Dont take this as gospel...it is only what I was told (albeit by a good source)
LTSA couldnt care less about how well they stood up to crash tests done by Motorex for example.
What they are looking for is crumple zones which are not built into R32s or R33s.
i.e. panels such as inner guards etc are built with a corrugated look (pre weakened) so that in the event of impact they will compress and absorb the energy of the impact.
I doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure that a lovely wee Toyota Echo with crumple zones is a FAR FAR less safe car than any R32 or 33.
So lets be realistic....this is just another way of removing youngsters from high performance cars. In my opinion not such a bad thing if it is going to take cheap EVO1s and 2s and early WRXs away....remember guys it aint just Skylines.
Right now there are 17 and 18yr old kids getting into these things purely and simply because they are cheap....take them away and they cant afford a performance car for a while...probably about the same time it takes them to learn to drive!
If this offends anyone....there are exceptions to every rule but in general the very young drivers in high performance japanese cars have bugger all driving ability and a mindset that goes along the lines of "Possum can drive like this so why shouldnt I"