Our variety of cars
New Zealand's huge variety of cars comes down to its wild history with Japanese Domestic Market
(JDM) imports. Back in the late 1980s, the government loosened import rules, and suddenly heaps
of affordable, high-quality cars started flooding in straight from Japan, everything from rare performance
models to turbo hatchbacks to iconic sports cars. This made owning a decent car way more accessible for everyone,
and it also kickstarted a massive local tuning scene. Basically, it's why Kiwis are so obsessed with JDM styling
and performance to this day.
Popular Modifications
A car's stance and wheel fitment are very important, and people do not hesitate to spend considerable amounts of money on coilovers,
camber kits, and JDM wheels to have their cars look the way they should. The engine modifications are just as prevalent,
with things such as turbos, intercoolers, exhausts, and ECU modifications all being popular ways to make an already good platform perform
even better. The interior mods also matter, as can be seen from many Bride and Recaro seats, quick release steering wheels, and boost gauges
used in modified cars. Parts are bought at import yards, on the internet, and directly from Japan, and many New Zealand modders
prefer to do all the work themselves and save some money this way.
These are some popular modifications:
- A few enthusiasts want to show off their cars
- They post on social media
- The community shows up