Have you noticed when Eauropean or American manufactuers launch a new model which proves popular ?

Question

the Japanese produce one almost identical but with just enough difference to avoid being sued. They seem to copy the large German models with their Lexus and the French smaller family cars being cloned by Toyota and others.?

Answer 1

And they do a pretty good job.

There's nothing wrong with that.  They're just competing in the marketplace.

Carmakers have found out that people won't buy cars that don't follow the current trends in styling.  Perhaps it escaped your notice that Porsche entered the SUV market when consumers were buying that genre of car.  

Besides, when Japanese automakers do offer a car with original styling, it never looks very appealing.  The best looking cars are designed by people with passion.  The corporate structure extant in Japan crushes passion in the cradle.  

Ironically, I think Japanese cars are pretty darn good, but I don't own one.  I wouldn't own a modern German car either.  It's not that they're not good, it's just they're not a very good value.  I own two Volkswagens, but they're both over 50 years old and neither run.  Perhaps one day I'll resurrect them, but for now they just provide shade for snails and black widows.

Answer 2

They may have copied the style of the cars, but when japanese cars were first available in the USA and europe they were years ahead in terms of build quality and reliability.

By the way what do you mean non patriotic?

How is it less patriotic to buy a Nissan built in the UK by a Japanese company than to buy a Vauxhall built in spain by a USA company (GM), or a Ford built in Germany by another USA company?

Answer 3

What rubbish. Honda built the accord and were blatently ripped off by Rover. Unfortunately the Rover simply disintegrated whereas the Honda didn't.

Then Rover went bust because it was c**p.

Answer 4

Don't trust them, they're a cruel, merciless people bent on industrial domination!