Does the import industry finally have a much-needed lifeline? I think so. It's safe to say that the rapid growth spurt our industry enjoyed for over a decade finally leveled off somewhat a couple of years ago and it has been in serious need of an adrenaline jab since. We saw some spark when various manufacturers finally released rear-drive and four-wheel-drive platforms with huge tuning potential, but although the U.S market changed in a big way when front-drive Hondas were no longer the only option, the truth is it wasn't quite enough. Did the cost that comes with that much performance put them out of reach? Quite possibly.
But looking down the road, the used market can often be an enthusiast's best friend and hopefully we'll reap more rewards later. The various installments of "The Fast and The Furious" movies created a little excitement and with it some much-needed mainstream acknowledgement, but the hype came in brief spurts and never boosted the scene with the new infusion of enthusiasts I had hoped for. Drifting has eventually caught on in a big way here in the states and has certainly stolen some of the limelight from drag racing. For a long, long time drag racing was the mainstream source of motorsports within the industry and at least the mass of sideways action has provided us with another tuning direction and arena. Unfortunately, Time Attack here in the states, for whatever reason, seems to still be sitting on the edge only thinking about whether to get in. Hopefully, something will come along soon and give it a right push. But is there something else, something new that's about to take us around the corner? If there is, it has been dubbed in some places as the "B-segment." Small, low-priced, gas-efficient and generally stylized vehicles aimed, for the most part, at entry-level motorists. Unlike many other countries, such small platforms have never been in the same high demand on the gigantic American highways. That is, until now. Scion's introduction of both the xB and xA has proved extremely successful and many, if not all, other manufacturers are in tow with their own micro-compacts. Honda recently unveiled the U.S version of its Fit, Toyota the Yaris, Nissan has a couple of up-coming releases and the list goes on and on.
The thing is, a large number of these entry-level motorists are more like entry-level enthusiasts. Take the Scions for example: Neither one is bulging at the seams with performance yet because these targeted buyers are often young, stylish and about creating a difference, Scion enthusiasts have practically invaded us. Honda's Fit has only been on dealership showroom floors for a few months and engineers and mechanics behind the doors of various tuning shop's R&D departments are drooling over the possibilities. Of course, the Fit has long been an aftermarket-inspired platform in Japan and there is even a full-blown race series specifically for Honda Fits. Hell, even a supercharged, fully modified U.S built Toyota Yaris photoshoot landed on my desk several days ago.
So, these micro-compacts certainly aren't going to blow the doors of performance wide open, but they do present something possibly bigger than anything else we've seen for some time. They bring with them a new type of enthusiast and a whole new type of customization; which could mean new platforms, new people and new parts. Hopefully, an entirely new extension of our scene. Jason Mulroney