Minivans in North America

Do you think [I]VIP Vans[/I] will have a presence in North America?

[IMG]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2225/1639232398_6dc3c02bf6.jpg[/IMG]

I definitely feel that they will have a prescence in North America i would love to do one up but i wouldn't label them VIP vans. Aren't those considered "Vanning" or "Wagonist" style?
 
AF definitely needs to put one out. That'd be crazy!!!

Vanning =
[IMG]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1307/791452619_363ac786a3_m.jpg[/IMG]

[I]Wagonist [/I] is a magazine which can feature our impressions of wagons, minivans, and hatchbacks.
[IMG]http://www.voxy2001.com/images/wagonist07.jpg[/IMG]

VIP Van is fine. Do not get too apprehensive about using "VIP" to describe these vans. Just do not call them "VIP cars".

For example: VIP Wagon
[IMG]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2096/1638818099_bffe70b6b6_m.jpg[/IMG]

I love the new Oddysey's.. I'm really tempted to get rid of the Q for one, but they're so expensive and I don't necessarily like the interiors of the Oddy's.

[quote=SEMA;99551]VIP Van is fine. Do not get too apprehensive about using "VIP" to describe these vans. Just do not call them "VIP cars".[/quote]
 
Word thanks for the clarification but yeah definitely can't wait for someone to pull these out of their hats. ahem* Auto Fashion.

I predict that yes, there will be a die-hard core group of Wagonists or whatever you want to call them, but no, it won't catch on. Minivans are just too 'uncool' in North America, and I don't think enough people would rather go all out on a minivan than a luxury or sports car unless they really love minivans, or really want to stand out.
 
So I voted "No"

VIP cars will "catch on" in about 7-8 months, and be ubiquitous in 10-12 months. VIP minivans, and minivans and wagons in general, will catch on within 4-6 months after that, as more manufacturers start bringing over their wagon and van models to the US. The one thing I'm unsure of right now, is when/where kei cars fit into the scheme of things rigt now. A lot of that will probably be more determined by-to a slight extent-the eventual outcome of the whole middle east debacle the US has created.

Yes...in due time.

No
and do you want to know why?>
While japan has fantastic selections for wagons/vans, such as Elgrandes, alphards, the NEW Oddesy, Hiace, etc etc etc
the us has SHITTY models to compare them to.

the current oddesy? dumb
odl oddesy? dumb
and we have like a previa or whatever it is, and like 2 other options....

its not gonna catch on like it should if there were more manufacturers that made SPORTY or less mundane options for vans.

I voted no because because people would rather buy an SUV and hook that up then a mini van.  Minivans are not cool at all here in the states with the exception of the Rclass benz.

I voted no also. I think there will be a just a small following only. Vans don't really have that "cool factor" to them (soccer mom/dad stereotype, etc.) as they probably do in Japan. Crossovers and SUVs have better acceptance.

I don't know abt the US but VIP vans have a HUUUGE following here in Asia....

they're too associated with 'soccer moms' here in the US. 
 
voted 'No'

i would do one any day but i voted no as i know it wont be very popular in the states.

I agree they will never "catch on" as largely in the US as Japan, but that wasn't the question.  The question was: "Do you think VIP Vans will have a presence in North America?", and I still say yes..a presence just means noticeable..not tons of them everywhere.

Yes but not anytime soon. No one has the guts to do it the RIGHT way. But we'll see in near future. I see a few vans from the US that wil eventually get there. :smiley: The problem is like many have stated the parts is hard to come by. One just needs to know where to look and who can get them. I can tell you right now that I haven't dealt with any US aftermarket shop that can get the parts even with part numbers. I think its ridiculous. Theres only two people I can trust: Van at  'OneTonVIP' One Ton Garage and Sean 'jdmpalace' at Luxury Bippu Style.

no.

People need to learn to look beyond the here-and-now... that's not how trend cycles operate. You fall into the trap of limiting yourself into thinking that everything is all about the now, and you end up as an emo kid with feathered jet black hair with blond highlighted bangs and tight hoodie sweatshirts and tight black jeans with trendy nike dunk shoes over your candy stripe socks. Way to go falling behind. Vans, and especially VIP vans will of course have no presence in the US now, nor the *immediate* future. I would HOPE everyone can see that. But in the future... that is another story. We can't see the future, but we can predict it, and to a certain extent, mold it, through careful observation....

[quote=One Ton VIP;99989]People need to learn to look beyond the here-and-now... that's not how trend cycles operate. You fall into the trap of limiting yourself into thinking that everything is all about the now, and you end up as an emo kid with feathered jet black hair with blond highlighted bangs and tight hoodie sweatshirts and tight black jeans with trendy nike dunk shoes over your candy stripe socks. Way to go falling behind. Vans, and especially VIP vans will of course have no presence in the US now, nor the *immediate* future. I would HOPE everyone can see that. But in the future... that is another story. We can't see the future, but we can predict it, and to a certain extent, mold it, through careful observation....[/quote]
 
 
damn van you must take much interest in the "scene" and "emo" culture.

Im looking to get a Ra1,2,3,4,5 dont know which one will come thru 1st but im really looking working hard to pull it off. ..AME wheels...tra-kyoto kit...some air sus...and few other goodies....but like everything else..it takes time.

:giggity:

great thread if you ask me.  ***following response is only my opinion, don't mean to step on any toes or offend anyone*** 

I drive my Odyssey every day. I love the way the car looks! The drive could be better, but over all for what it is and for what I have done to it, I can't complain too much. 

I got a lot of different responses from people who see the car, now this maybe because of where I live and work ( South Bay : Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach and PV).

 Older Crowd : they seem to be the most interested in the can, especially when its parked and all the way down. I get many dads that come up to me and ask me "what kind of van is that" and "how much does something like that cost". Moms come to me and tell me how "cute" my car is and ask "what does your wife think of the van" and "how many kids do you have". And when I tell them, don’t have a wife (well yet) and HELL NO on the kids, they ask “WHY do you drive a minivan”.

 Younger Crowd (that don’t drive lifted trucks) : they get a kick out of the car. And being that you don’t see a van like this every day they want to know who did the work and what it runs for. Some love the gold wheels and others hate it. But overall the response is very warm. 

Younger Crowd (that drive them lifted trucks) : can’t even begin to explain HOW MUCH THESE PEOPLE HATE MY VAN. I don’t know what it is or what brings on the haterade. I have these a$$holes that just make me want to run my van into their lifted Chevys! They make it a point to cut me off and slow down to a snail of a roll. Maybe it’s my music they don’t like or the idea it’s a slammed minivan that needs to slow down for every bump, dip or rock in the road, but they give me the most amount of crap. 

Cops : OH how they LOVE to pull me over. I would think they would pull me over for the no plates or the extremely dark tint or tinted windshield…but they only seem interested in how “odd” the car is, etc…(FYI…always have a handful of business cards for whatever shop you get your work done at, and pass the card along to the cop and tell him/her… “give ‘so and so’ a call, let them know that I sent you and they will hook it up for you”… usually seals the deal on letting you go). 


So if you ask me, I think the VIP Van scene will pick up once the idea is introduced to them. Nowadays who wants to blend in with the crowd? I see 997 turbos all day with their 20” HREs, S Class/7 Series with their 22”s, H2/Tahoe/etc with 24” & 26”s and when they drive by no one notices….cause it’s so EVERYDAY no one cares to look. But when you roll into your local Starbucks in a SLAMMED minivan, you command their attention. And when you drop the car and it sits an inch or so off the ground….you know all eyes are fixed on your car and they all wonder “who drives that car!”

Ok, maybe I went a little over board with all this but you get my point. The avg joe needs to be shown that these things can be done, but more so that you can actually drive it around on a daily. The idea of building my Odyssey wasn’t just to try to make a VIP van that sat in a garage or showroom but something that I could beat up on a daily basis and make my statement of not being like everyone else. 

Sorry for the long post…hope it makes sense to those that actually read all of it.

RE: OGS

Can we see more shots of your van?

[QUOTE=SEMA;100350]RE: OGS

Can we see more shots of your van?[/QUOTE]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/ogs/DSC00085small.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/ogs/DSC00176.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/ogs/DSC00174.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/ogs/DSC00171.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/ogs/1-17.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/ogs/11-14.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/ogs/111-7.jpg[/IMG]

wheels and system are currently being reworked. =)

[QUOTE=ogs;100278]

Cops : OH how they LOVE to pull me over. I would think they would pull me over for the no plates or the extremely dark tint or tinted windshield…but they only seem interested in how “odd” the car is, etc…(FYI…always have a handful of business cards for whatever shop you get your work done at, and pass the card along to the cop and tell him/her… “give ‘so and so’ a call, let them know that I sent you and they will hook it up for you”… usually seals the deal on letting you go). [/QUOTE]


I have never been pulled over but I did have a cop wait for me at my work.  I pulled into the lot as usual, and there was cop in his truck waiting where I usually park.  I got out of my car and he asked me to come over.  Said he noticed my van in the area and turns out he had the same van and wanted to fix it up as well.  We talked for like 15 minutes about what could be modded and what could be ordered from Japan.


Back on topic, I don't think VIP vans or mini-vans in general will catch on in the US market in the near future.  As mentioned earlier, the US is still in love with SUVs and now the Crossover vehicle. Its also difficult to shed its soccer-mom/feminine perception since these types of vehicles were and are still marketed heavily towards the female/parent segment.  Typically people buying these vehicles are getting them for practicality/function and not for their modding potential.  So when deciding to trick out the family wagon or take the kids to Disneyland its a no-brainer for them.

While the Scions, Versa, Fit, Mazda 3 and Cube(coming to NA) are technically wagons they are creating a very niche micro-van scene here is the states, although not to be confused with the Kei-car crowd of Japan.  These platforms have certainly opened the eyes of those who would never consider wagons as worthy vehicles but not enough to encompass larger mini-vans.

My hope is that more tuners join the mini-van segment but I don't think its going to happen anytime soon.

i was going to bring up your odyssey as a prime example.. that shit is hot.  it could use a new grill though!

[QUOTE=psychedelicbeats;100571]i was going to bring up your odyssey as a prime example.. that shit is hot.  it could use a new grill though![/QUOTE]

help me find one...and I am all over it! As well as a new kit! =)

Can't find jack for my car.

[QUOTE=ogs;100278]


 But when you roll into your local Starbucks in a SLAMMED minivan, you command their attention. And when you drop the car and it sits an inch or so off the ground….you know all eyes are fixed on your car and they all wonder “who drives that car!”

[/QUOTE]

I totally agree with that statement, but mines don't sit an inch off the ground.. 

I get mixed reviews on why I built my van also but I really don't care. From the, " I thought it was a scion" to the "why a van?"..But majority of the younger crowd likes it.And the older crowd is mainly interested in how much people can I fit inside and the streo system and what type of wheels I have..It's the only one on the island.I just built it for the hell of it. I'm not used to driving anything stock and it looks kewl.The thing that I hate is when you see these young racers boys that wants to race me..I just get f*nk'n pissed..A van?? Is that all you can do is race a van?? 

But I think that it may catch on a little here in the US..When I show peeps pics of previas, then it makes them think differently about vans.

It definitely will...... given the space of which u can mod the stuffs into...Tables, lighting, ICE etc....lots to offer

With a growing family, the wife and I recently traded in our car for a van. Such as my past car, I have plans to go the VIP route. Honestly haven't seen many vans VIP'd out here stateside but someone gotta start it sometime.  Just returned from Japan and I'd say most of the rides there are boxes or vans.

The thing that makes van's kick ass here is that NO ONE associates them with cars that someone would mod.

yeah ppl in the states need to rep VAN more !!

I do hope in the near future it will catch on lots of people are trading in there suv's right now due to the gas crunch and sucky economy but with kids they still need some room so vans are definitely picking back up the crossover vehicles will be in there too Toyota's got a new one coming called the Venza and its pretty nice and could possibly pull off some VIP flava but I dont see a Sienna VIP styled not so much...I do wish that Japans current Ody was sold here its so dope when done right Id probably have to swoop one up.

[quote=ffgarage;123223]yeah ppl in the states need to rep VAN more !![/quote]
:biggthumpup: yeah!!

Interesting post..........seems like "no" is what most people think.  To be honest I sure hope that the "no's" are right.  Not that I don't want Vans to not take off here in the States.......just enjoy the fact that not many are being done.  It is different........not really main stream.  The "Soccer Mom/Dad" stereotype is all good with me......after all it's not like I am young anyways.  LOL  Now it is all about getting it done.........for me it is becoming to be not "when" but "if" the EGG will ever be done.

Sukoshiyoshi

I would have to say this.....without aftermarket support and keeping the ricer industry out, then many U.S. based wagons and vans can work. Chevy Astro, Mazda 5 and MPV, Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey( old and new of course), We have Previa's. But hte utilitarian aspect we created has put them all by the wayside. Look around in general at the xB community. Count up the number of Lux/VIP ones you can think of. The count up the ones that look like racecars. no support for the scene( money too) cuz that is very important. gotta pay to play and haveing a not so rich economy may sway that a little too. How many of you have come here and said" I want this a free as possible?" How many of these cars we see from Malaysia and Japan were think that? prolly not very many. There is a really good reason why I STILL have the only VIP inspired xB in Chicago. No one wants to pony up the cash to build it. I did and created a legacy here for my self. Gratned It never gets the recognition it deserves cuz falshing strobes and lots of fiberglass sell over clean lines any day... But I would like to see this kind of build more often. SHould we start touring all our cars with HIN to get that recognition? I know Cali will be into more than say the Midwest...

So i've been busy and haven't been to the site for a while. I have long been a fan of the vans. I picked up an 07 Quest about a year ago. I originally wanted to dump it and throw on some flush fitting wheels, but my priorities are always shifting. I have 2 kids and the wife occasionally drives the van...and yes she curbs the factory wheels. The carpet now has stains inside and it's dirty from sitting outside (garage is too small.)

So at this point, I've set aside my plans for the sake of practicality. I love the Quest, it's got good power and its BIG, maybe its problem is, it's TOO useful!

As for mainstream VIP inspired minivans. It's going to be a LONG time before that happens. I think mainstream America will never shake their image of the minivan or station wagon, no matter if it's got a HEMI and has a R/T on the hood, just look at the demise of the Magnum.

Yes they do, it's just very lacking right now.  I will hopefully acquire my 2nd Previa in a few years and with funds permitting, will build it right.  My xB right now is in no specific 'scene"  It's not a racercar. it's not rice, it's not vip, it's me.  I am building my xB to efelct my personality.  I love vip xB's, but they are just not my style.  I have always loved the clean lines of Japanese styling and strive for it.

I personally came here for van help (sourcing parts, etc etc) I think vans like every other thing japanese will get *****d and played out.. Now i am not into the "vip style" more than slammed ,aero,and big wheels.. I dont care the brand,or cost, or getting stupid leather matched pillows and lame ass knot rear view thingys. I want my van to serve its purpose (hauling shit i cant fit into a car)  and be stylish while doing it. Do i want air?.. hell yes... Do i want at least 19's?... hell yes.. will i pay 3 g's for wheels cause they are the acceptable brand name.. fuck no.! I guess im not living the lifestyle. or i guess i dont give a shit.

PS Ogs your ody is pretty

love the van ogs!
and no VIP minivan will not have future.. in US. 
but i love my van. and will mods with vip style

If it does catch on here in the states...it won't be for a while.  I have a few friends looking into doing minivans right now here in Texas and I was looking into one
 a few months back but decided on going another route.

When the time comes...it will be exciting to see some badass minivans rolling around!

Ill go with yes because due to the xb and other similar vehicles and modding those, people are thinking outside the box from just coupe and sedan modding into possibly wagons and vans.

I LOVEEEEEEEEEE vans. I think I may sell my LS4 to get an oddy one day

[quote=J Stuff;148099]Ill go with yes because due to the xb and other similar vehicles and modding those, people are thinking outside the box from just coupe and sedan modding into possibly wagons and vans.
 
I LOVEEEEEEEEEE vans. I think I may sell my LS4 to get an oddy one day[/quote]
buy mine...lol:biggthumpup:

I voted Yes... cause I want to build one so bad...

[quote=rodneyc77;180296]I voted Yes... cause I want to build one so bad...[/quote]
 
 
Just dont build it "taco style" like they do on Bushwick ave.