It's just more space for a FMIC Actually, I thought the nose looked very short from my first look at the NA model. That jap/eurospec nose is very darn short!!! I think they're both a little extreme.

 

LOL it's not like your gonna put a v6 in it or nothing... he he

 

Oh I'm so doing the JDM conversion now.... Gross!!!

 

I say: the shorter the overhang, the better! Not only does it weigh less, it gives the vehicle a more balanced - wheels at four corners - look.

As for the additional crash protection, anything higher than 15-20 mph can result in potential fatalities if the driver/passengers are not belted up, and the vehicle's structural integrity is poor. Since we all know that the Jazz/Fit has excellent structural integrity, the extra 2" wouldn't matter in that type of crash.

The NA regulations that have led to these unsightly frontal and rear protrusions are only there in order to protect your vehicle from (quite expensive) damage resulting from being bumped at between 0 and 5mph. Those 5mph bumper tests conducted by Consumer Reports confirm that damage can easily reach into the 1K to $2K mark for poorly designed vehicles. A 5mph impact would damage your 2.5mph-bumper equipped vehicle, but it would not necessarily result in a higher probability for potential occupant injury.

 

Your pretty much right. Canada compared to the U.S. has a bigger demand for smaller cars because we have less disposable income, so value is of a higher concern. That's why the smaller B segment car market is so goddamn huge over here and we will always be the market to get the supply concentrated here.

As for bad driving habits; let's just say that it's a N.A. cultural trend. We have the cell phone bandits, breastfeed while driving, curling iron bitches, shaving while commuting while sipping our Tim Horton's coffee on route to work.

But it is looked down upon and our law enforcements are clamping down with more dangerous driving and careless driving charges. All over N.A. the push for cell phone usage while driving is gonna be mandated.

 

How come I like the USDM one better?

 

"How come I like the USDM one better?"

Aren't looks subjective?

Besides, overhangs belong on boats 'n houses

 

Green Lighning; I take it by your comments you won't be buying one of these "Long Noses"?

 

«Green Lighning; I take it by your comments you won't be buying one of these "Long Noses"?»

For the sake of practicality (and isn't the Fit all about this?) I'll have to learn to deal with it.....as I have for my own proboscis.

 

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence...

 

The rest of the world is probably lining up to get the American nose.

 

you want what you can't get.

jdm is not better then usdm. get what you can and be happy with it.

 

aside from the cosmetics, if one does the jdm conversion and subsequently gets into an accident, do you think that it can cause problems with insurance/damage claims?

 

Just talking out of my bunghole, because I have no facts, but I would imagine unless you have insured your modifications (which I am not sure is possible, but if so would be at a substantial additional cost), the insurer would only pay to return your car to its original manufacturer's specs/design. They would also probably find a way to say additional damage was caused, because your modifications reduced the crashworthiness of your car. For example, maybe some crumple zones crumpled that wouldn't have were the original bumpers not removed. They definitely wouldn't want to pay for that. Remember, insurance companies have teams of lawyers on their payroll who have a vested interest in that company's bottom line.

 

You got that right! IMO, JDM conversions in NA should only be considered for showcars and for those willing to pay out-of-pocket for any cosmetic damage.

 

do you have a comparison pictures of the front and back view.

 

What is it with Tim Horton's coffee? I have serveral friends in Ontario I game with. We'll be in the middle of a game at 2 A.M., and one of them will say ""gotta go to Tm Horton's for some coffee", and just walk away from his computer. One of the other guys will say "get me some too, and leave it on my porch".

Do they put heroine or cocaine in it or some other drug more addictive than caffeine?

 

The mini was designed from the ground up to meet world and especially US requirements. And it took aver 5yrs. The old Mini was locked out of the US market decades ago by the bumper requirements and couldn't be redesigned to work.

If the bumper is the cost of getting a Fit, so be it.

 

looks fine to me. at least in person. the picture makes it look kind of funny but i thought that the dimensions were pretty much in sync with each other.

 

I like the NA Version better. If it looks better, gets a little more protection, & doesn't suffer any mileage.... all I would ask for is a little more ground clearance. So I could use it in the middle of the night headed for work 22 miles away through a blizzard. For now though I'll have to use my 15 mpg MPV.