In case anyone missed it - the cute little cartoon characters in the billboard at the top of the page are advertising, of all things, the Japanese military.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawaii

Remember the...uh..."Probe" in the 1990s? Yikes!

...there is ALWAYS going to be a substantial element of resistance among the female population to owning that car with the "V" name! Sort of like the Latin Americans who refused to buy the Chevy Nova because the name translated to "not going," to take one of the tamer examples of car names that did not translate well.

As for "cute, feminine" cars...back in the 1950s Ford tried to market a female-friendly car with such amenities as places to put your makeup and umbrella. It didn't sell. Wonder if it would today.

I see the glass as half full. A generation or two ago, cars were not marketed to women, period, because women were not perceived as powerful or autonomous enough to make important purchasing decisions. (Didn't Gloria Steinem have trouble attracting advertisers to Ms. Magazine for this reason?)

Now look! A car designed specifically to appeal to women--and not just the stereotypical "family" women who needs a huge station wagon or the humdrum middle management ladies in their navy blue sedans--but a rather absurd car for young women with purchasing power who also happen to like sparkles.

This is really just a matter of taste, nothing more.

I for one don't see the harm in filling highways with zany little cars with flower decor and flourescent color schemes. Why do cars usually have to look so damn boring? Or be gas guzzlers built like tanks?

"Why would anyone market a car with a model name reminiscent of the Pinto?"

Actually, it seemed more like a wine to me. Pinot Kawaii. Also, it's the name of rabbit pajama wearing android in the anime series Ergo Proxy.

I think it's cute. I'd have to compare it to other cars in terms of gas mileage and stuff, but honestly...what's the problem? All of a sudden I can't be concerned about women's issues anymore because I have sparkly hubcaps? But then I'm one of those hoochie mamas who started puberty at 9 and so what do I know?

Amen, autonoe! The manual transmission Alto has a combined fuel economy of 57.6 mpg. That's better than a Prius! I'd buy one in a heartbeat if they sold them in the U.S.

i like cute girly things. i think the sparkly hubcups sounds awesome. if you don't like the car, don't buy it, but you don't have to be so snarky about it.

would anyone market a car with a model name reminiscent of the Pinto?

If guys can stick spinning rims on their cars at a great price, whats so bad about me buying sparkly ones? I'd rather have a "cute" car than a really ugly H2.

Although many seemed to see it there. Are we just assuming outrage in all Broadsheet items now?

Yes. And the seat is ALWAYS FREAKIN' DOWN.

Come with their own restrooms only chicks can use? sit down to drive AND pee?

Sent this link to my GF. Immediate response: "I want that car! It sounds so adorable!" Smart marketing (i.e. plays to base, crude stereotypes = sells a lot of stuff), if not politically correct.

It probably comes equipped with a tiny camera just below the steering wheel, at the right angle to look up those girls' skirts. The feed is sent to a website somewhere, where Japanese businessmen pay 2,815 yen per month to get a peek.

But I only paid $1500 for it at a police auction, so I suppose that's what I deserve to get.

Notwithstanding I've tried to make it a less grotesque place to spend my morning and evening commute. I've considered painting the dashboard in some garish nail-polish color, getting some seat covers to hide the dingy gray interior, maybe installing something revolutionary like a radio, or even a CD-player. But I may be getting ahead of myself. Perhaps I should first consider getting a new tire for the flat one cracked one I've got on right now.

Look, apart from the foolishness of a car whose hood is hermetically sealed against owner investigation (Because why? It's not a good idea for me to put a quart of oil in every 6 months when I know I've got a minor axl seal leak that isn't worth actually fixing?) "cute" cars are no more ridiculous than any other style applied to a car. The only real difference seems to be that the "mods" for a cute car involve more plush and less plastic.

Still, I thank whatever powers in charge decided the hood-locked car was a bad idea. I don't want to share the road with people who will run a car into the ground, and have their engine blow up on the freeway, with me barrelling down behind them at 75 mph, rather than keep tabs on their freakin' oil themselves to ensure basic safety at the relatively innocuous cost of a $2.50 quart of oil, and a $15 air filter. Or perhaps the makers envisioned fun and hijinks in getting stranded miles from your ever-apprised mechanic and overheated because the owners couldn't pop the hood and pour in some coolant on a long summer road trip.

I think you are misinterpreting this - Japanese culture is obsessed with all things cute. Adults love Hello Kitty and other characters, even mainstream porn is portrayed with cartoon characters. It's just a marketing gimmick just like any other marketing gimmick. Don't overreact.

...as saying i'd buy one. it looks like a tiny version of my scion xB, which is also a car buyers are encouraged to customize. i totally love it.

what's funny about the scion xB is that it has been marketed pretty much exclusively for young urban men, but in the area i live in there are a lot of people – male and female – over the age of 40 (sometimes well above) who have done their homework and bought it just because it's a great car. lots of room, great gas mileage, fantastic pricing... it costs less and gets better gas mileage than a mini-cooper.

and if so many teeny rich women can spend the price of a house on a luxury monster so they "feel safer," i don't see why it's such a big deal to buy a car that is much more affordable but takes up less space and uses less energy. some people just like cute. i wanted to get my scion in lime green, but alas, it was not offered.

BTW, to the earlier commenter: the star upholstery is the "bland" standard tan one, the stars are very small, therefore hard to see in the web image.