you lucky little
No snow yet in Connecticut this year. One storm last year.
The Fiasco’s name may well have been quite ironic if it had sold and performed well enough… But it’s still one of the better looking 90s SUVs I’ve seen on the forums.
1 Like
It did sell and perform well (it’s an adorable thing and bounds across hills like no other), but you’ll soon learn why I liked the Fiasco name so much hehe
ain’t no valley low enough
Hokuto Fiasco
The Hokuto Fiasco was a midsize sport utility vehicle (SUV) manufactured by Hokuto from 1992 until 2001. The SUV lasted for a total of two generations, and was one of the first of the trend of SUVs.
Primarily aimed at the North American market, the Fiasco was the first SUV from Hokuto and featured an on-demand AWD system. Fiascos were manufactured in the Koriyama, Japan factory. The first generation was released in April 1992 as a 1993 model.
First generation (1993-1997)
The first generation Fiasco made its debut in 1992 at the North American International Auto Show. It was a midsize 5-passenger SUV meant to compete with the likes of the Ford Explorer, Honda Passport and Chevy S-10 Blazer.
Powertrain
Under the hood of every Fiasco sat a CR32E, a 3.2L SOHC V6 that developed 200 horsepower and 199 lb-ft of torque. The CR engine is made entirely of aluminium alloy and utilized cast internals. Pistons were made from low friction cast to aid fuel economy, but despite their attempts, the Fiasco could only score a maximum of 16.5 MPG (US). Considering the time period, large tires, short gearing and the competition, this figure was enough to coax many people into buying a Fiasco instead of something else.
The 425LE 4-speed automatic was used, but if you opted, a 5-speed manual was also available. The 425LE was later known for poor reliability, and 5-speed models as a result command a higher price on the used market. There were no major issues with the engine.
Trim levels
The Fiasco represented a large step for Hokuto’s trim level naming strategy. In an effort to simplify the names and make shopping easier, it was divided into two different levels: CL and CX. Whether you opted for RWD or AWD added either a 2 or a 4 respectively.
CL2 and CL4 models came with standard interior equipment and offered an FM/AM radio as standard. A cassette player was optional. Braking was done through 2-piston solid discs, which could be upgraded to ventilated discs as a dealer installed option. CL models can be told apart by their plastic bumper cladding and the wheel options available.
Above: a white 1993 Fiasco CL2
CX2 and CX4 models upgraded to standard leather interior and an FM/AM Infiniti stereo with cassette player. The vented disc brakes came standard. Aesthetically, the CX models offered chrome bumper trim and alloy wheels.
Above: bROWN 1995 Fiasco CX4
Reliability concerns, rust and lawsuits
Subframe rust problems
During the middle of 2004, Hokuto issued a recall on 1993-1997 model year Fiascos regarding rust problems of the front subframe. This recall involved over 500,000 Fiascos worldwide. In some cases, vehicles were inspected by dealers and found to be unsafe to drive. The dealers refused to let the owners take their vehicles without signing an affidavit that they had been informed that Hokuto had declared their vehicles unsafe to drive.
Front subframes were found to have not been galvanized properly during manufacture, leading to excess rust on this part. The engine mounts attached, in consequence, would sometimes fall out. This led to the near-death of 4 people in Ohio, who later filed a lawsuit against Hokuto Heavy Industries US and began the investigation into rusting subframes.
Transmission problems
Transmission reliability has also become a concern with the early Fiascos. The 425LE automatic transmission in all model years had serious problems with transmission durability. Hokuto spokesman Adam Koga stated that four-speed models were afflicted with a bad bearing that could break apart, scattering fragments of metal that clogged fluid passageways in the transmission, causing it to shift erratically and ultimately grenade itself.
The reasoning behind these issues were relatively simple. The design was made in-house by Hokuto, like most of their transmissions, but the 425LE used in the Fiasco had its roots in the early 70s with the 3-speed auto used in various RWD sedans. In 1988, they added an overdrive to accommodate modern markets and various models. This design turned out to have gone wrong, as stated above with the bearings that could break apart and destroy the inner workings of the transmission bellhousing.
Now despite the whole rust fiasco (haha joke!) I really do love the way this thing turned out… it looks so happy! And it really is competitive within the segment, this thing scores 120+ in family and sport utility segments. It’s also reasonably quick in BeamNG and it’s really fun to tackle dirt in. Nearly 13 inches of ground clearance help with that.
15 Likes
Now everyone can have a Fiasco in their lives 
3 Likes
Some very important research is being conducted. Proven to make cars look 101% better than the competition with one simple design cue.
10 Likes
38 different car company CEOs want to know your location
8 Likes
Do the a e r o d y n a m i c s make it 101% faster too?
Indeed it does. With Kaede’s hair fangs and impossibly good aero tech, it is the best car on the market.
The beginning of a great friendship.
The Toréer-Hokuto Partnership.
In 1990, Hokuto released the all new Levara. It was larger and more powerful, and featured a new variant - the HR-4. The HR-4 was all wheel drive, fast, and clean.
However, a small tuning company at the time saw potential in it to be something even better.
17 Likes
Insert Oldsmobile Reference
1 Like
Hokuto Hatchback Heaven – the 1992-1998 Hokuto Aria
Introduced in 1991 for the 1992 model year, the Hokuto Aria was the first generation of the Aria after a 3 year hiatus.
The Aria replaced the Levara as Hokuto's compact sedan in the US market, as the Levara name was moved upmarket for 1989.
The small Hokuto was launched alongside the Fiasco with a new trim-level naming scheme developed to simplify choices for the customer.
The fuel economy oriented CX was the basic model, offering a 1.6L CT16E engine with 90 horsepower, scoring a competitive 38 miles per gallon combined, using a slick Hokuto 5-speed manual transmission.
Next, you could get the CS, a sport oriented model. The CS had the same 5-speed on offer, but with a trick differential and a larger 2.0L CT20E engine making 130 horsepower. It also had a more stylish and sportier front end treatment, bigger wheels and stiffer suspension tuning.
A more style-friendly and comfort oriented CXE was on offer as well, which got you much nicer interior materials and more safety equpiment. Powering this model was a 1.8L CT18E, and a 4-speed
slushboxautomatic transmission.
The Aria became popular in tuner culture, as the CT-series engine is known well for its forged internals and Japanese solidity. Turbocharge the world. Lots of spoilers and body kits are on offer at your local O’Reilly autoparts store.
It’s also fairly well known to the Aria community that the 2.0L turbocharger from the Levara can be stuck into the engine bay, and some go as far as swapping the Toreer engine. Nothing quite like 270 horsepower without modifying the suspension!
I’d like to apologize for the lack of Hokuto content. I know it’s not much, but I put a solid amount of effort into these. I’d like to start posting more Hokuto, but with 3 brands and another on the way, autoshows, various challenges, and most importantly schoolwork, I don’t do much Hokuto anymore. Fear not however, it will live on for sure! I have tons of plans for HHI and cool stuff for KaMoCo as well, so stay tuned! (haha tuned, like the Aria above)
12 Likes
For those who favored the brute force of a turbo over the precision of normal aspiration, the Hokuto Aria would have been a good choice for entry-level events in either of the first two Gran Turismo games - it would have been a great competitor to the Tanaka Aventis and other small hatchbacks of the era!
I really like the overall design, I also love the name lol
Anyways, keep up the good work!
Hokuto Ayuma (2nd generation)
Rest in peace, my prettiest CSR entry yet
The second generation North American market Ayuma was first introduced as a 1998 model mainly for North America between 1997 and 2004 — and exported to Japan as the M7 between 1999 and 2004.
Features and Equipment
By its second generation, the Ayuma was considerably larger than its predecessor and more simple to better compete with American market vans at the time, with simpler front strut suspension in place of upper and lower control arm front suspension of the 1993-1997 model, and an optional 210 hp (157 kW) V6 engine, along with the original 5-cylinder model.
There were only three trims available to help keep speccing and buying a car more simple – CL, CLE, and CXE. The Ayuma offered two sliding doors as standard equipment, whereas some minivans of the time only offered one, a second door being optional. It also offered for those doors to be power operated, if you paid extra on CLE or CXE trims.
The van continued to receive upgrades, such as offering both VHS and DVD-based entertainment systems. Navigation was teased with a conceptual refresh in 2003, however that never came to be, and the third generation was released in 2005.
Engines
The Ayuma carries on with the same two engines offered in the first generation, however a 3.0L V6 was added as an option. The VE30E was one of the first VE-Series engines, introduced brand new in 1998, featuring 24-valves with some overhead cams. A first-in-class 5-speed automatic paired each engine to the front wheels, and came with varying final drive ratios depending on each engine.
| Engine | Power | Torque | Fuel Economy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.3L "GL23E" Inline-5 | 141 hp at 6200 rpm | 148 lb·ft (201 nm) at 4000 rpm | 24/30 MPG (US) |
| 2.7L "GL27E" Inline-5 | 162 hp at 6200 rpm | 171 lb·ft (237 nm) at 4000 rpm | 22/28 MPG (US) |
| 3.0L "VE30E" V6 | 197 hp at 5900 rpm | 201 lb⋅ft (272 nm) at 4100 rpm | 19/26 MPG(US) |
10 Likes
What a shame this couldn’t enter the CSR since you’ve really nailed down the design with this body, the blacked out d-pillar looks really distinctive! But hey, there’s always next time
1 Like
When drunk that car can fit over 50 of your friends and family members; nice design nonetheless!