This has nothing to do wiv the rx8...

Question... is it true in Japan that you CAN NOT drive a car that is 5-10yrs old???

I asked this because i just went to a workshop, looks more like a junkyard, that has choped half cars... The owner said its all from japan... I mean this isnt just some old crappy old cars!!! i saw some FD3S, Supra, FTO, and other cool cars!!!... so is it true??

 

I've heard that in Japan, the regulations and laws are written up in such a way to encourage new car purchases every 3 years, I think.

 

You can drive a car of any age you want but it gets increasingly expensive to keep/maintain. There is a check called a "shaken" which is about $1,000. You need to get one after the car is 3 and 5 and then after a while it's yearly (haven't had a car >5 years old so don't know). The check is a fixed price (everything here is fixed by the government, including car insurance) and checks emissions and general road worthiness. It's a very expensive version of the British MOT if you're familiar with that.

For that reason, and culture I guess, a car decreases in value to zero after five years. Hence you can see some good prices on imports abroad if your country doesn't worry about import duty & tax and the exchange rate is good.

Before buying any just check them out thoroughly as anywhere in the world something that looks too good to be true usually is.

 

this is off topic but when are the rx-8's supposed to hit the streets there?

 

I'm not sure about the official release date (i.e. cars in showroos) but I pre-ordered in December and the pre-orders arrive next month, so I'm hoping around 4 weeks from now.

 

Please give us updates of the car.
Please list all problems and dislikes.

Thanks!

 

And what you do like. =)

 

ahhhhh... so it IS true. i read something similar to this off an "importer's" eBay homepage. so including random accidents, that's where all these JDM motors are coming from (with low mileage). outta curiousity though, what happens to most >5 year-old cars? not all of them are exported, are they? are they recycled? shipped to NZ? australia?

 

A lot of Japanese sports cars end up here in the UK. (right hand drive, cheap vehicle road test).

Only issues are speedo is in Kilometers and the radio frequency band range in the UK is different to the Japanese range, that requires a new radio or modification.

 

damn... i forgot i've posted on this section... hahahaha...

Tanx for all the replies dude...

i know it sucks to buy new cars every 3-5 years but then good market for us in asia as you can get them in a cheaper price... :D

Where i live there isnt much regulation on emmission standard so as long as it pass the visual check...

unlike in the US where there's a lot of test which will accumulate more expenses...

Med_mx6: well, like what i have said earlier... they chop chop the car in halves and sell them!! often some reach here in brunei and they would strip it and sell it individually or the whole thing... make more money in that way i guess... rather than zero money... :D

 

Japan use tax to force people to buy newer cars, but Japanese car collectors still have cars like the old Mazda Cosmo (the first Mazda wankel) and I think the RX8 will be collectors item in the future as well.

 

collector items? the rx7 should be a collector item... hehehe

 

I love it when people dont know what they are talking about.

First time SHAKEN is good for 3 years, the next time is good for 2 years and every year there after it will aways be good for 2 years.
The reason people think you need SHAKEN after 3 years is because when you buy your car it comes with it.

NO RULES about how old your car can be or cant be.

No laws to even make you want to change your car after 3 years.

SHAKEN is pain if your a DIRTBAG. If you keep your car in good working condition, NO PROBLEM. Granted if you turn your car into a RACE CAR or whatever like FEED, RE, and etc.... You can buy your way threw it as a RACE car which is around $1800, and
normal SHAKEN is about $1000.

NOT TO MENTION THE ROAD TAX EVERY YEAR weither you drove the car or not $330.

RX8s hit the streets around late May or June, I cant remember but they are a dime a dozen now hehe

 

as a driver of a now 10 year old shaken refugee (5 yo when it emigrated) it's a great system, but i'm sure as an rx-8 owner, as soon as 2008 rolls around i'll have changed my mind (when the grey '8's start to hit these shores) as that'll hit me in the wallet in terms of second hand values.