American drivers and enthusiasts have been dreaming of over-nighting parts from Japan even before the rebuild of O’Conner’s Supra. JDM parts (and cars) are like forbidden fruit to drivers in the U.S., and as surprising as it may be, some drivers in Japan have their own infatuation with anything from the American market, which has been lovingly dubbed the USDM.
We’ve written about this strange automotive and cultural exchange before, but love for the USDM doesn’t apply only to lowriders. It’s as far-reaching as the off road scene, as these Subaru Impreza and XV Crosstrek drivers prove:
The Subarus gathered there are showing off their appreciation for their American counterparts with some bits and trim, even if the lighting still conforms to Japanese standards and regulations. I’m unsure wether the Colorado plate on that lifted Impreza is as compliant, however.
When I asked the owner of the Impreza, Twitter user marcos_27643, what makes the USDM appealing, he replied, “Subaru is a Japanese manufacturer, but it is attractive that US Subaru is a car with different specifications from Japan. For example lights, meters, optional parts, colors, etc. This difference makes [customizing] fun.” I agreed.
It’s just fascinating to see what drivers around the world are doing with their cars, and to see how folks find creative ways to customize and add a little personality to their rides. The love for foreign markets runs deep on both sides of the Pacific. Type in “JDM” into an American eBay search, and follow up with a “USDM” query into Yahoo! Auctions Japan to see what I mean.
Indeed, the grass is always greener on the other side.
And there’s another trend on display here that both thrills and confuses me: bumper deletes. Well, calling these mods a bumper delete is somewhat of a misnomer. These drivers haven’t deleted their bumpers so much as upgraded them.
The thing is, car design for the last couple of decades has been very dependent on bumpers for a car’s overall appearance, so when I see a machine that has replaced its factory bumper for a tubular one, it looks a little strange.
At a glance, the Crosstrek front ends seem almost incomplete, but the more I look at them and assimilate the skid plates and tubes, the more I can appreciate these. Just check out the height difference between the rocker panel and the front end on the Crosstreks. The approach angle is much better than that of the stock bumpers and I am here for those skinny, wrap-around bars. Especially when they contrast with those chunky sidewalls and rally-style wheels.
Also, let’s not overlook the first-generation Nissan Pathfinder joining these Subarus, with its glorious two-door chassis. That SUV was known as the Terrano in Japan, and in keeping with the USDM theme, the throwback graphics on the SUV read “Pathfinder.” These off-roaders sure do commit.
