Importing LC300 to USA

[yourID10Tdriver]

I would theoretically be quite happy with the LX600, except that the current LX570 is clearly less off-road oriented (even if the underlying car is the same) and extremely ugly (imo) compared to the LC200 and I don't expect that to change for the new gen. Honestly was mostly interested in the GR/Sport version of the LC300 because of the off-road orientation and stripped-down look.

I suppose if there is no LC300 in the US, there might be a version of the LX600 that is off-road oriented. This video claims that the F-Sport LX600 may be similar to the GR LC300, so I am holding my breath!

As excited as I am to see the new LX, you gotta remember that nothing is perfect until you make it. It won't be perfect from the factory and you'll have to do modifications to make it suit your wants and desires. If you have the money to buy such a machine, you'll have the money to modify it for sure. Besides, none of the LX Cruisers come with a winch from the factory anyway, you can start there and work your way up.

 

[300blk]

Tax police will come and take your truck, smash it into little pieces, fine you, possibly arrest you.

Because it is extremely unsafe to use on American streets, meanwhile you can drive a 30 year old pickup truck with no brakes, no brake lights, broken steering rack, loaded up with 3/4 of a ton full of garbage and yard equipment stacked 20 feet high held only in place with bungee cords and rotted planks.

 

[onemanarmy]

Tax police will come and take your truck, smash it into little pieces, fine you, possibly arrest you.

Because it is extremely unsafe to use on American streets, meanwhile you can drive a 30 year old pickup truck with no brakes, no brake lights, broken steering rack, loaded up with 3/4 of a ton full of garbage and yard equipment stacked 20 feet high held only in place with bungee cords and rotted planks.

Don't forget though....you (we) voted for it. We must have wanted it.

Unless you're saying the people we elect don't really care about us or what is in the bill they signed.

Now that would be crazy talk .

 

[stonepa]

Wanna import a 300 into the USA?
This is what will happen

I always like hearing that dick comment from the officer

 

[stonepa]

couple of things....

1-that guy in the video really believes he's saving the world

2-there are cars in my town that are waaaay less safe than that Defender

3-I had land rovers

Yeah, he has been fully programmed by the state.

 

[Kneel]

couple of things....

1-that guy in the video really believes he's saving the world

2-there are cars in my town that are waaaay less safe than that Defender

3-I had land rovers

Almost 10 years later, that video still breaks my heart.

That defender was only less safe to the driver/owner who fully understood and accepted the risks of not having an airbag and not meeting NHTSA rollover safety standards. The TD5 was probably cleaner than any diesel offered in the US at that time as well...

 

[TonyP]

Don't forget though....you (we) voted for it. We must have wanted it.

Unless you're saying the people we elect don't really care about us or what is in the bill they signed.

Now that would be crazy talk .

It's as if the prisoners are running the prison.
This is why the aliens won't land. Humans are all sorts of wonky.

 

[xswl]

Don't forget though....you (we) voted for it. We must have wanted it.

Unless you're saying the people we elect don't really care about us or what is in the bill they signed.

Now that would be crazy talk .

Not every bill gets voted on by people. Although the law to restrict importing of vehicles is described as emissions and safety, I suspect it's more likely lobbying by auto manufacturers to prevent importing cheaper vehicles.

 

[onemanarmy]

Not every bill gets voted on by people. Although the law to restrict importing of vehicles is described as emissions and safety, I suspect it's more likely lobbying by auto manufacturers to prevent importing cheaper vehicles.

Of course every bill and law is decided on by people. Things don't just happen. We elect people to vote on our behalf and HOPE that they care (just a bit), have common sense, and don't cave to lobbyists money and bribes. Unfortunately, that usually isn't the case. Now we have a law that says we can't do engine swaps or drive this or that, with no basis in science. It's ok though, don't worry, i'm sure they are spending their time wisely trying their best to cut costs and reduce your tax burden.

Look up the chicken tax and the lobbying done by Merc Benz to eliminate 'grey market' vehicles.

The current 25 year rule has nothing to do with emissions and safety. Its about MONEY. You can't import a brand new LC300 because MB, back in the day, didn't like that some European models were being imported to the US without their dealers making money, and they couldn't have that. It wasn't even cheaper models, it was mainly the cooler/faster Euro and Asian models that the US didn't get.........wagons, Skylines, Defenders, AMG models, BMW M models, etc.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm glad the 'man' allows me to drive my 30 year old trucks around on public roads (THANK YOU MASSA), but there is no safety or emissions reason that a brand new gas engine LC 300 can't be driven in America legally when a 40 year old Chevrolet truck with no emissions equipment or crash structure what so ever can be registered, cheaply and easily.

 

[kendrickdlr]

The EPA is an even bigger reason why. What’s the point of giving a government agency $9 bil+ of taxpayer money a year in order to regulate the autos that can be sold in the U.S., when consumers can just buy elsewhere?

 

[onemanarmy]

One thing I don't understand, in this day and age of Lean, slim and trim manufacturing and the power of the internet and modeling......is why the automakers aren't doing everything they can to make 1 standard for the 1st world countries regarding emissions and safety. It would be mind boggling cheaper for the manufacturers, and they could still charge the same for the vehicles.....they could make so much more money and more easily shift inventory around the world as demand dictated.

And then there wouldn't be this issue.....the LC 300 would meet all the US requirements and could more easily be sold here. No separate EPA and NHTSA BS to navigate. It's world standardized from the get go.

 

[TonyP]

Producing a single vehicle for every developed country, that would suit each of their particular markets and their particular regulations, would be damn near impossible.

 

[hickuptruck]

One thing I don't understand, in this day and age of Lean, slim and trim manufacturing and the power of the internet and modeling......is why the automakers aren't doing everything they can to make 1 standard for the 1st world countries regarding emissions and safety. It would be mind boggling cheaper for the manufacturers, and they could still charge the same for the vehicles.....they could make so much more money and more easily shift inventory around the world as demand dictated.

And then there wouldn't be this issue.....the LC 300 would meet all the US requirements and could more easily be sold here. No separate EPA and NHTSA BS to navigate. It's world standardized from the get go.

They do. And they have for decades now. It's called UN World Vehicle Harmonization. Basically every other country in the world follows this except that US decided it had to be special and have NHTSA, DOT and EPA regulations. This is also the reason why manufacturers dont bring in certain vehicles to the USA because that stuff cost additional $.

 

[300blk]

They do. And they have for decades now. It's called UN World Vehicle Harmonization. Basically every other country in the world follows this except that US decided it had to be special and have NHTSA, DOT and EPA regulations. This is also the reason why manufacturers dont bring in certain vehicles to the USA because that stuff cost additional $.

And don’t forget for the longest time, California has tried to steer emissions regulations in the US.

 

[stonepa]

They do. And they have for decades now. It's called UN World Vehicle Harmonization. Basically every other country in the world follows this except that US decided it had to be special and have NHTSA, DOT and EPA regulations. This is also the reason why manufacturers dont bring in certain vehicles to the USA because that stuff cost additional $.

Big reason is that the pedestrian safety requirements and powertrain specifications. There is a reason why the Hi Lux is so damn ugly compared to the Tacoma. And the fact that large displacement V8 gas engines are few and far between in the rest of the world. If we want full size American style pickups and SUVs we can’t follow the world reqs.

 

[xtremeVA]

The USA doesn't get the LC300 but based on recent sales of the LC200 the sales would be low with a sticker pushing $100k (Heritage Edition being the exception) The USA gets 3 unique Toyota vehicles: Tacoma, 4Runner and Tundra that the rest of the world doesn't see. Most likely the Tundra will have much of the same tech as the LC300 based on both using the new Toyota TNGA platform.

Don't get me wrong I'm still at the Toyota and my 20+ year brand loyalty has significantly frayed.

 

[TonyP]

I have a sneaking suspicion the new Tundra is going to be a homerun.

 

[onemanarmy]

The USA doesn't get the LC300 but based on recent sales of the LC200 the sales would be low with a sticker pushing $100k (Heritage Edition being the exception) The USA gets 3 unique Toyota vehicles: Tacoma, 4Runner and Tundra that the rest of the world doesn't see. Most likely the Tundra will have much of the same tech as the LC300 based on both using the new Toyota TNGA platform.

Don't get me wrong I'm still at the Toyota and my 20+ year brand loyalty has significantly frayed.

The 200 didn't sell because Toyota didn't support it. No advertising, selling it next to a $20k corolla, and not offering a wider range of options/pricing. Then it doesn't sell, and Toyota uses that as an 'excuse'......it was a self fulfilling prophecy. Support and advertising and they would have sold many more. It's not the consumer or product's fault.

They CAN make a world vehicle, and most likely the 300 platform is a great example....seeing that we will most likely get a rebodied version (the LX) at some point. So it's possible and doable. The underlying structure will be the same.

Regardless of which group/country controls the most stringent designs and requirements, it would still be cheaper for the Makes to have 1 design team, 1 testing team, 1 C-suite, 1 engineering team, 1 drivetrain team to make cars and trucks in 1 office. They don't HAVE to selll F150s and monster Raptors in Vietnam, but they could if they wanted to. They can still design and make a no airbag no seat belt car for Cambodia. No one is stopping them. It's just crazy that Toyota would dedicate a large complex team to build the Surf/Hilux/fortuner in one country and then have a redundant full team in another country building the 4runner/tacoma/GX. Just build to world standards. The models could be cheaper for everyone based on scale. Just leave some off 'options' for countries that don't need cameras and leather and bells/whistles and all that BS. The underlying structure is the same.

We really need a European version of the Ford Ranger and a US version of the Ford Ranger? How wasteful is that?

 

[stonepa]

The USA doesn't get the LC300 but based on recent sales of the LC200 the sales would be low with a sticker pushing $100k (Heritage Edition being the exception) The USA gets 3 unique Toyota vehicles: Tacoma, 4Runner and Tundra that the rest of the world doesn't see. Most likely the Tundra will have much of the same tech as the LC300 based on both using the new Toyota TNGA platform.

Don't get me wrong I'm still at the Toyota and my 20+ year brand loyalty has significantly frayed.

Sequoia is NA only as well.

word on the street is that the new Sequoia, built on the 2022 Tundra base, will basically become the Land Cruiser for North America.

 

[OGBeno]

Sequoia is NA only as well.

word on the street is that the new Sequoia, built on the 2022 Tundra base, will basically become the Land Cruiser for North America.

The Sequoia is not NA only.

Your second statement has almost been 100% verified by Toyota themselves. Especially with them moving Sequoia manufacture to the San Antonio plant. And pushing Tacoma manufacture completely to TMMMX.