Weird doesn't begin to describe today's Nice Price or No Dice Toyota Will Vi, but "Neo Retro" is a fitting place to start. Let's see if this JDM boutique brand car has what it takes to command its Canadian asking price.
Yesterday, we looked at a 1984 Maserati Biturbo, a car which, as its name implies, is powered by a twin-turbo engine. The Maserati was, in fact, the first production engine offered in supplemental-snail fashion. That wasn't the model's only pin-drop in the history books, either. Due
to quality and reliability issues, it also had the unique ignominy of being anointed one of the world's worst cars by more than just one adjudicator. Our car was said by its seller, actually, to be issue-free and an "excellent 10-footer" when it comes to looks. Given the Maser's $7,500 asking price, most of you wanted to stay even farther away than that. Ultimately, that price resulted in an overwhelming 75% No Dice loss.
Read more: These Are The Dumbest Car Crashes You've Ever Seen
Oh Canada
Canada, specifically Vancouver, British Columbia, has always had a strong relationship with its over-the-horizon neighbor, Japan. "Raincouver," as it's known to the ultra-lucrative umbrella trade, has, since 1965, been sister city to Yokohama. It's a fitting pairing as both cities are major trading ports for their respective countries, and the skyline of each is nestled under the backdrop of a majestic mountainscape.
This camaraderie has also resulted in a slew of JDM cars and trucks showing up in Canada's western province after their service in the home market has been completed. These are mostly the tiny Kei cars, forbidden fruit for most of the rest of the world, and hence the ultimate curiosity. Those cars are more fitting for a third-grader's charm bracelet than the highways and byways of North America, but they are not the only cars to make the long sea journey from Japan to their new home-away-from-home, Canada.
Strength In Numbers
This 2000 Toyota WiLL Vi was designed and intended to be a Japan-only car. Not only that, but it was part of an odd marketing campaign led by Toyota and embraced by several other Japanese companies in the goal to create a brand that would appeal to people in their late 20s and early 30s. Dubbed WiLL, the campaign covered many of the essentials for its core target demographic. That included WiLL beer from Asahi, a WiLL refrigerator from Panasonic to keep that beer chilled, WiLL fabric deodorizer from the Kao Corporation to get the beer smell out of clothing, and WiLL tours from the Kinki Nippon Tourist Company for when the desire hits to drink beer in a trendy foreign destination. And then there's the Toyota WiLL Vi, a car that was supposed to appeal to women in their late 20s but really looks like something Roger Rabbit might drive over to Bugs Bunny's house for poker night.
Fittingly Rare
The WiLL's styling is fittingly unique, with nods to cars of the 1950s and '60s in its ribbed flanks and reverse-angle backlight. This was around the time that such retro-mod styling was becoming all the rage globally, but Toyota seemingly missed the mark with the WiLL's looks since it proved a dud in the market. The effort at creating a carve-out for a younger target audience did provide Toyota with valuable learning, which the company was then able to apply to the launch of the similarly-targeted Scion brand here in North America. Of course, that too failed at its youth-marketing mission.
This WiLL stands as a quirky and weird testament to Toyota's wacky side, and failure or not, this private import represents a unique opportunity. According to the ad, the car is based on a Toyota Echo (Yaris) and carries that car's 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and four-speed automatic, driving the front wheels. The ad notes 102,000 miles on the clock, but based on the dashboard picture, that's more likely in kilometers, meaning it's done a more reasonable 64,000 miles.
As far as aesthetics go, there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the car, aside from the quirky styling. This is a fairly modern car, so it does have niceties such as power windows, air conditioning, and airbags for the front seat passengers. The steering wheel housing the driver's airbag does show a bit of wear, but other than that, the cabin seems clean and cozy.
Loonie Tunes
It also comes with a clean title, and according to the company selling it, qualifies for collector plates. And while it's presently in Canada, folks in the U.S. needn't sit this one out since this WiLL is 25 years old, making it eligible for import with the Feds turning a blind eye to its emissions and safety transgressions.
To that end, we now need to consider this weirdo's asking price. That's $9,500 in Loonies, or around $6,900 and change U.S. Do you think that's a fair price for such a wackadoodle car? Or is that too much to let your freak flag fly?
You decide!
Nice Price or No Dice:
Victoria, BC, Canada, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
Help me out with NPOND. Contact me at robemslie@gmail.com and send a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your commenter handle.
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