You could have an under 99hp Corolla though...which is not the lowest taxed car by Japanese rules. Kei cars do have a tiny crumple zone, but JDM vans are the definition of deathtrap. To maximize cargo space and still comply with length regulations, they are all cab over. This means your legs begin right behind the front fascia and all that protects your body is a thin metal wall alike a firewall. The outcome of a crash is predictable.
Yeah, but those taxes weren't all, till '90 we couldnt have imported cars, just rich people could have
Nope. It's just that most of their vehicles copy designs from other pre-existing vehicles, but as in the vehicles built in China, not sold to China.
Most Chinese cars are... just cars. Cheap sedans, minivans, SUVs, etc. with their own, often bland, design.