The Top End: Used Supercars… Part 1

Are You with the Smart Money to Import a Second Hand Supercar from Japan?

Yes. Very much so. I was talking this out recently with Matt and the crew here at Japan Car Direct and I was saying that some of the deals on used Italian supercars, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Maseratis, bought at auction in here Japan, can be quite amazing. And Matt said:

“Well, that’s true, but it’s not the whole story. It’s not only about cheap used supercars from Japan. It’s about getting the best used supercar. Yes, these cars can sell here for less than they do in the EU or the UAE, but many do not. It’s really about getting a vehicle in much better condition than you can expect in other used car markets.“

“Sure,” I said. “The Japanese baby their foreign cars, especially the top end machines from Europe.“

And Matt continued: “It’s even more than that. Look at the whole motoring environment in Japan: Speed limits are lower than in many countries. That makes the life of any car easier in Japan.”

“Yeah, easier than in Britain, that’s for sure. I remember when I lived there, speed limits were higher, not only in town but also on the motorways where it was 70mph (112km/h) comp/european-supercars-from-japan-part-2/ared to the 100km/h which is the norm here in Japan.“

“Yes, exactly. And what about road conditions, Dave? Would you agree that road conditions are generally excellent in Japan?“

“Better than other countries I’ve driven in, yes.“

Matt continued: “Fact is, that vast majority of supercars in Japan are driven minimally, and are serviced regularly by the import dealerships. You say the Japanese supercar owners baby their machines. You can put it that way. The end result is that when a customer buys, say, a used Lamborghini from Japan, like that Huracan you covered recently here, he’s getting the best used supercar car for the most reasonable price.”

Here’s a Lamborghini Huracan JCD recently sold and exported.

We talked more about why buying a secondhand supercar from Japan makes good sense and why that is where the smart money goes, even though it may seem an odd choice to search for a European car in Japan. Take weather: Japan has a generally mild climate and, except in a few areas, little or no snow. No snow means no salt on the roads, which means no salt eating away at your supercar’s chassis. At JCD we avoid what we call “snow country” cars, and checks for rust are at the top of our inspectors’ priority items check list.

Inspection is Key

And speaking of inspectors, our inspectors are another reason why it makes good sense to buy a used car, and not just supercars and top end European iron, from Japan Car Direct. Our inspectors are very good at what they do. Although we source good cars from used car dealers here in Japan and from private sellers, our most important source for the best deals is from the Japanese used car auctions. (We have inspection and bidding rights at all auction houses across Japan.) When you are working with us at JCD our Auction Search Engine (check it out here) allows you to access over 120 auctions so that you can see in advance what is coming up. When you select a car, we have it inspected and we translate the inspector’s report for you. To see an example of what an auction inspection tells you, have a look at the little three and a half minute video on our YouTube channel here. We also translate the action sheet for you, and there’s a neat little tutorial on auction sheets on our main site here.

So Japan is definitely a good place to source used supercars and top end cars from and here at Japan Car Direct we’ve had a good amount of experience in handling expensive vehicles. But rather than tooting our own horn (which I actually love to do), let’s have a look at some of the used European supercars and luxury cars that we have exported from Japan.

Some Brilliant Used Supercars That We Have Sold

One of our most recent top end secondhand cars that we have exported is that super gorgeous, super sexy, and super low miles (less than 7,400 miles/11,775km on the clock) 2018 Lamborghini Huracan that we shipped to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) via Jebel Ali Port. Have another look:

What a stunner! And look inside:

Nice, eh?

Can you just imagine sliding into that Elegante Bianco leather seat, firing up the direct injection V10, and peeling away from the curb in front of your favorite café? Gosh! I can imagine that, you bet I can!

This babe has only been on the road five years, so it will be a while before she’s a classic, but many of the used European supercars that we export from Japan are more toward the classic years.

How about our 1994 Ferrari 512

and our 1992 Lamborghini Diablo?

Well? What do you say? Are they nice?

They are, indeed. They are even nicer when you consider the good condition of these secondhand top end machines and the relatively low mileages on them: 28,645 miles (41,000km) on the 512 and 21,750 miles (about 35,000km) on the Diablo. You’ll find some great pics and further info on these cars on our main Japan Car Direct website: The 512 here, and the Diablo here.

Accessible supercars really turn my crank, and, since coming to Japan and working in the used car from Japan export business, I’ve had good access to European supercars: Lamborghini, Lotus, Ferrari, Porsche….All living dreams of motoring joy. I’ve also been able to double the joy by writing about these machines elsewhere on our Japan Car Direct Blog here, here, and here.

And, working for JCD, I know I’m not the only guy on staff that loves helping our customers overseas get their hands on good used supercars.

It’s Not Only the Italians.…The Germans Are Coming to the Party….in Porsches!

Yeah, I tend to think of many of the top end European cars from the early to mid ’90s and the late ’80s as “early classics.” Take, as a good example of these cars, this 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera with the 3.2 liter air cooled engine.

A really nice, clean machine that was well worth what our customer paid for it. You’ll find a gallery of photos here taken before we shipped the car from Japan. With only about 22,500miles (36,200km) on the clock, this is the sort of early classic European top end car that will only appreciate in value over time.

And this 1993 Porsche 911

is a good example of an early classic 911 that, while it has slightly higher mileage at 52,200 miles (84,000km), is still in excellent, clean condition. We shipped him back home to Europe and he’s on our site here. Let me point out that he’s got an automatic transmission. I’m kind of keen on the old air-cooled 911s and on all 911s, actually. If you’re also into these cars, or any of the German “Wunderkars,” as I like to call them, have a look at our Porsche 911 page here, and our German Cars from Japan page here.

The used European top end cars that we deal with at JCD reflect a diverse range of options. The “stock” of these machines here is quite impressive. Another reason to look for a second hand Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari, or Maserati in Japan when you are thinking of the best place to find the best cars.

Maserati? Did someone say “Maserati from Japan?“

Ta Da! Check it out here, a 2006 Quattroporte Executive GT that we handled for a very satisfied customer.

Now, I don’t have a reserved parking space at work but, if I did, a Maserati like this is exactly the machine I’d want to be in when I pull into the space marked Dave Price. Senior Partner.

European Luxury and Rally Cars on the Way

So far I’ve mostly been talking in this post about secondhand European Supercars. But they are not the whole story when we are talking Top End cars from Japan. So I’ll follow up in a future post with a look at used European Luxury Cars and Rally Cars bought in Japan.

For now, if it’s a good, low mileage used European supercar from Japan that you are looking for, you can get the whole “Show on the Road” by coming on board with us at Japan Car Direct simply by registering here.

And if you are planning to import your supercar to one of our main import destinations, namely the UAE, the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Germany, just click on the country name and you’ll find the shipping info you need on our website. If you are importing a used car from us here in Japan to a country not on our main list, just click here for our Other Countries page. We look forward to hearing from you.