JDM

I was recently driving over the Lion's Gate Bridge when I was shocked to see a tall, boxy blue van coming the other way, apparently piloted by a large Golden Retriever with a decidedly unconcerned human passenger on his right. Now, I'm not about to suggest that a Golden Retriever can't drive at least as well as some of the human drivers I've run across (or nearly run into), but it did come as a bit of a shock.

As I headed into the loop for Marine Drive, I began idly imagining what traffic would be like if dogs really could drive: falling asleep in roundabouts, constantly tailgating, always parked in front of fire hydrants. More importantly though, I was inspired to do a little research on those right-hand-drive Japanese imports (for that, of course, was what the van was) that seem to becoming more and more common, especially on the North Shore.

Transport Canada has very strict rules about the importation of vehicles, especially when it comes to safety regulations. Any vehicle that's been built to meet safety regulations other than Canada's can't simply be altered and then imported. However, an exemption currently exists where a vehicle that is fifteen years old or older may be brought into the country.

There's a few extra hoops to be jumped through, such as the installation of daytime running lights, a thorough mechanical inspection that may reveal expensive compliance issues, and naturally there's duties and taxes to be paid.

So why would anyone go to all the trouble (and considerable expense) of importing a 1992-or-older vehicle? After fifteen years, there might be a lot of life left in that Camry or Civic, but what possible reason could someone have for paying three or four times the market price for one with its steering wheel on the wrong side?

The fact is, most of the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) vehicles that are showing up on our shores are nothing like the Hondas, Nissans and Toyotas you can buy here already. There's the Porsche-munching Skyline GT-R, nick-named Godzilla for its monstrous twin-turbo power and all-wheel-drive grip. There's the bulbous and quirky S-Cargo micro-van, with its frog-eyed headlights and snail-motif floormats. There are even modernized versions of the original Austin Mini that were still available overseas, long after the brand was discontinued here.

Even cars that are similar to the ones we have here tend to be better value. Japanese vehicles tend to have much lower mileage than North American vehicles of similar age, due to the high population density of Japan, and a more developed public transit network. A domestic mid-nineties low-mileage Mazda RX-7 might fetch over twenty thousand dollars, whereas the JDM import might be under ten thousand.

Most commonly spotted in North Shore neighbourhoods are the diesel-powered Toyota Landcruisers and four-wheel-drive Mitsubishi Delica vans, similar to the one I saw coming over the bridge. With all that reliable diesel torque, van-sized utility and major off-road abilities, they seem perfectly suited to our outdoors lifestyle and slippery hills.

Still, right-hand-drive vehicles don't necessarily suit everyone's needs. Sure it's ridiculously easy to deliver your Christmas cards, but making turns (especially right-hand turns) can be a challenge. Because JDM vehicles have been designed to travel on the left side of the road, their headlights are aimed opposite to ours, and it can be tricky to drive at night. Furthermore, you may experience excessive carpet wear as your left-seat passengers reflexively try to stomp an imaginary brake pedal through the floor.

Most importantly, there's a huge and hairy fly currently buzzing around the ointment and preparing to plunge in. Transport Canada is currently in the middle of a closed-door review regarding these grey-market imports, and is considering closing the loophole that allows them to be imported. Under the new rules, only cars that are twenty-five years old or older would be eligible for importation, and there is no word whether already imported vehicles would still be allowed on the road.

ICBC has recently released a study indicating that right-hand-drive vehicles are forty percent more likely to be involved in an accident than left-hand-drive vehicles. This report, combined with a high cost of repair and limited availability of replacement parts is bad news for the JDM import.

Still, newly formed organizations of JDM enthusiasts and importers are currently lobbying Transport Canada to work out a way to keep these quirky and practical vehicles on the road, and they may yet be successful.

After all, every dog has his day.