Fan Cloth? For Fun Cross? Really? The hell is fan cloth, anyway? The muslin or batskin or whatever they use to make folding fans? Or is it textiles for enthusiasts of things? Fan cloth. Pfft. I can’t stay mad, because Daihatsu’s lineup is just too damn good. I mean, look at some of these cars they sell:
I like everything here! Sure, they’re all tiny Kei class cars, but look at the variety they manage to get in those restrictive size parameters! The rugged Taft, the sporty Copen, the spacious Thor, the retro Cast, the daringly clean Tocot! All unique looks and character, all interesting! Plus, these are not expensive; look at the amazing Canbus, a car named seemingly for a modern car’s internal computer network but looks like the modernized VW Microbus Volkswagen should have been building and selling decades ago:
It’s under $14,000! What else can you find on the market for that cheap with this much character and flexibility? In America right now, I think the cheapest car you can get is a Nissan Versa at $15,730, and it’s as uninspiring and boring as a ham sandwich, except there’s no ham, just a small bit of cardboard with “HAM” scrawled on it in Sharpie. There is a little bit of Miracle Whip on it, though. Except, upon tasting, you realize it’s actually Cool Whip. The old bait-and-whip! Dammit! Anyway, Daihatsu, invite me to one of your car launches, because I’m into this shit. Also I rented one a few months ago and the windshield is like 5′ from the driver’s seat. I’m a lanky dude and I couldn’t even come close to touching it while driving. It feels like you’re driving a cave. Since they’re so cheap and plentiful, lots of people do all kinds of goofy mods to them. I’ve even seen someone make a Group B Peugeot 205 tribute out of one, widebody and roof mounted spoiler included. Can’t really decide between a Boon, Tocot or Canbus. Or maybe a Taft, which I could christen “William Howard.” Somewhat related: working n a new project last week, I noticed that someone here is still daily-ing a first gen Festiva. Rather startled him with an enthusiastic grin & thumbs-up. Gotta admire his dedication.
