Models that are rare even in Japan

Nissan Leopard

The first-generation Nissan Leopard, launched in 1980, was a luxury car that came with two body types, a 2-door coupe, and a 4-door hardtop, with advanced styling not seen in any other cars like the Skyline or the Laurel.

In 1986, Nissan launched the second-generation model for the Leopard, which was designed as a 2-door coupe-only model to compete with Toyota’s Soarer. The car became popular with its appearance in a famous TV drama “Abunai Deka”, which followed a pair of detectives solving problems featuring cool actions and car stunts.

However, the third generation, introduced in 1992, changed its name to “Leopard J Ferie” and transformed into a luxury sedan. Sales of the car were extremely low due to its unpopular design and high price.

The J Ferie was sold as the Infiniti J30 in the North American market. In 1997, the successor to the J30, the I30, was introduced with having an FWD sedan body based on the second-generation Nissan Cefiro.

Meanwhile, the fourth generation of the Leopard was launched in 1996 as a Japan-exclusive model. The simple “Leopard” name came back, and it debuted as a sedan that shared major components with Cedric and Gloria.

The new-generation VQ-series engine was selected as the new powertrain, and the top-tier model was equipped with a 3-liter V6 turbocharged that produced 270 horsepower.

Its exterior design has significantly changed with having a sporty 4-door hardtop styling, but sales were surprisingly bad. Nissan discontinued the model in 2000, with having no successor.

The fact that it is a high-performance JDM sedan in the vein of Infiniti may appeal to American enthusiasts, but at present, the number of used cars available is extremely low.

Honda S-MX

The Honda S-MX is a compact wagon with a tall height, developed for the young generations at that time.

Under the concept of “Creative Mover,” Honda launched the Odyssey, CR-V, and Stepwgn, and the S-MX is the fourth in the series.

It featured an irregular four-door design, with one door on the driver’s side and two doors on the passenger side, and is designed to pay homage to the Chevrolet Astro, an American-made minivan that was popular in Japan at the time.

The chassis was based on the Stepwgn with shortening the wheelbase, and the interior was designed to seat four people with bench seats in the front and rear, with a five-seater version added later. The seats could be arranged to be fully flat from front to rear, and were claimed to be the same size as a standard full-sized bed.

Three grades were available, 2WD and 4WD for the standard model, and a lowered version with the ride height lowered by 15 mm (0.6 inches).

All models were equipped with a 2-liter I4 engine that produced 130 hp, and with having a compact body, it provided a relaxing experience.

The S-MX gained popularity from young generations as planned. But sales gradually slumped as newer minivans with a more spacious interior gained more attention, and Honda discontinued the S-MX in 2002 with no successor.

Similar models having close concepts include the Nissan Cube and Toyota bB, both of which have been sold in the North American market. It can be said that the fun style of the S-MX is ready to be accepted in the U.S.

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As mentioned above, the U.S. has restrictions on the importation of used cars, and like in China, the importation of used cars is not allowed in general. There are also other countries that impose high tariffs on used cars too.

In Japan, on the other hand, importing used cars is quite free, and as long as they meet Japan’s safety standards and emission regulations, registration is relatively easy and there are no tariffs.

For this reason, Japan’s used car market is quite open, with a large number and variety of used cars imported from overseas, and the ability to drive LHD cars.