Lets play whats wrong with the car pictured !

[MsDano85gt]

I can only hint to you that to this very day we have the exact same thing going on......

just think the the last time you saw a "toyota" matrix save that thought and then put the image of a "pontiac" vibe into your mind.... Do we see whats going on here??

[Harry P.]

Toyota Cavalier?

[martinfan5]

Yes, that is Toyota Cavalier, I dont really feel like typing so, I am going to copy and paste.

As part of a wider effort to avoid additional restrictions on exports to the US, the third generation model was briefly sold in Japan by Toyota under an agreement with GM, badged as the Toyota Cavalier as in return for the Geo/Chevrolet Prizm. Aside from the fact that it was right hand drive, the Toyota Cavalier also featured a leather-wrapped shift knob, steering wheel and park brake lever, wider front fenders, amber turn signals for Japanese regulations, power folding side mirrors, side turn signal repeater lights on the front fenders, and carpeting on the inside of the trunk lid. Interior seats were often flecked with color, and the rear seat had a fold-down armrest. Vehicles produced between February through December 1998 were available with a leather interior equipped with an automatic transmission only. All models featured wheels borrowed from the Pontiac Sunfire. The Toyota Cavalier was available in 2.4G and 2.4Z trim levels. While all Chevrolet-badged Cavaliers received a facelift for 2000, the Toyota did as well with the updated center console, head-lights/hood/front bumper, tail-lights, and colors available. TRD made a body kit and rear wing for the Cavalier, available exclusively in Japan. The car was sold only at Toyota Shop Japanese dealerships.

The Cavalier wasn't the only GM product sold in Japan; the Saturn S-series was sold in right hand drive conversions at Saturn dealerships (some former Isuzu dealerships) from 1996 until 2003, and some Toyota Vista Shops also retailed Saturns.

The Toyota Cavalier was entirely produced by GM in the USA and sold from 1995–2000. 1996-2000 Toyota Cavaliers came equipped with the 2.4 L LD9 engine, while the 1995 used the 2.3 L Quad 4. Due to the engine displacement and width dimensions (1,740 mm (69 in) for the coupe, 1,735 mm (68 in) for the sedan ) exceeding Japanese government regulations concerning exterior dimensions and maximum engine displacement, it was not considered a "compact" and incurred an additional annual tax, which had an effect on sales. Prices for the coupe started at ¥ 2 million yen for the coupe, and ¥ 1,81 million yen for the sedan.

The introduction of the Toyota Cavalier was not the first time the Cavalier was sold in Japan. Yanase Co., Ltd., a Japanese retail dealership that imports European and North American vehicles soon after the end of World War II, sold various GM products including the Cavalier. When the decision was made to sell the Cavalier as a Toyota, this disrupted operations at Yanase. When the Toyota Cavalier was cancelled, Yanase continued to sell Chevrolet and other GM products. Yanase also provides complete maintenance services for all vehicles sold.

Due to higher than typically average Motor-vehicle inspection (Japan) costs, a fair number of these vehicles are re-exported as Japanese used cars, most notably to Australia and New Zealand. Production of the Toyota Cavalier ceased in June 2000. Despite the fact that Toyota made great attempts to market the Cavalier to Japanese buyers, the Japanese public was not impressed with the quality of workmanship, typically expected of cars sold in Japan.^[8] The car was also introduced while economic conditions in Japan were beginning to decline as a result of the collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble or "bubble economy" that ended in the early 1990s.

Edited February 28, 2014 by martinfan5

[MsDano85gt]

Ironically I just put a windsheild in one of these cars today! made me think of these pictures..... I personally took whilst overseas

[Lownslow]

Toyota got the worst end of the deal when it came to the Nummi project.

[pack rat]

For those into obscure model kits, one of the Japanese companies issued a 1/32 scale kit of the Toyota Cavalier.

[charlie8575]

For those into obscure model kits, one of the Japanese companies issued a 1/32 scale kit of the Toyota Cavalier.

Really? I'll keep an eye open for that one, simply for something a little different.

Charlie Larkin

[MsDano85gt]

thats cool a toyota / chevy cavalier kit, i'm not much of a 1/32 scale fan

[MsDano85gt]

Toyota Cavalier?

yep Harry No Tricks a right hand drive "Toyota" cavalier

[Fabrux]

When I was attending university, the local Chevrolet and Toyota dealerships were owned by the same family. One of the younger members had a Cavalier of this vintage and used the family connections to order all the Toyota-specific components for the Cavalier and built a LHD version. The upholstery on the seats is apparently different as well.

On the subject of the Matrix/Vibe: what I always found amusing is that the Japan market version of the Matrix is actually a Vibe.

[tbill]

nothing new really, remember the Toyota nova? Isuzu impulse/geo storm, Toyota/prism, Isuzu troopers could be had with GM 2.8 v-6's back in the day. there has been a lot of 'label' sharing over the years.

[mnwildpunk]

Chevy luv chevy sprint. Mercury shared a car with mazda can't remember the name

[Craig Irwin]

Morris Mini-Minor Austin Se7en, been going on forever.

[Roadkill2525]

Dave, the Chevrolet LUV was a Isuzu Faster. As for Mercury theey shared the Villager with Nissan for the Quest, Ford used the Mazda B-series for the Courier and Ranger making Ford the only US manufacture to not have their own light pickup.

[lordairgtar]

...and the Isuzu Faster was sold here but labeled the Isuzu P'up, short for Pick Up. LUV on the Chevy stood for Light Utility Vehicle.

[MsDano85gt]

there are many more vehicles like this....... mitsubishi has been sharing cominalities might even be in cahoots with chrysler

back in the 80's- 90's you had eagle/ talon / plymouth "laser" / mitsubishi eclipse..... more modern you have dodge dakota p/u and mitsubishi raider p/up's same thing

mitsubishi 3000 gt = dodge stealth aka poor mans viper lol

there was an awsome dodge that was related to the mistsubishi starion ( the jacki chan vehicle in cannonball run II) they make a model kit of the starion, not the dodge version tho not that i know of one cool car!

pontiac G5 = Chevrolet Cobalt

pontiac sunbird = chevy cavalier

pontiac firebird = chevy camaro (1960's) same body panels different front and rear valences

at one point the mazda b series and the ford ranger shared the same look/ parts

chevy/ gmc avalance trucks = izuzu pickups ( gm got the inline 5 cylander motor from izuzu??)

i'm sure the list goes on and on

this is pretty fun recollection all the (same) vehicles different manufacturers