Quote Originally Posted by Philip Lee View Post
the market wants fast cars with comfort & safety features. that's why GTR/EVO has gone to auto shift dual clutch manual and 200kg of fat.

FD2R delivers the first bit but not the 2nd bit. wtf still dual airbags? u can get away with that in the 90s but not now unfortunately.

FD2r still works in Japan tho. most owners would rip the bags off for a Nardi/momo in no time. and a recaro comes straight after. so no side bags are better over there.

and i was looking at a Honda mag the other day, Honda sold around 250 FD2R in japan a month. which is like 35% of the total Civic sales over there.
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FN2R being from Europe, most of the standards design and safety are usable as evidence to have the car approved. As long as the FN2R passes in Europe, it'll pass in Australia.

FD2R being from Japan, the standards aren't as stringent or are they as anal as Australian standards means additional cost in either getting it tested or more than likely having to produce parts up to Australian standard (Bullshit I know but apparently Japanese headlights aren't good enough for Australian standards, but good enough for 300km/h runs on the Wangan, just an example but its actually not that far off, have looked into importing stuff myself and the list of shit is amazing)

So it might just been a hell of a lot easier and cheaper to import the FN2R than the FD2R. Its just a PR bullshit that its too hardcore, Pagani Zonda too hardcore but its sold in Australia? And half the other exotics XD Honda Australia just doesn't see it feasible to import the FD2R, but in the end, they're a business so have to survive somehow...