Akachan LS

Sorry if this is a repost, but I have heard for sometime now that there is a serious population decline in Japan and is projected to be this way for a number of years into the future. Below is an article that addresses the issue.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...n-history.html

I hear the Japanese government is really concerned about this issue. Toyota/Lexus, IMHO, is one of the best, if not the best automotive manufactures in the world. As I have said before, I grew up during the '80 and '90s when "Made In Japan" meant quality and perfection. I am sure Toyota knows about this situation. Are any Toyota/Lexus fans here concerned that this trend will seriously hurt the company's legendary quality, reliablilty, and engineering edge in the future? Interested to get some thoughts on the issue.

Whitigir

I like Toyota, I have always had Toyota, but I don't like their currently Sport cars or performance lines up

Stormwind

It's probably gonna get worst with all those radio activity killing their ability to reproduce.

Akachan LS

Yes, this has been a major issue for Toyota since they axed cars like the 1st and 2nd generation MR2(Both turbo powered), RWD Corola AE 86, and finally the Supra. From what I understand the non Turbo powered 3rd generation MR2 did not have much performance, and neither did the last generation Celica.

It would also be nice if they offered a RWD Avalon just like they did with its old predecessor, the Cressida. But I guess that would be treading too close to Lexus' territory. The Scion FRS is one sporty fun option that I can think of at this point, thought some claim that it just does not have enough hp/tq (power).

Och

iTrader: (3)

Its not a Japanese only problem, Europe has the same problem - the native Europeans are dying off, and their population growth is only due to immigration from third world countries.

Whitigir

Isnt that the same as the United States ? Just more horrible that 70% of the kids in the US are raised by parents who are not willing to work, but take the system benefits, and they grow up to be non disciplined and lazy

Och

iTrader: (3)

Pretty much, yes. The so called freedom in the US consists of not having the rights to education, housing, medicine - but having the rights to be uneducated, lazy, spoiled, fat, etc. There's a huge demographic crisis happening all over the world. Our consumerist society will not last much longer.

Whitigir

On top of Computer and video games....I am afraid that you are totally correct, and it is scary to see it happening.

SteVTEC

A critical mass of Americans have become so lazy and entitled that Americans as a whole have lost their ability to remain a free people. Gov't keeps effing up royally, yet people keep on voting for more and more of it, and wanting yet more of our hard earned money, just to flush down the effin toilet. Eventually hard working people will say to hell with it being tired of getting the shaft, and will stop working so hard and just become leaches to the system too. When that happens, people won't be able to afford Toyotas. We'll all be driving Trabants.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trabant

Blackraven

^^^
Or Yank Tanks



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yank_tank
Apparently, there are tons of these being driven in Cuba today. It's 2013........yet their cars are more than 50 years old

Oh and this reminds me of the movie "IN TIME" (Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried)

The movie is set in fictional dystopian period in the year 2169

YET THE CARS LOOK LIKE THEY'RE FROM YEAR 1969





Btw, I have nothing against Vintage/Classic cars (aka Antiques).

With that said:
I wouldn't want a future where all automobiles would look like old scrappy rustbuckets that belonged to my Grandpa's era

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

This article makes me think

(SouthPark fans will get it)

Dave600hL

First time I have heard "Radio activity" to be the cause loss of reproduction. What is next, "TV activity" causing humans to become infertile.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Sometimes its not the quantity, but the quality. Despite many differences and conflicts throughout history between Russia and Japan, I have great respect for their society and far more faith in their future than the future of Western society that is becoming borderline uncivilized.

mmarshall

Well, look at the auto plants themselves these days...including those of Toyota and Lexus. Although some human skills are still required, most of the REAL work in these plants is now done by robots and machines, not humans. We complain about people not being willing to work nowadays, but how much real work is there left for them to do, even if they are willing? The stubborn unemployment figures, and proliference of part-time jobs, gives at least part of the answer to that.

mmarshall

Even over and above the issue, though, of kids and/or parents not being willing to work (or changes in Japanese population demographics), my opinion is that some of the problems Toyota and Lexus is facing is of their own doing. The build-quality of a number of the products, IMO, started going downhill after around 2000, and has only recently started to make some improvement again. True, the yen/dollar exchange rate sometimes forces some cost-cutting on cars meant to be sold in the American market, but, even then, not necessarily to the extent of cost-cutting we've seen on some of the vehicles. In contrast...(and this is literally something that has not happened for decades).... we are seeing a resurgence of American-badged cars from Detroit (and from Italian-owned Chrysler) that are becoming REAL competition to Toyota/Lexus designed vehicles.