does / will Toyota and Nissan support VIP movement ? ?

I know they support drifting with their corolla hatchbacks and 240sx. I just saw a advertisement article by toyota showing it's support for drifting.
 
What about VIP style ? With VIP style going strong in Japan since 2000, it surely has separated itself as a "style" and "trend". 
 
With VIP style and trend gaining popularity in North America, and since Toyota and Nissan are right there in the heart of this trend, why not support it ? Japanese market is one thing but North American market IS the meat and potatoes.
 
wow talk about a flop of a post. =)
 
any how, a Lexus LS460 VIP SPEC edition straight from lexus/toyota would be insane. 
 
The next Infiniti q45 by Infiniti should be marketed as "Q45 VIP spec".

Actually from a corporate standpoint, Toyota does not support drifting, neither does Nissan. 
 
Yes Nissan sponsored forsberg and verena with 350z's, but they aren't offering any factory backing of these vehicles. 
 
Toyota and Nissan as a global company will not be involved with fasionable street trends (to an extent...). However, dealer groups (example, southern california lexus dealers) might offer packages that they sell at a dealership, etc.
 
So to answer your question, no they will not support the VIP movement, although there might be employees that enjoy it. Or will work with outside contractors that are involved with the VIP scene.

nissan is still contemplating a NISMO 350Z for the states. problem is, the general public can't afford them and they go unsold or to the oil execs! Toyota too I think is having th e same problem with the new sports car. Who here can really afford a Lexus sports car anymore? certainly not me! Once again, that will go to the guys that drive the LS460LH or whatever that behemoth it is.

They do support VIP..this is the whole reason Japan started putting out LExus and Infiniti. In the begining of VIP folks were driving Benz's. those were the Yakuzza's cars of choice at the time..THen JP wanted a piece of the action and wanted to keep it close to home and thats when Nissans, Lexus Toyotas, Infinitis started making there way to the top..Japanese targeted those types of people that were using benz's and have been very successful..So yeah I think they do support the STYle. 

BUt they are still using the High priced Benz's and allways will..

they don't have to show support by making a all out drift / VIP car, that is not what I was suggesting.

I was talking about advertisements, sponsorships, events.  

"VIP spec" Q45 could be a good way to market their un-popular Q45 to the general public.





[QUOTE=swifty949;56861]Actually from a corporate standpoint, Toyota does not support drifting, neither does Nissan. 
 
Yes Nissan sponsored forsberg and verena with 350z's, but they aren't offering any factory backing of these vehicles. 
 
Toyota and Nissan as a global company will not be involved with fasionable street trends (to an extent...). However, dealer groups (example, southern california lexus dealers) might offer packages that they sell at a dealership, etc.
 
So to answer your question, no they will not support the VIP movement, although there might be employees that enjoy it. Or will work with outside contractors that are involved with the VIP scene.[/QUOTE]

i see the q45 being driven around as much as i see an ls430. it's there, but marketing a 'vip' crowd won't work. now if they just added stuff as we do, like factory air suspension/little amenities they may sell more cars, or they may just succeed in driving up the price of their car.  

as for 'who can afford a sport lexus?' 

you do realize, that the SC= Sport Coupe. therefore, they've always had a sporty lexus, and it gets eaten up by the consumers. plenty of people buy them, plenty of people love them.

a lexus coupe to compete with g35 would be nice.

[QUOTE=Caoboy;56885]i see the q45 being driven around as much as i see an ls430. it's there, but marketing a 'vip' crowd won't work. now if they just added stuff as we do, like factory air suspension/little amenities they may sell more cars, or they may just succeed in driving up the price of their car.  

as for 'who can afford a sport lexus?' 

you do realize, that the SC= Sport Coupe. therefore, they've always had a sporty lexus, and it gets eaten up by the consumers. plenty of people buy them, plenty of people love them.[/QUOTE]

g35 is shit compared to the sc430. i've driven a g35, and didn't like it. it's not as 'luxurious' as the sc, and sc just looks better overall. it also comes with a v8 which blitz took the time to twin supercharge it.....sex on wheels. LOL

I think the closest Toyota competitor to the V35 cars is the Chaser. For NA, IS is as good as it gets.

I never much cared for the SC from Lexus and I don't see many driving around Chicago. Sappy front and rear styling that not even Super GT can't much help. Interior is nice tho. As for the G35, It's not much better, but I'll take the original over the girly new design. Altho I don't like the interior of that car. I like old skool cars. I'm not a fan of the last SC cuz of it's crappy interior and the goofy doors. But there's better aftermarket potential with that car over newer designs. G35 is world car which means it will never be a Skyline of old in which it replaced. The finesse just isn't there. Same goes for the new Scion xB or xB2. This car just has no finesse and poor handling and spongy seats. man, I can't get it outta my head. the car had me thinkin, " what did I just drive?"

[QUOTE=zion_97;56868]They do support VIP..this is the whole reason Japan started putting out LExus and Infiniti. In the begining of VIP folks were driving Benz's. those were the Yakuzza's cars of choice at the time..THen JP wanted a piece of the action and wanted to keep it close to home and thats when Nissans, Lexus Toyotas, Infinitis started making there way to the top..Japanese targeted those types of people that were using benz's and have been very successful..So yeah I think they do support the STYle. 

BUt they are still using the High priced Benz's and allways will..[/QUOTE]
???  Automotive manufacturers built Luxury sedans for business execs, not for VIP.  I think you have the USA term V.I.P. and japan lifestyle VIP confused here.  Yes, the Yakuza had a great love for Mercedes Benz sedans, but there were Japan counterparts even back then.  The century and President are not new cars.  Haha, Taketomi had nothing to do with those manufacturers making those cars as they were around before he was.  He was a great help in shaping the culture and keeping it going throughout the years so I take nothing from him and give him the utmost respect.

I run into a similar question/problem at my work. People ask why companies won't make lighter weight kids bicycles or why there's no womens bicycle at X price range. It all has to do with what sells, and at what price. Sure the company can make a light weight kids bicycle, but will the parent be willing to pay few hundred more for a bike that will last only few years? NO.

Same goes with car companies. If they offer VIP package on cars, it will require a ton of work to outfit a lexury sedan with air suspension. On top of that, if they make it adjustable they would have to cover it by warranty. The bags that car manufacturers use are not designed to be used at low heights...so when they go out, theres a question of whether its covered by warranty or not. Also most people who buy LS460 are not planning on doing any modifications to it...unless they are rappers or kids whos parents have way too much money to throw around. But those people would rather buy a BMW or Lambo or other "prestigious" brands.

Look at Mitsubishi and Ralliart, not available in US...has to do with sales and probably warranty issues...probably the car won't pass safety standards either when certain parts are replaced.

So if I was a manufacturer, I wouldn't support any of these fads (drift, drag, show, VIP, etc.)...it's just not cost effective.

actually, mitsu does have ralliart editions, it's the "lancer oz ralliart edition". 
 
it may be lame to the max, but it's still ralliart haha. i think that they also carry ralliart parts, just like honda has mugen, nissan=nismo etc.
 
i also think that dealerships won't carry 'vip' parts, because that's just too weird. they aren't going to carry fusas, and body kits, and suspension that lowers your car 'excessively'. if it's a luxury car, they are going for comfort, not cool. they aren't going to sell wheels made by toyota that will have a tendency to bend easier, mess up the fenders, and imagine how much work they would have to do to 'redesign' the car like that? imagine how much it will cost for them to do it, i mean, the car's already expensive, and dealerships tend to 'overprice' things. it's ridiculous for them to build the car like that, it's ridiculous for them to sell a car like that, and it's ridiculous for someone to spend probably 3x as much just to buy it 'factory'. 
 
and if it's factory, how can you have a 'custom' car? LOL everybody will have styled 'vip car', and it's just not going to work. period. 
 
they also have to get that stuff approved by DOT, and some of that stuff probably won't fly.

[QUOTE=elpresidente;57030]???  Automotive manufacturers built Luxury sedans for business execs, not for VIP.  I think you have the USA term V.I.P. and japan lifestyle VIP confused here.  Yes, the Yakuza had a great love for Mercedes Benz sedans, but there were Japan counterparts even back then.  The century and President are not new cars.  Haha, Taketomi had nothing to do with those manufacturers making those cars as they were around before he was.  He was a great help in shaping the culture and keeping it going throughout the years so I take nothing from him and give him the utmost respect.[/QUOTE]

I am going to have to see if I can find that article that I read that in. I know that toyota and nissan have been around and that folks were using them however it does say about how They wanted to keep the money in the country and started realisng LEXUS and Infiniti for the sole purpose of the Yakuzza Bosses, along with World wide Executives....
PEace..

The bottom line is that the VIP movement is still very small here in the USA... 
most VIP enthusiasts are here on this site, and I'd venture to say that a
HIGH percentage of the people on this board don't even own a VIP-platform
car, let alone a full VIP built car.

Will the average LS 460 customer spend the extra money at the dealership to
"VIP" his new $82,000 car? No. Keep in mind, the MEDIAN income for buyers
of the new LS is about $175,000 a year; you're lucky to sell these folks a 
set of OE chrome wheels. They are a conservative group, for the most part.
Frankly, it's a bit of a bummer.

The average GS or Q customer is a less affluent bunch, many of whom are
stretched just to make the car payment. And many of these car are leased,
so it makes no sense to put $20,000 in modifications to a car you're going
to turn in within 36 months. 

Okay, so you've decided to BUY a new GS430 and trick it out. 
The car stickers for about $58,000, but you're a savvy negotiator and
you had a few extra grand to plunk down. Assuming you're borrowing
$50,000 at a decent interest rate (5.5%), you've now got a car payment
of $955 per month, plus insurance and fuel. Now you just need the $4500 JP 
body kit, get it painted & installed, add $4500 for an AirRunner kit + some 
snazzy wheels and tires (you custom-ordered these with aggressive offsets)
... probably another $6000 with rubber (at the 'bro' deal).

So, $15,000+ worth of mods later, it's beginning to look like a VIP car!

Anyway, the reality is that if the demand was really there, I'm fairly sure
Lexus/Toyota would address this market; look at how successful the Scion
brand is. 

Part of the value of having a VIP car is that not just anybody can go buy one...
you pretty much have to build one.

[QUOTE=SoCalSC4;63453]The bottom line is that the VIP movement is still very small here in the USA...most VIP enthusiasts are here on this site, and I'd venture to say that a HIGH percentage of the people on this board don't even own a VIP-platform car, let alone a full VIP built car. Part of the value of having a VIP car is that not just anybody can go buy one...you pretty much have to build one.[/QUOTE]And this right here is the quote of the day for me and why I like VIP so much. I'm curious to what Toyota/Nissan would release as a VIP package if they were to begin hardcore marketing it.

[QUOTE=QoozyFoozy;56858]What about VIP style ? [B]With VIP style going strong in Japan since 2000[/B]QUOTE]

I'm sure it's been goin on alot around alot longer than that. It's actually not as big now as it was in the past in Japan.

i actually work for a toyota dealer . im not a big fan of the possibility of toyota offering say a vip package upgrade or option.although the scion market is doing extremly well i personally wouldnt go with the toyota offered aftermarket upgrades and such things. to me the fact that someone somewhere has the possibility of rolling @ in the same car that i have would drine me up the wall.although i have not been a member here long i think if that were to happen you would have alot of cars that were like out of a cookie mold.being different is what i think makes the VIP scene as hot as it is. in fact the scion market has fallen or changed to a degree due to this very reason. but thats just whaty i think