Symbols of luxury among Japanese customers
Luxury cars from Japan are very popular among European customers who are happy to buy them at auctions. While there are plenty of offers from Mercedes, Porsche and BMW, customers also choose slightly less obvious top-of-the-range cars. Which cars should you choose to stand out? We will introduce them to you in a moment.
Table of contents
1. Why bring a car from Japan?
4. FAQS
Japanese auction sites are full of interesting cars in rich specifications. It is impossible to hide that the most popular are richly specified Mercedes, especially those of the late 80s and 90s of the last century. Customers from Europe are also happy to bring Porsche. Classic models of the late years of production of air-cooled engines (993) and the first generations with liquid-cooled engines (996) are popular. However, there are less obvious proposals, and we are talking about Gran Turismo cars such as the Bentley Continental GT and Maserati Granturismo. Cars of this class guarantee a truly royal travel comfort.
Many people rightly ask themselves this question, associating Japan, first of all, as a country that is further from us than the United States. However, it is worth knowing that Cars from Japan are characterized by low mileage and are in excellent technical condition. To this is added, of course, rich equipment. A great convenience is the fact that they have a steering wheel on the left. The rich Japanese choose such versions to show that they can not only afford a luxury car, but can also drive in left-hand traffic that was not designed for this. This strengthens their sense of superiority. therefore Classic cars from Japan are very popular.
To talk about the car itself, we must first mention an excerpt from the history of the brand. It was taken over by Volkswagen in 1998 and remains under German guardianship to this day. At the same time, she managed to maintain an exclusive character and all the time produces truly luxury cars. A similar fate befell Rolls-Royce, which became the owner of BMW.
The Continental GT is the successor to the Continental R, which was produced from 1991 to 2003. Technically, this model is based on the same platform on which the Volkswagen Phaeton is built. Although the German limousine enjoys a rather bad reputation, it is the Continental GT that is considered a car that can be relied on.
The appearance of the car highlighted a new era in the history of Bentley. Under the hood, a 5,998 cc W12 engine went under the hood, which is assisted by 2 turbochargers. This combination gave a power of 560 hp and a maximum torque of 650 Nm. The vehicle accelerates to a hundred in 4.8 s, and the maximum speed is 318 km/h. In 2005, a convertible appeared, which has the designation GTC.
In 2007, the GT Speed with an engine with an engine increased to 610 hp was introduced to showrooms. Torque increased to 750 Nm. The sprint time from 0 to 100 km/h decreased to 4.5 s, and the top speed increased to 326 km/h. There was also the 2009 Continental Supersports, which stands out for its sporty design and less chrome. The modified engine allows you to reach the first hundred in 3.7 seconds.
The second generation of the car appeared in 2010 and offered a new look and more space for travelers. A year later, a new version of Continental GTC was presented. In 2013, they were joined by the GT V8 S. As the name suggests, a 528 hp V8 engine came under the hood with a maximum torque of 680 Nm. At the end of production of the 2nd generation, the Supersports version was presented with an aggressive-looking styling package and a 710 hp W12 engine.
Currently, the 3rd generation of this model is on the market, sold since 2017, it was built on the Porsche Panamera platform. The car is both larger and lighter than its predecessors. There was also a cabrio version, which is offered as the Continental GTC. The car was sold with V8 and W12 engines. In 2019, the former underwent modernization and its power increased to 550 hp. The most powerful variation is the Speed version with a 659 hp engine.
The most exclusive are the limited editions of Mulliner. This is a design studio of the Bentley brand, which deals with customizing British cars on a daily basis to a special customer order. The first cars signed by Mulliner appeared in 2008 as the Continental GT Mulliner Driving Specification. Initially, they had sports aluminum pedals, a gearshift knob covered in leather and chrome, and diamond stitching on the seats, door sides and upholstery in the back.
The best bite, of course, will be cars of the first generation. Analysts at Hagerty, who value classic cars, assess that the Continental GT is a future classic. In turn, automotive journalists praise this model for a high level of comfort and very good driving characteristics. Continental GT models sold in Japan have low mileage. Starting prices start from approx. 68 thousand PLN for the base version and approx. 170 thousand PLN for the Speed version. In the case of the Mulliner version, auctions start at PLN 0.5 million.
Italians are a nation that perfectly knows how to design a beautiful and exciting car. While the Maserati brand remains somewhat overshadowed by the legends of Ferrari and Lamborghini, it offers the same level of excitement and driving pleasure. One of the most popular cars of this brand is the Granturismo model.
Maserati Granturismo owes its appearance to the design studio Pininfarina. The premiere of the car took place at the Geneva Motor Show, in 2007, engineers and stylists developed a car in record time of just 9 months. Production of the 1st generation lasted until December 2019 and could continue, since the Granturismo silhouette has not aged at all.
The engines were developed jointly with Ferrari. Initially, a 4.2-liter V8 engine with 399 hp worked under the hood, and later it was joined by a 4.7-liter unit with a capacity of 434 hp mounted on the Granturismo S. In 2010, the Italians showed a model with an opening roof, which was sold as GranCabrio and GranCabrio Sport.
Maserati fans had to wait until 2023 for the next generation. It was presented in October 2022 and comes in 3 versions — Modena, Trofeo and Folgore. The latter is interesting because it has 3 electric motors with a total power of 751 hp. Maserati drew on the experience of Formula E racing here.
If you are looking for something truly unique, it is worth hunting for the Maserati Granturismo MC Stradale, which was the answer to the demand of customers expecting cars in specifications similar to racing. This special version was produced from 2011 to 2015. The engine generates a maximum power of 444 hp. The car is a two-seater, equipped with an advanced package of aerodynamics and electronics, as well as ceramic Brembo brakes. It weighs 110 kg less than the standard Maserati Granturismo. A total of 497 units were produced and 33 of them went to Japan.
In 2013-2019, the GranCabrio MC was produced, which was inspired by the version of the MC Stradale. Under the hood, a 4.7-liter V8 engine runs, which has 454 hp. An interesting fact is that, unlike the Granturismo MC Stradale, the GranCabrio MC model is a four-seater. The exact number of copies produced remains unknown.
Starting prices for the MC Auto Shift and MC Stradale versions start at around PLN 215 thousand and, contrary to appearances, there are quite a lot of them, so if you want a unique Maserati Granturismo, it is worth considering the possibility of bringing it from Japan. Basic versions from the first years of production start from approx. 90 thousand PLN.
Buying a car at Japanese auctions is a way to get possession of a unique car in usually perfect condition and with low mileage. Even if you add to this the costs of transportation, customs duties, excise duties and registration, then by choosing the right models, you can only profit.
In order to participate in Japanese auctions, you must be registered in Japan. Therefore, customers use the services of companies such as Sakura Motors. We will be happy to advise you on the search and deliver your dream car to the indicated address.
Customers most often bring luxury cars of European brands. Cars of Japanese brands, such as Lexus, are not as popular as the classics. The plus is that Japanese customers bought them with the steering wheel on the left, so usually it is enough to change the headlights so that the car meets the requirements of Polish traffic regulations.
