What’s the Real Deal with JDM?

Happy belated Thanksgiving to my American visitors! I hope it was a good one. This week’s blog post is going to be about JDM cars, so let’s get into it! JDM is a term that everyone has heard of at least once in their life, but what does the acronym really mean? JDM or Japanese Domestic Market refers to cars that are made by Japanese companies, made within the country’s regulations. But what makes these cars so special? Keep reading to find out!

For a long time now, JDM cars have been popular in the automotive market around the world. Interestingly enough, Japanese made cars were only introduced to the American market in the mid-1970s, making them still a fairly new introduction even today. But this introduction sparked a movement – introducing drifting, tuning, and other forms of outrageous car modifications onto American streets. It also helped the economy of various countries when importing other cars from around the world started, making a very key statement crystal clear: Get an authentic car and import it into the United States. 

Where Did The Obsession for JDM Start? 

Understanding the obsession surrounding these cars today, we have to look back a little in history to really see the whole picture. Production of these super sports cars started during the 1980s, including the Toyota AE86 and the original GTR Skylines just to name a few. It was not long after this that we started to see motorsports (drifting) making their debut in the spotlight in Asia. 

To that point in history, America only really had muscle cars and expensive Exotic ones on their roads. So the Japanese cars really were the best of both worlds for them: they were affordable for Americans and held the same performance and an impressive origin of a European one. 

Checklist of Requirements for the Namesake:

JDM is (simply put) the backbone of global marketing through importing and exporting. Getting a brand new Nissan R34 Skyline from a dealership by your house is NOT considered to be JDM. Purchasing the car overseas and importing it IS. After all, it is called Japanese Domestic Market for a reason. 

It is a common mistake that people make when they refer to any Japanese built car as “JDM” but it couldn’t be any further from the truth. JDM vehicles are unique and stand out, no matter where you may be and when they are modified they really can turn into real head turners. 

Japanese automakers are very particular with their vehicles, especially when it comes to what goes into them. They are very keen about making the engines sturdier and easily upgradable, while keeping their out-of-factory numbers lower in order to keep away from horsepower competition. In fact, there is a pact that exists – known as the Gentleman’s Agreement – that prevents Japanese automakers from exceeding the 276 horsepower mark up until 2005. No car could be easily and affordably tuned to produce ridiculous horsepower numbers (we are talking four digits here), while maintaining an excellent weight balance, than a Japanese sports car produced between the 1980s and early 2000s. Unfortunately, like all good things, they don’t last forever, that is even when the government steps in.  

25 Year Requirement for JDMs 

Getting a JDM car to any part of North America is not going to prove an easy task, from the lengthy paperwork, legal requirements, and long waiting times, it can feel almost pointless at times. But once the car arrives, it will be worth the wait, I promise. One thing to keep in mind is the 25 year requirement – no car can be brought into the United States unless it is over 25-years, meeting the qualifications for an “antique” car. In Canada, the car is required to be over 15 years before it allowed to be imported.  

This does not apply to all Japanese cars however, the new Nissan Z sports car is exempted. It more refers to those that don’t conform to the the current automotive regulations, which tend to be classic cars. A few examples of now legal vehicles that were recently allowed include the 1993-95 Toyota Supra and the Nissan R32 GT-R, just to name a few. Sadly, for the rest of you, you will just have to be patient. 

We Have Entered A New Era!

Today, the JDM category is much different than what it looked like a couple of decades ago. In the early 2000s (if you were lucky enough to be old enough to drive then), cars often had an underglow, uncommon body kits, and some questionable exterior modifications (which in a sense, still stands true now). But now we have entered into a new era of JDM. The popular groups – stancing, drifting, tuning, show-cars and outright race cars – still did make the cut though, so don’t worry. No matter your choice, the community is always welcoming individuals who like to live just a little over the edge.