Why? Lots of Euro car are imported from Japan. They are typically highly specced and immaculate condition.
Imported car, what's the catch?
- Thread starter CaptainRAVE
- Start date
Really? I know Jap cars are, never thought the same would apply for European cars coming from Japan.
Soldato
It's increasingly common these days, particularly for oddball stuff such as Passat W8s, Phaetons, high-performance Audis, etc., due to their condition and cost. Obviously, though, you still have to tread very carefully.
Not sure why?
It would have been sold direct by Mercedes in Japan, not imported privately, so the 'Germany to Japan' part is no different to any other car sold in a country different to where it's manufactured.
The Japan to UK part is pretty much as per any other Japan to UK import - not uncommon when dealing with rare cars (Google suggests only 350 of those Edition 1 cars worldwide, so I'd guess even less RHD) as Japanese spec cars aren't too dissimilar to UK spec, no messing around with LHD etc.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
There has to be a reason for it to be worth it. Typically this reason will be poor availability of the model in the UK. This generally means Japanese market only cars but increasingly it means really quite nice European cars that have reached the point where most of the UK versions are crashed or scrapped or bad examples.
Nobody is going to bother to try and import say a current 7 series when there are BMW dealership lots up and down the country full of them but if you want a really nice 1999 740i suddenly the import route holds appeal.
The Mercedes AMG GT is easily available in the UK, is not particularly old and it's not hard to find a nice one.
But this was an Edition 1.
If someone particularly wants the 'Edition 1' (whether that's a logical desire or not is a different debate), there were only 35 in the UK and 350 worldwide. I'd say that level of rarity is a perfectly logical reason to see a car like that get imported.
I don't see it as particularly 'odd' or 'sus'.
Soldato
nice when the steering wheel is in the correct side…
Euro imports from Japan are quite popular, not just due to spec and some extra engine choices, but also due to RHD cars being cheaper in Japan compared to LHD
In Japan, having a LHD car is seen as superior and therefore prices are higher. RHD cars tend to be less sought after there which means the importer/dealer can make more margin.
In Japan, having a LHD car is seen as superior and therefore prices are higher. RHD cars tend to be less sought after there which means the importer/dealer can make more margin.
The car in the OP is LHD, not RHD.
I'm sure that makes all the difference. Especially as you're the first person in this entire thread about this car to even notice
Well it does in the context of why someone may have elected to ship the thing half way round the worldI'm sure that makes all the difference. Especially as you're the first person in this entire thread about this car to even notice
