4AGZE AE92's, AW11's & AE101's. Did Canada get any of them? Why didn't the USA?

[toyloco]

I was wondering why the USA never got a Supercharged AE92 or AE101? We got the Supercharged MR2's. Did Canada get the Supercharged MR2, AE92 or AE101? I suspect it had something to do with emissions?? It really would be a different story if we would have. They could have competed with the Talon/Eclipes or the Mazda MX6 Turbo cars....??

Thanks

[toyotaspeed90]

only the supercharged aw11 made it to north america..... neither the US or canada got a supercharged corolla (either generation).

the 4agze in the mr2's (stock trim) have less power than the later japanese cars. The only difference between the US and Canada versions (supercharged mr2) is that Canada got the option for an LSD (very rare, though) and the US didn't.

[micro214_kp61]

Originally Posted by toyotaspeed90

The only difference between the US and Canada versions (supercharged mr2) is that Canada got the option for an LSD (very rare, though) and the US didn't.

that's so weird.. on the AE86 the LSD equipped cars only came out in the US never in Canada.

[REN69]

It would have been nice if North America got the GZE powered AE92s, too bad Japan thinks the north american market is too "tight assed" for performance oriented vehicles.

[freakinbox]

when they didn't allow the skyline I guess they were like meh they won't want an SC corolla

[toyotaspeed90]

ok.... the skyline and the sc corolla have nothing to do with one another

look through japanese cars more carefully compared to what they have there and what we have here.... there is a HUGE selection of 70's, 80's, 90's, and current day cars over there that have never seen US soil......

the skyline didn't even start off as an all out performance vehicle anyways..... (don't get me wrong, the old ones are cool....)

http://gate54.info/skyline.htm

[freakinbox]

the reason alot of the older ones never made it here was because of the lack of market for the smaller cars, People back then considered them death traps. I think it was subaru that was brought over many years ago and the car was literally a death trap not helping people's views of the japanese cars.

The skyline wasn't brought over after that because the US said no, at least thats what I've heard. Came up on the 10 greatest sports car thing on I think discovery channel

as for saying they have nothing to do with one another, 170 hp in a 2300 lbs car...

[drift_ae86_91]

its because of emissions and gas prices were already getting ready to sky rocket (16 years later, we have $1.20 /L and $4/Gallon in the states)

and something to do with safety (crash test) too i bet

[toyotaspeed90]

^^^ those are the reasons

also... toyota probably figured the following in the 80's, 90's:

In the US they had:
Economical Tercel (all)
Sporty "Tercel" (the Paseo)
Economical corolla (coupe, sedan, hatchback, wagon)
Sporty corolla (hatch, coupe, fastback)
Economical celica (ST)
Sporty celica (GT, GT-S)
Rally celica (all-trac)
Economical MR2 (n/a)
Sports MR2 (s/c, turbo)
Sporty Supra (7mge)
Sports Supra (7mgte)

...... now follow what happened with trends in the US with the SUV's and why so many REAL sports cars markets were dropping.... by the end of the 1990's toyota had already gotten rid of the supra, the alltrac, sporty corolla's, the paseo.... etc..

why make sure that yet another type of "sports" car, a 4agze corolla, which would pull away from their already flooded market for sporty/sports cars (ie, take sales away from upper end celica's, supra's, mr2's, etc....) which would have such a small market as it already was.....

[TheOtherCarolla]

[REN69]

These are my favorite years, besides the R32 and R33.

[freakinbox]

you say oh it wasn't a sports car back then but I think the GTR badge says otherwise, does that mean they are also awd?

[toyloco]

I think they would have not taken away so much from the Celica or MR2 or any of the other Sports car Toyota offered as much as it would have taken sales away from the other automakers. Because Chrysler was offering Turbo 4cyl cars in the Early 90's, There was the Ford Probe with a Turbo and then Pontiac had some 4cyl Turbo Cars as well. I think they just missed the Boat is all and should have at least Tried for a Few Years??

In South America They sold them. I remember seeing them there. They have many cars there as well that I have never seen here. I even saw an Early EVO once that was cruising around. Tons of Toyota's and Nissans. I like that the Hilux is still sold there. The First time I saw that they were selling 4dr Japanese Trucks in the USA I Thought to myself... It was about time!!!.. They had been down where I lived forever...lol..

Anyway, I still think it would have been an good sales move to offer the SC AE92 In the USA. I am sure it was not for a good reason though... though I can't think of one...

[AVANT]

I think Toyota USA/Canada messed up a lot with their sports car line up in the 90s, and other japanese companies followed them thinking they know what they are doing. I think 4AGZE corollas would have done well here. Budget sports cars have always had a market here, but toyota messed it all up in the 90s. People in North America crave power, so putting out the paseo was not going to go far from the get go. The AE92 GTS was still considered underpowered with an advertised 110hp - 130hp in comparison to it's competition. In the celica and MR2s, they stopped shipping the 3SGE in favor of a bigger torquier motor which they thought would attract attention, but the cars became much more dull to drive as they weren't the rev happy engines that made them fun. The celicas and MR2s were also very pricey. The supra cost more than vettes and came with less motor (3.0 vs 5.7).
--------------------------
Look at Fox body mustangs at the time, their price and power attracted lots of buyers even with it's outdated design and engine.

Then look a little later at the 2000 Civic SI and all the buzz about it.

Look now at the STi and EVOs.

So the market for budget sports cars have always been there, many manufacturers just didn't push the right products to grab it.

[iya_ke35]

Good thing I was brought up in Manila where all those cars you're missing is there w/o emmisions and engine limits.. the next best thing to do is to souped up an existing engine and have a "mickey mouse" smog test on it for it to pass DMV hehehe just a thought...