GR Corolla in Japan?

It will be sold first in North America before being offered in Japan. And no, you won’t be able to ship a Japanese spec GRC to US. At least not legally.

Ah okay. Is this due to the 25 year law? I didn’t know that applied to cars also being made domestically. Thanks for the info.

abe said:

Ah okay. Is this due to the 25 year law? I didn’t know that applied to cars also being made domestically. Thanks for the info.

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Yes, basically speaking that would be a RHD car and it will be imported. So tell your family to have your name on the deposit with one of the dealers near your place or name it after your Dad or Mom

abe said:

Soooo… I really freakin love this car-like everything about it. I really want one, but there’s a chance I won’t be in the US when it releases, as i’m going abroad to Japan for school. If i’m in Japan, could I get one there and drive it for the 6 months-1 year i’m gonna be there then ship it stateside? Is that possible at all in the slightest, or should I just wait until I get back? This is all speculation, and I doubt anyone has answers, but I figured if anyone knew y’all would.

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While the 25 year rule applies to imports in the USA, I know it is possible to ship current US vehicles to Japan under a Y plate. I've seen left-hand drive R35 GTRs in Tokyo. I am not certain on the details though.

abe said:

Ah okay. Is this due to the 25 year law? I didn’t know that applied to cars also being made domestically. Thanks for the info.

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Cars are built slightly differently for different countries. I believe you would be responsible for proving that it meets US safety and emissions regulations and validated by the manufacturer. It's probably doable if you have unlimited money and resources, but practically, it isn't worth it to import such "cheap" cars.

So for all practical purposes, the answer is no.

There is no reason to think that this car will only be sold for a year, and reasons to believe it will be sold for at least a few years. Unless you're planning to stay in Japan for 3+ years, there is a good chance it will still be available when you return to the US.

abe said:

Soooo… I really freakin love this car-like everything about it. I really want one, but there’s a chance I won’t be in the US when it releases, as i’m going abroad to Japan for school. If i’m in Japan, could I get one there and drive it for the 6 months-1 year i’m gonna be there then ship it stateside? Is that possible at all in the slightest, or should I just wait until I get back? This is all speculation, and I doubt anyone has answers, but I figured if anyone knew y’all would.

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It is possible to import it as the US has a law that you can import something that is similar to something already sold here but I believe you have to have it meet our emissions and safety standards which will cost a lot of money on top of importing it. I say wait until you're back from Japan so you can save your money in Japan. I'd say get a cool JDM cheap while in Japan and then sell that before you move back here. The GRC isn't going anywhere and you can get a used one as well

Hope you got your answers.

Closing the thread now.