, either!
Team Owner
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 82,175
Likes: 1,319
From: McKinney TX
St. Jude Donor '21-'22-'23-'24
I don't hate imports. This is C6 General. I just hate when some post about cars other than C6s here. That's why Off Topic and Other Cars sections were put in the forum.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 35,769
Likes: 148
From: Northern NYs Adirondack Mountains,http://www.visitsacandaga.com.
I think that it is mostly a disdain for the stereotypical import owner... While there are all types of owners driving all types of cars, a slight majority of the "import crowd" seem to have a pretty bad attitude. This is possibly age related as most import tuners are teens-twenties. My personal observations are that most of the import guys have a chip on thier shoulder for some reason.....mabye napolean complex.....always singing about the superiority of japanese design, how pushrod engines are ancient technology, etc. How many hp/liter does your engine make
Bring in a major motion picture series like Fast and the Furious and it works them into a frenzy.....loud graphics, louder mufflers, neon, bumping stereos, wings that belong on fighter planes, what is there to like? Again, there are exceptions. I'm sure your RX-8 was tastefully done. There is also a safety element to this picture; I think that the majority of illegal street racing encompasses the import crowd....not to mention the idiots trying to learn to drift on city streets getting themselves (and others) killed. I could go on and on about this as it strikes a special nerve with me. This is my opinoin only, and is subject to change. I have seen a few import cars tastefully done, and have met a few respectable owners, but this is certainly not the norm and I am probably guilty of stereotyping many of the others.
Bring in a major motion picture series like Fast and the Furious and it works them into a frenzy.....loud graphics, louder mufflers, neon, bumping stereos, wings that belong on fighter planes, what is there to like? Again, there are exceptions. I'm sure your RX-8 was tastefully done. There is also a safety element to this picture; I think that the majority of illegal street racing encompasses the import crowd....not to mention the idiots trying to learn to drift on city streets getting themselves (and others) killed. I could go on and on about this as it strikes a special nerve with me. This is my opinoin only, and is subject to change. I have seen a few import cars tastefully done, and have met a few respectable owners, but this is certainly not the norm and I am probably guilty of stereotyping many of the others. with a lot of thatIt’s not so much the cars as it is the drivers & passengers. Before I moved I lived a couple blocks off the main road in my area & saw a lot. The majority of them were trouble. They were more of a gang than car people. A few years ago the local cops had enough complaints and went after them.
It was kind of funny the American type cars were left alone when we parked in a lot for impromptu get together. The cops would cruise through and keep going. When the import crowd got together they would be rousted, vehicles inspected/impounded/ ticketed.
I had a couple ask me why, but explained it carefully they would just not understand. It was the people causing all the problems not what they drove, BUT HOW THEY DROVE !! Age might of had something to do with it, stupidity and super reckless + a bad case of attitude did it for sure.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
Because some people just gotta NOT love something else in order to feel good about themselves and their choices. If it weren't for "those damned imports" they'd be "hating" Ford out of existence or Chrysler or American Motors.
Oops, they already did those. Or nearly so.
Oops, they already did those. Or nearly so.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
I think that it is mostly a disdain for the stereotypical import owner... While there are all types of owners driving all types of cars, a slight majority of the "import crowd" seem to have a pretty bad attitude. This is possibly age related as most import tuners are teens-twenties. My personal observations are that most of the import guys have a chip on thier shoulder for some reason.....mabye napolean complex.....always singing about the superiority of japanese design, how pushrod engines are ancient technology, etc. How many hp/liter does your engine make Bring in a major motion picture series like Fast and the Furious and it works them into a frenzy.....loud graphics, louder mufflers, neon, bumping stereos, wings that belong on fighter planes, what is there to like? Again, there are exceptions. I'm sure your RX-8 was tastefully done. There is also a safety element to this picture; I think that the majority of illegal street racing encompasses the import crowd....not to mention the idiots trying to learn to drift on city streets getting themselves (and others) killed. I could go on and on about this as it strikes a special nerve with me. This is my opinoin only, and is subject to change. I have seen a few import cars tastefully done, and have met a few respectable owners, but this is certainly not the norm and I am probably guilty of stereotyping many of the others.
Bring in a major motion picture series like Fast and the Furious and it works them into a frenzy.....loud graphics, louder mufflers, neon, bumping stereos, wings that belong on fighter planes, what is there to like? Again, there are exceptions. I'm sure your RX-8 was tastefully done. There is also a safety element to this picture; I think that the majority of illegal street racing encompasses the import crowd....not to mention the idiots trying to learn to drift on city streets getting themselves (and others) killed. I could go on and on about this as it strikes a special nerve with me. This is my opinoin only, and is subject to change. I have seen a few import cars tastefully done, and have met a few respectable owners, but this is certainly not the norm and I am probably guilty of stereotyping many of the others.We don't call them "burger burners". Or "Warsteiner burners". Or "gasthaus odors". Or "sauerkrauten".
And if you've not been around R32, RS America, M3, M-Z3, etc. owners, they almost all talk about valves, handling, etc.
And we don't hear anyone calling a Lamborghini, Maserati or Ferrari owner----all import owners the last time I checked, and all talking about number of valves, OHCs, handling, brakes, tires, etc.---some Italian "commentary or name", none of which I can think of at the moment.
But I bet anyone could make one up quite fast.
Ask yourself why that is. I do.
Former Vendor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 552
Likes: 1
From: Parkland FL
So I have saw this forum is pretty much split between people that love all cars....and people that strictly love american cars. For those that hate imports, why is this? I've been on both sides of the fence...and I believe each 'group' has their pros and cons. I had a 2005 RX8 before I bought my 2007 vette...I personally thought the RX8 had a much better fit & finish than my vette. All the panels aligned perfectly...I loved the interior of the car...and 232hp out of a 1.3 liter was pretty cool....and the 9000 redline was cool. The cons were I picked probably the worst japanese made car for gas mileage...I think combined I was getting like 16-17mpg...though that was a lot of me screwing around in it...constant redlining. The other being...though it was a 1.3 liter making 232 hp....it doesn't compare at all to the vette in power and torque. I still have a lot of respect for imports...I may not care for the looks of the EVO's...STI's...but they are fast and can be made a lot faster...same with the Mark 4 supras...and FD RX7's....so to ask again...why all the import hate?
I think there are no imports, the American cars are made with imported components and some imports are built here in the good old USA.
We no longer have American made cars only cars with Ameerican brands.
We have lost the industrial war.
If you start to think about all the American brands we have lost ad them to this list.
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Tom Mccann
Racer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 344
Likes: 1
From: Fair Oaks CA
St. Jude Donor '08
Well, I have an new 08 C6 in the garage and a 02 Tacoma (supercharged 300hp) in the weather...........Toy was made in California with *** parts and american made parts. With me it's that Corvette is as American as Apple pie and cruising. I have nothing against imports, but the tuner/drifter street racing 'tude bothers me.
All to frequently here in Sacramento or outlying areas the news reports about a car/tree collision at 100+mph from a street race gone bad, it is always a rice rocket with a fart tube...............
All to frequently here in Sacramento or outlying areas the news reports about a car/tree collision at 100+mph from a street race gone bad, it is always a rice rocket with a fart tube...............
7th Gear
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
hated the rx8
my last car was 05 rx-8, worst car i've owned, looked good but 0 power at low end, car flooded out 3 times, it seems like an incomplete car. On the positive note, handled awesome, better then the c6.
I think people in general understand that vettes are awesome cars so naturally lots of haters out there. At the sametime, we know that our cars are awesome and probably look down on others. Just human nature
I think people in general understand that vettes are awesome cars so naturally lots of haters out there. At the sametime, we know that our cars are awesome and probably look down on others. Just human nature
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,090
Likes: 51
From: Georgetown TX
I think that it is mostly a disdain for the stereotypical import owner... While there are all types of owners driving all types of cars, a slight majority of the "import crowd" seem to have a pretty bad attitude. This is possibly age related as most import tuners are teens-twenties. My personal observations are that most of the import guys have a chip on thier shoulder for some reason.....mabye napolean complex.....always singing about the superiority of japanese design, how pushrod engines are ancient technology, etc. How many hp/liter does your engine make Bring in a major motion picture series like Fast and the Furious and it works them into a frenzy.....loud graphics, louder mufflers, neon, bumping stereos, wings that belong on fighter planes, what is there to like? Again, there are exceptions. I'm sure your RX-8 was tastefully done. There is also a safety element to this picture; I think that the majority of illegal street racing encompasses the import crowd....not to mention the idiots trying to learn to drift on city streets getting themselves (and others) killed. I could go on and on about this as it strikes a special nerve with me. This is my opinoin only, and is subject to change. I have seen a few import cars tastefully done, and have met a few respectable owners, but this is certainly not the norm and I am probably guilty of stereotyping many of the others.
Bring in a major motion picture series like Fast and the Furious and it works them into a frenzy.....loud graphics, louder mufflers, neon, bumping stereos, wings that belong on fighter planes, what is there to like? Again, there are exceptions. I'm sure your RX-8 was tastefully done. There is also a safety element to this picture; I think that the majority of illegal street racing encompasses the import crowd....not to mention the idiots trying to learn to drift on city streets getting themselves (and others) killed. I could go on and on about this as it strikes a special nerve with me. This is my opinoin only, and is subject to change. I have seen a few import cars tastefully done, and have met a few respectable owners, but this is certainly not the norm and I am probably guilty of stereotyping many of the others. I love America and the vette, but the sad fact is that many of the imports continue to have superior fit and finish as well as quality control...and by the way, ooorah!
Former Vendor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 552
Likes: 1
From: Parkland FL
Well, I have an new 08 C6 in the garage and a 02 Tacoma (supercharged 300hp) in the weather...........Toy was made in California with *** parts and american made parts. With me it's that Corvette is as American as Apple pie and cruising. I have nothing against imports, but the tuner/drifter street racing 'tude bothers me.
All to frequently here in Sacramento or outlying areas the news reports about a car/tree collision at 100+mph from a street race gone bad, it is always a rice rocket with a fart tube...............
All to frequently here in Sacramento or outlying areas the news reports about a car/tree collision at 100+mph from a street race gone bad, it is always a rice rocket with a fart tube...............