What I'd like to know is why are the Japanese so much more capable of shooting for trends and Americans so sluggish. Say what you want to about the Prius but it's successful and only the Japanese seem to be capable of going after trends. American companies seem to think if they make it we'll buy it.
"What I'd like to know is why are the Japanese so much more capable of shooting for trends and Americans so sluggish."
I think, historically, this has bitten the big three a few times. Detroit is generally not one to go in for trends and fads while the Japanese create trends and fads. Drifting, tuner cars, etc.
The trends that Americans create (hotrodding, big muscle, etc.) were squashed by the government.
Also Toyota had the funds for the kind of tooling it takes to crank out a completely new car like the Prius. Retooling production costs out the wazoo for Detroit. I read somewhere the R&D and tooling costs for Fords 4.6L cost near a billion dollars.