Cost would be astronomical.

Brief breakdown of components you'd have to pay for to -LEGALLY- import Toyota GT86:

1.) Car itself, at a higher price than FR-S or USDM BRZ. (Due to strength of the Yen, and what they're pricing the cars at for the Japanese market)

2.) Transportation fees to get the car to US shores

3.) Importation fees/taxes paid at port, usually.

4.) Conversion fees, to make the car meet -ALL- US standards for emissions (completely different reqs. than japan)

5.) Testing for safety. As the vehicle is marketed under a completely different make/model as the ones already approved for the US market, and utilizes different parts that are untested on our shores (RHD v. LHD = quite a few completely different parts, you know?) you'll have to prove that it complies with ALL safety regulations. This can require things up to, and including, conversion to LHD, or crash-testing of multiple same-model vehicles.

So yes, it's expensive. Likely well over double the cost of the vehicle itself. Think about it; are you the first person in the world that's thought of importing a vehicle? Hardly. Yet how many do you see driving around? How many do you see at auto shows? Not many. Heck, not hardly any, at all... and the reason for that is $$$$$$$.

Now, there are a few exceptions: 1.) Vehicles over a certain age (I believe 20-25 years) are exempt from most safety/emissions check requirements. 2.) Vehicles that have been tested/approved previously, due to massive demand (old R32 GTRs, for instance... though their imported pricetag is STILL well into the realm of ridiculous), 3.) Import the car illegally... in which case you only pay the cost of the car, and the transportation fees. Good luck registering it, though! 4.) You purchase the car, and separate the body and the engine. You import each separately, and then re-assemble the car state-side. You can then go about registering it as a kit-car. Goodbye warranty, ability for loan approval, ability to get any form of standard/non-limited insurance, etc.

And there you have it, the cliffs notes as to why it's a HORRIBLE idea to even think about trying to import a vehicle. But hey, if you either a.) are a millionare with a couple/few $100k to spare, or b.) just plain don't believe me, then feel free to look into things yourself. I may be slightly off on a few of my recaps, but I'm fairly sure you'll find most of this info to be authentic.

Good luck! ;)

bneale, certainly no embarassment from me (as one of the First 86) and I share you're amusement (albeight not as strongly I suspect) at folks who feels somehow it matters. To each his/her own I say.

I did think the question about importing was an interesting though in general. There have been other cars, and more frequently motorcycles, I would like to have imported because they weren't available in the US.

I don't like how the styling and interior are modified for the U.S. market. I think it is a step down in quality. I current drive a '09 Civic Si. I thought that I would be getting a fairly comparable car to that of the Type R or the RR, but that just isn't the case. The insides are completely different, and that has nothing to do with regulations. Plus there is a difference in HP as well, now that may have something to do with Regs., but I doubt it. Over all I just think from the eye ball test and what I've read and heard is that JDM are just better quality vehicles. They are more meticulously built. I have heard JP QC is off the charts, and also heard that 30% of the car is built in states and U.S. has't shown the best track record when comes to QC.

Not to mention that Scion has done everything but enhance its brand in the eyes of car enthusiast.

And *bneale* I will never look down on someone who decides to go the Scion route- to each his own.

Thank you for answering the question in a positive way! I know its not my question, but it nice to someone do it w/ some decency- even if you think its a HORRIBLE idea. lol

I don't think it will be as difficult as many think to import a Toyota 86. Yes, it will be stupid expensive and time consuming, however, even with the differences in crash and emissions standards between Japan, EU, and U.S., I would believe Toyota/Subaru is building this to be a "world car" to save manufacturing costs... e.g. one car to meet or exceed all standards. However, I would wait a year for replacement/collision part inventories to build up just in case you need to replace crash beams & doors, and to swap out the exhaust manifold. Also, it would be a good idea to take that year to acquire evidence that the "Toyota 86" and the "Toyota Scion FR-S" are structurally the same vehicle.

All variations are all being built in the same factory on the same line, I really don't see how there could be that much difference in the build quality. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see how that would even work.

Your sort of mixing fruit witn your example there. But just to clarify, all of these cars are being made at the same Subaru plant in Japan. So even the NA models are Japanese made. I don't see how any of them can somehow be better then the others.

Aside from the minor details (springs for BRZ/FRS and GT86, Interior, HID's, dashboard color, push button start and Sat Nav) these cars are exactly the same. So how someone can say "Driving a Scion is embarrasing" is stupid to me.

Scion seems to have this stigma which everyone holds in their minds as somehow being negitive. Why is this? Is it because Scion owners like to customize their cars? If so, why is there this sterotype that every Scion owner is going to somehow ruin their car? It's not the cars fault someone ruined it.

My point is simply this, just because someone buys/drives a Scion, we shouldn't look down on them. It's just a brand they purchased. There's simply no link between Scion being somehow bad because of what the owners have done.

If we were throwing around Automotive Sterotypes, I would call all of the perspective BRZ owners Lesbians (no offence ment here, its just a Top Gear reference). But you won't see me doing this because I can look past these types of things.

Also, I'm glad you won't be looking down on us Scion owners. It makes you a bigger person then most on here. Regardless on which version of the 86 you like, we should be able to treat each other with respect around here.

bneale

Yea I hear ya- that just what I was told by someone. They said Cars from JP that come to U.S. are usually built that way (70/30 or some thing to that effect) maybe he's wrong. I've yet to come across anybody who actually knows 100% on this topic of international car dealings.

If what your saying is true (and I think it is cause it sounds logical) I might be better off getting the base model and swapping in the JDM touches that I want.

Yea I agree I did do a little of comparing apples and oranges there. So I rescind my previous statement. It looks like you guys know what your talking about as far as the cars being the same mechanically. I didn't expect that since that since its never been that way for Honda- but again that is a different ball of wax.


And maybe your right about the owners of scion driving the branding down- cause whenever I see a tC here in Cali- I just smh Maybe this car is the car to turn it around for them.

*RESPECT*

P.S. I still haven't made up my mind as to either buy the 86 or BRZ- gonna give it 2-3 years

I do know they are all being built in the same Subaru factory on the same line. I suppose since some options are "dealer installed" (which means either at port or actually in the dealership) you could say some percentage doesn't go through the same QA process. Most of that though is things like radios, etc and has minimal impact on overall build quality.

That may not be true for all imported models, but we do know its true on this one.

ADDED: Just saw you're response above ^^ so its all good!

Found these vids on youtube- they provide some insight on purchasing and importing a vehicle from JP. Albeit, the vehicles are going to Australia, but non-the-less insight is gained.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63Y97oLjiuA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay_p6...eature=related

Fixed that for you. Just google estimates how much it took to legitimize R32s. The total investment was worth millions.

Folks, they didn't legalize the R32. They legalized the R33. They then falsified the papers for R32s and R34s as R33s to get their bond releases.

They brought in many R33s. Tested a few to destruction. Tested a few for emissions.

Cost of numerous cars.
Cost of third party independent testing firms.
Cost of attorneys to process all the paperwork.

ICE has been running around the country seizing improperly imported Skylines for the last three years.

http://jalopnik.com/5371967/feds-sei...-gt+rs-in-cali

http://jalopnik.com/5775509/feds-lau...skyline-owners

http://www.gtrusablog.com/2011/08/pl...n-skyline.html

What we're all telling you is it's going to be prohibitively expensive. You might be able to get away with it under $1,000,000, only because the cost of a new GT86 (and you will need many) is going to be cheaper than the cost of a used R33 GT-R in 1998. Here's a look at the tax fees according to JK Technologies, the people who actually did all the testing for the R33.

http://convert2us.com/veh_imports.htm

So, how much are YOU willing to spend for your one of a kind, RHD, Toyota GT86?

Does it matter that the GT86 is already technically sold in the US under a different name, and therefore is qualified for US spec Crash Tests, emissions, etc.?