This past weekend was spent thinking about one thing. Roadsters!!! Yes, I’ve confirmed that I’ll be getting delivery of my RHT on June 15th, a month ahead of schedule. Now I’m all excited and can’t focus on anything else. When I get my car you’ll be seeing lots of photos but I promise not to go crazy and make all you non car people bored to death.
On Saturday, I was having lunch with some friends when they noticed this sign. It’s for a company called “Roadster” although it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the car. The company does interior renovation research. Whatever that is. I wonder if the owner is a Roadster enthusiast or not.
On Sunday, I got up early and headed down to Yokohama where I met up with Tim to help him buy a used NR-Limited. It’s a sweet car and I had a lot of fun negotiating with the sales guy. Buying a car is so much fun, even if it isn’t yours. I could do this everyday! Although the paperwork is a drag. We haggled for about 2 hours and then finally settled on an offer which was good cause I was getting hungry. After a late lunch, I walked around the area before heading to the station. It’s been a while since I’ve wandered around Yokohama but one thing that struck me was how dasai (gaudy) everyone was. Compared to Tokyo that is. Has it always been like this or was it because it’s the weekend and all the unhip people from the rural areas have come for shopping? The worst of 1990s fashion, on parade.
Cool. It’s so nice to have a great new car. Enjoy.
Once upon a time I had a really slick turbo-charged New Beetle. But that was before the local gov’ts in the USA decided to start seizing peoples’ cars for speeding. So much for freedom…….
Roy, I definitely _won’t_ be bored with pics of the new car. The more the merrier I say. ;-)
You’ve convinced me to test-drive the same setup down here in Oz (paddle-shift auto PRHT), in fact.
Wife is yet to be convinced - who knows? maybe test-drive will change her mind.
So, I look forward to getting your reports on the car.
Ben.
Lucky to get the new toy in June.
I hope it would not rain on the delivery day.
Its funny, I’ve been seeing more and more Roadsters/Miatas every where I go. I think this must be a sign as to what my next vehicle purchase will be. It was the same way when I bought my truck.
The car in the last two pictures has a special license plate. Something I have not seen before. What does this plate indicate?
Mike, roadster is the perfect for driving like a sports car within legal limits.
Ben, let your wife test drive it. She’ll be converted.
Kamepo, pray for good weather.
Leo, it’s a sign.
J., those are dealer plates.
I can testify that Roy is a remarkable fellow. And it was a great adventure to visit a Mazda dealer with him. The moments of silence as he let the dealer wait. Was it an act? Was it brinkmanship? Was it deep thought? All I know; I was witnessing something that will take a chapter in my memoirs. I owe him much. Ride on, Roy.
Hi,
I’m a new reader from the US here. Great site!
I was wondering if you could tell us a little more about the negotiation process in Japan. It can get pretty ugly here in the States. There’s the expectation that you can buy the car for “invoice price” and very little trust between seller and salesman.
A few years ago, Mazda miscalculated the hp on the Miata, and had to revise all their official numbers. A Mazda salesman I went to tried to tell me that it was because the car was heavier than the previous version!
Thanks.
Hey Roy,
How much?
Thanks
How much what?
Another Ben, buying a car here is not unlike buying a car anywhere else in the world, I suppose. There seems to be more consistency about price between dealers though because all dosmetic cars are made to order so the manufacturers control the price. Dealers use financing and dealer options as the main weapon of negotiation.