Top JDM contributions to US: body kits, aerodynamics – Import Tuner
The global automotive industry, especially the US market, owes the Japanese domestic market, or JDM, a lot of accolades. For one, JDM has played a defining role in shaping the sport compact market across the globe three decades ago.
“From the first aftermarket turbo kit designed for passenger cars to the conception of carbon-fiber hoods on sport compacts, Japanese manufacturers have led the way in pioneering many of the parts we use at the track or showcase at events on our vehicles today,” exclaims industry magazine Import Tuner.
In one of its recent issues, Import Tuner reveals a slew of different factors that made the JDM so influential in the US market. Some of the key factors that came up are, namely: the use of body kits, carbon-fiber hoods, and greater emphasis on aerodynamics. Included are the use coilovers, exhaust systems, and turbo timers; the introduction of drifting and time attack; the popularity of VIP Cars; and the extensive role played by magazines in the auto industry.
Below are the several of the factors cited:
Body Kits
Veilside was one of the first JDM body kits sold in the U.S. to catch the attention of mainland car owners-well before the whole F&F craze took to the big screen. Introduced in the early ’90s, Veilside quickly gained popularity among Supra and RX7 (FD3S) owners as a new radical concept in body design. Veilside and companies like Mugen spawned the dawn of a new era in body kits as U.S. manufacturers took notice and began designing their own kits while others took the simpler path and began gray marketing the more popular JDM body kits to much dismay.
Front End Conversions
Chances are, at one time or another you either owned or knew of someone who upgraded their cars with a set of clear corner lights. As quickly as the clear corner light trend grew in popularity, it slowly became a dying fad. The more serious JDM enthusiasts stepped things up a notch as they enlisted the help of various companies to ship complete front ends from Honda Type R’s or Nissan Silvia’s with the goal of replicating their JDM counterpart and authenticate the genuine look.
Aftermarket Wheels
Today’s aftermarket JDM wheels and their eclectic designs have been a major contributing factor among the growth of the aftermarket import market. Today’s more popular JDM wheels are more subtle in appearance, with less chrome and more focus on performance.
Carbon-Fiber Hoods and Aerodynamics
Carbon fiber spawns the dawn of a new era as fiberglass body panels, hoods, and wings have become second best to this lightweight and durable product. Carbon fiber has been available for over fifty years with its earliest history in the aerospace and military industries. Although FORD designed a carbon-fiber composite prototype vehicle in 1977, it was Japan who implemented CF onto their daily drivers and weekend track cars. JDM manufacturers began using carbon-fiber products to decrease weight while other companies sold the CF concept from an aesthetical approach, offering its unique looks and contemporary styling to sport compact enthusiasts. Carbon-fiber GT wings, diffusers and canards made their way onto the JDM market as all three products brought aerodynamics and functionality to vehicles participating in time attack or drifting competitions.
(Pictures by Import Tuner Magazine)
