gobbledonk

OK - I accept that Malaysia has its own car industry to protect, and we tried to something similar here in Oz for many years - we are now at the point where Ford are leaving and GM are still holding a gun to various politician's heads - in short, most taxpayers here have had enough.

I turned on the telly tonite to hear that some crazy in the US is selling a testicle to medical science to get the 32K USD he needs for a new Nissan 370Z - a quick check online confirmed that the same car can be had locally for under 60K AUD - for a fully imported, low volume sports car that's not bad.

For reasons best known to themselves, Nissan Malaysia seem to have persisted with the 'Fairlady' suffix we dropped in Oz somewhere in the 60s, but I'm confident that this is the same car:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAgwoImpz4s

I know that imported cars are ridiculously expensive in Thailand, particularly sports cars, but ~400K MYR for one of these is nothing short of highway robbery. I assume that this is the consequence of some sort of luxury tax being levied on those who, by Malaysian standards, are seen as 'filthy rich' ?

I guess we take the good with the bad, but I'll take Hyundai over Proton any day - just sayin'

gobbledonk

This is where I got the Malaysia price from:

http://www.expat.com.my/Nissan%20Fai...20Malaysia.htm

Google gives me a lot of prices for used cars in Malaysia - new seems harder to track down.

Bluenose1

Nope, I don't think it is a "luxury" tax per se. It is all about own-brand protectionism. Proton is wholly state-owned. All foreign-brand cars (even if they are predominantly manufactured here) are very expensive in Malaysia. Imported cars even more so.

gobbledonk

Thanks bluenose1. I know it evens out very quickly when you look at real estate prices between, say, KL - Singapore - Sydney

bakedbean

You could get MM2H and get a tax free car

InVinoVeritas

Here is a link for the prices of new, locally assembled cars:-

http://migratemalaysia.com/2013-mm2h-car-price-list/

gobbledonk

Thanks for the link and the info guys.

JC3

For that sort of money, I'd be tempted to buy a Bufori La Joya, hand made here in Malaysia.
See: www.bufori.com/en/mk3lajoya_intro.htm

JC3

InVinoVeritas

I like it - but how much?

Those rear lights look familiar - are they from a Jag XJ6?

JC3

About RM500,000. Cheaper for MM2H buyers.
I don't know about the lights, sorry.

JC3

geedee

Hand made here in Malaysia.... what's the warranty? A month?

gobbledonk

Read 'Most Popular Import Items to Malaysia' at the top of this page:

http://www.dutycalculator.com/countr...into-Malaysia/

Other countries list laptops or clothes - clearly, Malaysians love their cars, despite the astronomical cost. At least you seem to have decent roads to drive on, compared to the goat tracks we have to endure in this wide, brown land.

InVinoVeritas

Interesting. Don't forget you are also paying about 40% more for your petrol to drive on those goat tracks!

ajw

Hahahaha! I don't even know where to start with this. Hope you don't get too much of a nasty shock if/when you move here.

gobbledonk

ajw, I wont arrive in Penang until April next year, and my immediate priority is trying to find a 6-month lease : I'll get back to you re. the roads after I've had more experience on the island. Till then, we both know the Pacific Highway is a joke as are many of the roads in our cities - with the exception of KL, I've had a dream run on every bus or cab trip I've taken in Malaysia.