zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
There Is A Japanese Counterpart To The American Driver Who Loves JDM
There Is A Japanese Counterpart To The American Driver Who Loves JDM-November 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:12:18

Image for article titled There Is A Japanese Counterpart To The American Driver Who Loves JDM

American drivers and enthusiasts have been dreaming of over-nighting parts from Japan even before the rebuild of O’Conner’s . parts (and ) are like forbidden fruit to drivers in the U.S., and as surprising as it may be, some drivers in Japan have their own infatuation with anything from the American market, which has been lovingly dubbed the USDM.

We’ve written about this strange automotive and cultural exchange , but love for the USDM doesn’t apply only to . It’s as far-reaching as the off road scene, as these Subaru Impreza and XV Crosstrek drivers prove:

The Subarus gathered there are showing off their appreciation for their American counterparts with some bits and trim, even if the lighting still conforms to Japanese standards and regulations. I’m unsure wether the on that lifted Impreza is as compliant, however.

When I asked the owner of the Impreza, Twitter user , what makes the USDM appealing, he replied, “Subaru is a Japanese manufacturer, but it is attractive that US Subaru is a car with different specifications from Japan. For example lights, meters, optional parts, colors, etc. This difference makes [customizing] fun.” I agreed.

Image for article titled There Is A Japanese Counterpart To The American Driver Who Loves JDM

It’s just fascinating to see what drivers around the world are doing with their cars, and to see how folks find creative ways to customize and add a little personality to their rides. The love for foreign markets runs deep on both sides of the Pacific. Type in “JDM” into an American search, and follow up with a “USDM” query into to see what I mean.

Indeed, the grass is always greener on the other side.

Image for article titled There Is A Japanese Counterpart To The American Driver Who Loves JDM

And there’s another trend on display here that both thrills and confuses me: bumper deletes. Well, calling these mods a bumper delete is somewhat of a misnomer. These drivers haven’t deleted their bumpers so much as upgraded them.

The thing is, car design for the last couple of decades has been very dependent on bumpers for a car’s overall appearance, so when I see a machine that has replaced its factory bumper for a tubular one, it looks a little strange.

Image for article titled There Is A Japanese Counterpart To The American Driver Who Loves JDM

At a glance, the Crosstrek front ends seem almost incomplete, but the more I look at them and assimilate the skid plates and tubes, the more I can appreciate these. Just check out the height difference between the rocker panel and the front end on the Crosstreks. The approach angle is much better than that of the stock bumpers and I am here for those skinny, wrap-around bars. Especially when they contrast with those chunky sidewalls and rally-style wheels.

Image for article titled There Is A Japanese Counterpart To The American Driver Who Loves JDM

Also, let’s not overlook the first-generation Nissan Pathfinder joining these Subarus, with its glorious two-door chassis. That SUV was known as the Terrano in Japan, and in keeping with the USDM theme, the throwback graphics on the SUV read “Pathfinder.” These off-roaders sure do commit.

Image for article titled There Is A Japanese Counterpart To The American Driver Who Loves JDM

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
We Should Have Bought Six-Speed V6 Honda Accord Coupes When We Had the Chance
We Should Have Bought Six-Speed V6 Honda Accord Coupes When We Had the Chance
“What’s a V6 that doesn’t sound like crap,” Regular Car Reviews’ host Mr. Regular asks from behind the wheel of somebody’s 2016 Honda Accord V6 six-speed manual coupe. He immediately answers his own question: “This.” The current tenth generation Honda Accord is a great getaround car, but unfortunately for...
Nov 1, 2026
The 2020 BMW X6 Finally Has the Illuminated Kidney Grille You've Been Begging For
The 2020 BMW X6 Finally Has the Illuminated Kidney Grille You've Been Begging For
There’s a new Sports Activity Vehicle crossover don’t-call-it-a-coupe in town. The new generation of BMW X6 is here, and it’s longer, wider, and vertically shorter than the one it replaces. But more important than that, BMW says the massive kidney grille on the front of the new big boy...
Nov 1, 2026
Tesla Achieves Record Deliveries in Second Quarter, Loses Two More Executives
Tesla Achieves Record Deliveries in Second Quarter, Loses Two More Executives
In classic Tesla fashion, there was both good news and bad news out of the electric carmaker today, because nothing can ever be simple with them. The good news is the company set records for production (87,048 vehicles) and deliveries (95,200) in the second quarter, rebounding nicely from the...
Nov 1, 2026
Comment of the Day: Automatic Blinkers; Yay or Nay Edition
Comment of the Day: Automatic Blinkers; Yay or Nay Edition
Cars are too expensive in 2019 because they’re too nice. And for that same reason, there seem to be fewer reasons to upgrade to a brand new car now than ever. That was all , but one comment spurned an interesting debate on the merits of modern systems. Specifically,...
Nov 1, 2026
Auto Industry Legend Lee Iacocca Dead at 94
Auto Industry Legend Lee Iacocca Dead at 94
Lee Iacocca, one of the true legends of the auto industry died at 7:30 this morning at his home in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Iacocca was known for many things, but is probably best remembered as the man who was the driving force behind the...
Nov 1, 2026
The 2020 Audi S8 Is Here With a 563-HP V8 and Hybrid Technology
The 2020 Audi S8 Is Here With a 563-HP V8 and Hybrid Technology
The newest iteration of the Audi S8 is here, and while it on the outside, it’s packing the expected power underneath its hood. It has 563 horsepower, to be exact, coming from a bi-turbocharged V8 with a mild-hybrid system—you know, for fuel efficiency. Audi UK the new S8 on...
Nov 1, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved