there's a huge demand for American cars in Japan, the Hummer will probably do quite well there.

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There's a huge demand for WHAT? When I lived there, (12 years, moved back to the US in '04), the very last thing in demand over there was an American car. In fact, I bought a 2 year old Chrysler Stratus for the whopping sum of $3000. I'm sure demand may have had something to do with the price? And I had a choice of literally dozens of cars of the same age, as they were just decaying at the sole dealership in Tokyo.

It would do you well to research this a bit further, rather than spout off uneducated guesses at how the world works. There's not one place I've been outside the US where there exists a prime market for American cars. A notable exception is Europe, (for the Mondeo and Focus), two chassis that weren't developed in the US. And their sole factor for popularity is value for money, something the Hummer brand isn't exactly renowned for. Look at how well this truck was received in the UK.

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That's a bit of an agressive response,

What I've read, is that the big thing over there is American luxury cars, you'll see people rolling around in Buicks, Caddys, Lincolns, or whatever they have over there. There's not a demand for Chrysler Stratus anywhere, that's for sure. It's a more recent trend than 2004, but the American luxury brands are gaining popularity in Japan.

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Chrysler sold 6500 units in Japan last year. Ford, 6,200. I can't find published numbers for GM, probably better for my own peace of mind. The fact is, even with the introduction of the aggressively styled "Dodge" brand this year, American cars total less than 1% of Japan's new car sales. And in a country where gas is 33% more expensive than in the US, I have a feeling that it's going to continue this way for a while. On top of the styling, quality, or efficiency issues, there's the trade imbalance that impacts the American brands. Even more so than here in the US, there's a strong fuel-efficiency market there, with lighweight fuel-sipping cars being all the rage. In an economic slump similar to our own, Japanese car sales have fallen again, with small cars deftly beating everything else. It's just a market we can't compete in, not with the American cars you and I would recognize. Now, a Euro-spec Focus or Ka, that may be competative, but not an H3. And certainly not any of our sedans.

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"Look at how well this truck was received in the UK."

(Finally) Found the link for the Top Gear video where the guys talk about the Hummer H3. It's at the very end of the video, and I have to warn you, this is the uncut "TG News" edition, containing some profanity. Now, I don't agree with their anti-American sentiments, but wholeheartedly agree on their Hummer H3 stance. Have a lookie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMlYuODkG0E

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Next popular sport in Japan:

Hummer-drifting

Too bad you'd take out half a block in the process.

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I spent 4 years in Japan from '94 to '98. Young ones want the pocket rockets. Older ones want the long and sleak. American cars are the one percent because you promote a high status when you drive an American car, meaning you have money. You have to be well off, in most cases, to own an American car. It's just like our young guys here, they want the 4/6 cylinder rockets. What percentage of those have non-domestic badges on them? The 25 to 40's want the blown/tweaked V6/V8. The percentage is more balanced now between markets. Come 50 your wanting underpowered land yatchs that are usually luxury cars. Same with the Japanese. Now that comparable cars over there are cheaper than ours, of course they will buy their brands first without thinking of the gas crunch. It's the same thing we did to our top 3.

No they won't trip over themselves to buy a Hummer or any American car, but it speaks exclusivity when you have one.

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Curious. Does that mean that the Camry, Accord, and Altima sold here in the US are "ginormous" too? Because they are all relatively the same size.

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They're different cars in that market. The (last gen) Accord as we know it here isn't the same car there, think: Acura TSX. And yes, the Stratus is bigger than that.

All Toyota Camrys and Honda Inspires (The JDM name for the car sold here) are narrower than the Stratus, no matter the generation. The Honda has actually shrunken from it's 6th generation. And they're not as ubiquitous as they are here, as they're considered full size sedans. Bigger cars over there are classified into a different road-tax bracket, an annual fee based on engine size.

The Altima, ever since it's second generation, doesn't have an equivelent in Japan.

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read the first line of your own link, it's Toyota's answer(copy) of the Hummer

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"Japan has had their own Hummer for years, it's what the American was copied from if you ask me." FWI, the HUMVEE, the military version was first delivered to the US army in 1985. The Toyota megacruiser you linked to was first in production in 1995. Now who copied who?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Mega_Cruiser
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Mobility_Multipurpose_Wheeled_Vehicle

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The humVEE is not the humMER, that company was founded in 1995.

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