JDM IS350 queries

[LexIS200Sport]

Thanks for the update @Stew-R, exciting stuff. Hope the white one really is Grade 4B material.

Just curious - how would DVLA then determine the tax amount for the car? Would they use the emissions from another comparable 3.5 V6 car as reference or "scale-up" an IS250's or something else?

 

[rich1068]

Is the tax just a flat rate for imports?

[Stew-R]

Me too! Spoke to the dealer again last night actually, and he's now said it's going to be 15th January before it hits the UK so a fair wait yet. Might end up getting one myself from my agent by then. 

Yes it's flat rate for imports. Below 1549cc its £160 and anything above its £265 (per year). 

[rich1068]

I know when I've looked at imported Volvos that are post 06 and have fruity engines I've thought they're a much better proposition than the equivalent £565/£580 UK cars. But I have no experience of insuring an import so I don't know how much of that £300+ is swallowed up there.

[Stew-R]

Well, I thought I should post and inform you guys, after much searching for just the right car, family circumstances (not mine, but my cousin) changed, and I've ended up with a GS450h UK car. Got to say, it's extremely impressive! Thanks everyone who contributed to this thread! Will get pics etc up on the forum soon once I've got my plate on it and got it nicely cleaned up! 

[Mr Vlad]

Thanks for the update Stew. Glad you got yourself a really good car, I really like the GS450h. Have a great time with it. Looking forward to seeing pics of it.

[H3XME]

Sorry to jump on an old thread. I was looking at getting IS350 from a few importers here and they were all quoting on the road price of around £6k for IS350 with 60-70k miles. It's definitely a good price if you're after something that moves a bit better. You're essentially getting a 350Z with 4 doors. I know you can get the JDM 4 door skyline with VQ35 or Infinity G35 but they look crap compared to the 2IS. The only thing that would bother me personally is the fact they were never offered with a manual transmission. JDM cars get easily converted to MPH. You will only create confusion with odometer. Say you get one with 60k miles - 100k km. From the point of converting it you will run miles so it will be a mixture. I had this with my Forester which was an Australian import (indicators on the right side stalk etc). Original speedo with max speed of 220km except when you were doing 60, it was actually 60mph rather than 60kmh. Odometer was 101k which was a mixture of miles and KM and since I was the first owner since it's been imported, i can only guess how accurate it was, but never bothered me.