Best Car For Personal Import

[funkymonkey]

What else sells well these days?

Screw japanese cars. Pick up some RHD Euro's like an Audi RS3 and bring em in. In fact you can drive LHD in Perth can't you?

The markup on Euro's in Australia is much much much more than povo japanese cars. Which means when you sell you stand to make more profit. Combine with the fact that some Euro specs aren't officially sold locally (like the RS3) but can't be imported either under RAWS and you'll have a very very limited availability car that you can command retarded amounts of money for.

Plus when you break into the Euro market you're dealing with guys with a tidy disposable income, not people after bang for buck like with japanese cars.

The trick is to find a cheap, relatively new, RHD Euro in Japan. They're usually LHD.

[Mr Eps]

The trick is to find a cheap, relatively new, RHD Euro in Japan. They're usually LHD.

and there lies your biggest enemy!!

and no you can not drive LHD in perth...

it's dangerous for our road.

(note i didn't use the word, "roads")

[rotarytt]

not sure of your purpose. I'd seriously look into a challenger. think you said like 15k so a slighyly used 2011' v6 mustang just to CRUISE around in. hopefully get slips to keep it rhd.

japanese cars are better to mod but i assume you already have a skyline.

[CT9W]

The other thread from 3 years ago warned against Euro cars, because the potential owners wouldn't be looking for an import, they'd want the genuine thing, and are prepared to pay for it. I alo think a RHD Euro would be hard to find, an import Euro would be harder to move too. That said, the profit looks nice.

Still, I'm open to options for sure, if there are any good ideas. BMW and audi seems like positives.

[Mr Eps]

only euro i would bother with would be either an M6 or M5

i wouldn't like to try selling a rich hong kong guy an import...

=|

where as your typical M5 buyer wouldn't be likely to care..

i got an diea why dont you figure it out yourself being that your gonna make money off of it!

[funkymonkey]

The other thread from 3 years ago warned against Euro cars, because the potential owners wouldn't be looking for an import, they'd want the genuine thing, and are prepared to pay for it. I alo think a RHD Euro would be hard to find, an import Euro would be harder to move too. That said, the profit looks nice.

A lot changes in 3 years. Nowadays guys are willing to import VW Sciroccos and Maserati 4200GT's.

That said, you need to find a spec of a Euro model that wasn't sold locally, one that's highly sought after but not brought into the country because local dealers were too limp wristed to risk bringing in and not being able to move. Otherwise it's not really worth it.

The Audi RS3 is a perfect example, you can buy an A3 or S3 locally, so it's ineligible for import, but there's plenty of guys willing to buy an imported model. Same goes for Citroen DS3 Racing. The other side of the coin is the BMW 116D, rated as one of the world's most fuel efficient cars, but not available in oz. Even some specs of the Ford Mondeo released in the UK aren't available in oz (not that you should buy one). Some of these work their way to Japan as imports.

[sinistaGTR]

AMG... enough said

[Guest]

Choose what you want to drive for two years as you wont be able to sell it with the new ruling.

Just registered a 2005 M5, owner paid $40,000 3 years ago and is insured for about $90,000.

[Nee-san]

Maloo Ute, couple of nice ones on yahoo japan.

[Iron Chef]

Screw japanese cars. Pick up some RHD Euro's like an Audi RS3 and bring em in. In fact you can drive LHD in Perth can't you?

The markup on Euro's in Australia is much much much more than povo japanese cars. Which means when you sell you stand to make more profit. Combine with the fact that some Euro specs aren't officially sold locally (like the RS3) but can't be imported either under RAWS and you'll have a very very limited availability car that you can command retarded amounts of money for.

Plus when you break into the Euro market you're dealing with guys with a tidy disposable income, not people after bang for buck like with japanese cars.

The trick is to find a cheap, relatively new, RHD Euro in Japan. They're usually LHD.

Having said that, Euros aren't the cast iron investment they used to be - whoever said AMG, my agent's E55 AMG sat here for about 12 months before he finally offloaded it for a loss.

[CT9W]

The import rules have changed, but from memory theres nothing stopping you from selling it once the car is registered back home. Not sure what you are on about DRIFTT. Is there some clause I don't know about?

In three years, the cars that cost 3.5 mil yen are now less than 1.5 mil. Most of the cars being suggested here are in excess for 3 mil, some upward of 5 mil, so way beyond budget.

Hey EPS, whats the point of the forum if we can't discuss it?

[funkymonkey]

so he bought a mazda RX8 ... and subsequently he has fallen in love with the car

and here I thought being mad homo wasn't genetic.

[sinistaGTR]

Having said that, Euros aren't the cast iron investment they used to be - whoever said AMG, my agent's E55 AMG sat here for about 12 months before he finally offloaded it for a loss.

But there so sexual lol... C63 hmmmmmm

[CT9W]

Seems to sum up my feelings on Euro cars. Huge profits if you can find a buyer...have to sell at a loss after a year if not. And the entry price is too steep.

I'd rather stick with J models for the time being.

Keep those suggestions/reqs/discussions coming.

[Darmanin10]

just interested in why the GTO/3000GT didnt kick off here.

you dont see many around and they arnt very desirable, yet they seem like a good performance car on par with the Supra, GTR, RX7, 300ZX etc?????

[sinistaGTR]

just interested in why the GTO/3000GT didnt kick off here.

you dont see many around and they arnt very desirable, yet they seem like a good performance car on par with the Supra, GTR, RX7, 300ZX etc?????

So which one are you saying its on par with...the gtr and rx7 are in a class of there own in japanese performance perfection, the 300zx is old and heavy, the supra is heavy but has a monster engine

[funkymonkey]

If you're gonna stick to Japanese cars get a tuner special like the Mugen CRX or Nismo Micra or Impul Gloria etc. Something that won't be importable under RAWS and isn't supplied by local dealers. How about a Mitsuoka?

you dont see many around and they arnt very desirable, yet they seem like a good performance car on par with the Supra, GTR, RX7, 300ZX etc?????

Somewhere around the late 90's people realised it was what happened when you took the worst bits of an american muscle car body and a japanese engine and mashed em together. I'm genuinely surprised Chrysler didn't convince Mitsi to chuck in a solid rear axle.

[Iron Chef]

just interested in why the GTO/3000GT didnt kick off here.

you dont see many around and they arnt very desirable, yet they seem like a good performance car on par with the Supra, GTR, RX7, 300ZX etc?????

You answered your own question - waaay too heavy and too complex for their own good. Poor reliability and hard to tune.

I just had a brainwave - Jeff get an FD2 Civic Type R sedan. You'd sell it back here in a heartbeat to a Honda nut. I get people asking for them all the time.

[CT9W]

FD2...now that's a good idea. This is what I want to hear - base models that are available in Oz like the Foz, Lancer, Civic, but in a spec that you can't get. Had a look at the auction sites and it is a bit more dear than I'd like to spend, but as you said, seems like it is a hot item for sure!!

[Mr Eps]

....REALLY!?

they are my least favourite type R made from my least favourite civic body..

i cannot fathom how anybody can like them :S

get a movie car

like a car that's been in a movie

like the fast n furious jetta. haha

edit - who am i to talk ... i like Z30 and Z40 soarer!

Edited April 21, 2011 by Mr Eps