THE copycat car company has finally produced an original masterpiece.
After more than a decade of building Japanese copies of European prestige cars,
like the Benz S Class-(깒긞긏긚)LS limousine and BMW 3-Series-(깒긞긏긚)IS sports sedan,
http://www.carsguide.news.com.au/story/0,20384,4803974-26236,00.html
When Toyota launched its Lexus luxury car brand a decade ago it made no secret that it had Mercedes in it sights.
긣깉^궕 Lexus귩깋깛`깛긐궢궫렄긹깛긟귩덙궖롃궢궫궞궴궼붼뼤궳귖궶궔궯궫.
Ten years later, the Japanese are sending in the clones with increasing frequency.
It"s not just the expensive models which European makers accuse Japan of copying. Consider, for example, the headlights on the latest Toyota Tarago. Now picture those of the Peugeot 206. Look familiar? Looks as if they should share the same part number.
긣깉^ Tarago, 긵긙깈[ 206 궵궎? 럸궲궋귡?
귏귡궳귒궫궋궶 part number귩떎뾎궥귡귝궎궸.
When Audi"s TT coupe and convertible were unveiled, diminutive Japanese maker Daihatsu had a car with an amazing likeness displayed at the very next Tokyo Motor Show called the Kopen. The latest Lexus coupe, due here before the end of the year, looks like a larger interpretation of Audi"s Bauhaus design.
귺긂긢귻궕 TT귩뚺둎궢궫뚣볷{궻뫝댶긪긟궕 뾺봏떶궘귊궖궸궶귡귝궎궸럸궲궋귡 Kopen귩
뱦떈긾[^[긘깈[궳뚺둎궢궫.
Daihatsu has also built a miniature Hummer and, bizzarely, called it the Naked. And in 1999 at the same show, Mitsubishi took the wraps off a car that, if you squinted, you would swear blind was a new Mini.
뫝댶긪긟궼귏궫 Hummer궻~긦`깄귺긾긢깑귩띿궯궲궇귘궢궘귖
Naked궴궋궎뼹멟귩 븊궚궫.
What about the "teardrops" on the headlights on latest batch of Hondas, such as the HR-V, Odyssey and the new Integra? A hint of BMW 3 Series perhaps? The tailights on the HR-V have a remarkable resemblance to the Volvo 850 wagon"s.
From a distance, Toyota"s square-shaped MR2 looks like a Porsche Boxster.
The original Toyota Celica was so inspired by the Ford Mustang of the era that today"s enthusiasts call it the "Mustang Celica".
돀궘궔귞뙥귢궽긣깉^궻 MR-2궼|깑긘긃 Boxter귩 럸궲궋귡.
긜깑깏긇궼 Mustang궳궓뽮궠귪귩롷궚궫.
Now, even after 10 years, Lexus still hasn"t broken its clone-like mould. The latest Lexus LS430 has the sillouette of the superseded Mercedes S Class and a headlight theme borrowed from the new S Class.
10봏궕똮궯궫궕 Lexus궼몜빾귞궦쀕룕궬~귕궶궋.
When the covers came off the fourth generation Lexus at the Detroit Motor Show two years ago, Mercedes-Benz broke its corporate silence over what it called "Japanese copycat cars" but stopped short of calling it plagiarism.
"People explain to us it is really an honour to have someone copy our cars, but I don"t think we see it that way any more," said Harald Leschke, the head of design at Mercedes-Benz. "I think it is quite obvious that they admire the design, then try to do it their way. I"m sure in some industries this sort of thing is not legal.
"What surprises us most is that [Lexus] are prepared to do it, in public, and that customers are prepared to buy their copycat cars."
"릐갲궼럡궫궭궻궫귕귩덙궖롃궥궞궴궼뎗궑뎗궑궢궋럷궬궴뙻궎궕,
럡궼궞귢댥뤵궩궻귝궎궸럙궎궻 궶궋" 긹깛긟궻긢긗귽깛렭뮮.
"귖궯궴떶궘귊궖궶궞궴궼 Lexus궼븉@밒궶 copy궕뾭댰궢궲궋궲
뚗땞궫궭궼궩궻긹긌깛`@깏긿깛긐귩봼궎뾭댰궕궳궖궫궴궋궎궞궴"
"I think it"s fair to say all their cars have been influenced by someone else"s models," he said. "They don"t have a history so they have to copy someone else"s."
" 럡궻뛩궑궸궼 Lexus궼궥귊궲궻롰쀞궻롎궳궓뽮궠귪귩롷궚궫궴뙻궎궻궕궋궋궺. 붯귞궼 쀰럍궕궶궋궔귞뫜릐궻븿귩덙궖롃궥궢궔궶궋"
Industry experts argue that a flagship Lexus made sense when it was considerably cheaper than the German benchmarks. But now that it is priced the same, there"s less incentive to drive an imitation. Nevertheless, Europe"s car maker have now become so concerned about Japan"s sincere forms of flattery that they are wary of showing concept cars of future models.
Porsche, for example, has deliberately not shown "design studies" of its Cayenne off-roader because it fears a Japanese maker will be able to release its interpretation just as Porsche unveils the real thing. |깑긘긃궼긇귽긄깛궻긢긗귽깛긚^긢귻(긚긑긞`)귩뚺둎궢궶궋궞궴궸궢궫. 돺뚉궶귞궽|깑긘긃궻롎뚺둎궴벏렄궸볷{궕 (벏궣귝궎궶귖궻귩)뚺둎궥귡궻궕떚귣궢궋궔귞궬. "With computers and so much new design technology, development times of new models has greatly reduced," says Porsche Cars Australia marketing manager, Michael Bartsch. "If we show a car three years before it is due to come out, someone else can have a copycat car out about the same time. "While it"s very flattering that certain companies see you as a benchmark it is a form of flattery we quite frankly could do without." "긓깛긯깄[^[궸귝궯궲륷궢궋긾긢깑귩긢긗귽깛궥귡렄듩궼뷄륂궸뭒궘궶궯궫."Porsche 긆[긚긣깋깏귺}[긑긡귻깛긐긽긦긙깈, Michael Bartsch궠귪궕뙻궯궫. "귖궢럡궫궭궕렔벍롎럖붛 3봏멟궸긢긗귽깛귩뚺둎궢궫귞묿궔궼 덙궖롃궢궫긢긗귽깛궻렔벍롎귩럡궫궭궻벏궣렄딖궸뚺둎궥귡궞궴궕궳궖귡" So why does Japan do it? According to Drive"s Japanese correspondent, Peter Lyon, an ex-pat Aussie who has lived there for the past 12 years, there are several reasons. At the core of the problem, he says, is Japan"s conservative culture and the fact that Japanese car makers have less history from which to draw inspiration than their European counterparts. 궩귢궶귞궵궎궢궲볷{궼긓긯[귩궥귡궔? 볷{ Drive궬딋뛢롌 Peter Lyon궠귪궼궩귢궸궼궋궘궰궔궻뿚뾕궕궇귡궴먣뼻궥귡. 볷{궻뺎롧밒궶빒돸궴 볷{렔벍롎긽[긇[궻뭒궋쀰럍귩뿚뾕궳렃궯궲궋귡. "The Japanese have a proverb which says, "The nail that sticks out gets banged down"," Lyon says. "With 120 million-plus people crammed into an area roughly the size of NSW, the Japanese maintain the peace by choosing not to rock the boat. 볷{뙼궸 "뷅귂뢯궢궫궘궗궼뱰궫귡"궴뙻궎궻궕궇귡. 1돪2먪뼹궻뎭궑귡릐갲궕 New South Wales뢆귌궵궻묈궖궠궻뭤궳뢟귪궳궋귡. 볷{릐궫궭궼빟돵궶륉뫴귩댸렃궥귡궻귩딂궎. "In high school, they do not have debates and students are not encouraged to ask teachers questions. No-one challenges the political system or sends up the Imperial family. "They do not like to point the finger, nor does their psyche promote constructive criticism. In this environment, world-beating design is all but non-existent." "뛼뱳둾뛝궳붯귞궼뱼_궕궶궘궲둾맯궫궭궼먩맯궸렲뽦귩궢궶궋. 묿귖맠렊밒궶긘긚긡궴볷돞됄뫎궸뮛먰귩궢궶궋" For example in Europe, Lyon says, designers style dresses to highlight a woman"s curves; in Japan, the kimono suppresses curves and creates a single, monotone shape. Therefore European car stylists draw inspiration from art, philosophy, sculpture, architecture and the human form; Japanese designers package their cars in shapes that appeal to the lowest common denominator. 쀡궑궽깉[깓긞긬궳댼몧궼룛릐궻뫬궰궖귩뮊궢궘궥귡궕, 볷{긌긾긩|궼뫬궰궖귩덨궢궲 뭁룂궳덇궰`뫴궻귒귩렃궰.궬궔귞깉[깓긞긬렔벍롎 긚^귽깑궼붯귞궻|뢱,밡둾,먛귢,뙕뭱븿궴릐듩궳딳덓궥귡궕볷{궻긢긗귽긥[궼묈뫝릶릐궸귺긞긯[깑궥귡긢긗귽깛귩궥귡. "Japanese women still are taught that a man"s appearance is not as critical as his performance at work, as a kind of corporate warrior," says Lyon. "The stylists who pen today"s cars are typical salarymen - monotone men with black hair, dark blue suits and white shirts." "볷{궻긢|긗귽깛긩긤깑궼밫^밒궶긖깋깏[}깛궳뜒궋뵱궸봝궋먃륡뾪븵궴뵏궋긘긿긟궻뭁뮧궶 뭞궫궭궬" The lack of history is also an Achilles heel. "Japan had no horse-and-carriage era. True, the nobility were transported in carriages for a time, but these were import!!ed or the designs were copied. 쀰럍궻븉뫉귖귺긌깒긚F궬. "볷{궼 봭궴봭롎궻렄묆궕궶궔궯궫. 볷{딲뫎궫궭궕봭롎귩뿕뾭궢궫 렄딖궕궇궯궫궕둊뾃볺궠귢궲긓긯[궶궯궫궞궴궬궚궬궯궫." "So the country skipped a critical phase in its maturation process as a car stylist. Too often, designers took the easy option and borrowed looks from around the world." "궩귢궳볷{궼렔벍롎긚^귽깏긚긣궻맟뢮딖귩궩궻귏귏믅귟됡궗궲{깏깛긕긞궬. 궩귢궳궇귏귟귝궘긢긗귽긥[궫궭궼맊둉궳긢긗귽깛귩롔귟궲뿀귡귝궎궸궶궯궫."
