Toyota Chaser for Sale - Import from Japan

The Toyota Chaser never got the Western spotlight—too quiet, too clean. But in Japan, particularly in Tourer V spec, it earned its stripes sideways on mountain passes and smoke-filled drift circuits. Born in 1977, the Chaser was always a more mature counterpart to the Cressida and Cresta, but everything changed by the JZX81 era and climaxed in the 1998-2001 JZX100 Tourer V. Here, Toyota packed in the legendary 1JZ-GTE engine with single turbo and VVT-i, paired it with rear-wheel drive, a Torsen limited-slip differential, stiffened multi-link suspension, and gave it optional 5-speed R154 gearbox. The result? A luxury-lined rocket that could out-slide an S13 and outrun most naturally aspirated sports cars of its time. Today, this chassis is no longer a secret. From Ebisu's drift loops to highways of Poland and New Zealand, the JZX100 is everywhere—but always with the same story: somebody saw one, heard the spool, and never looked at BMWs the same way again.

The heart of this machine is Toyota’s bombproof 1JZ-GTE—an inline-six turbocharged engine pushing a factory-rated 280 PS (just under 276 hp) with torque peaking around 38-40 kgm. You’ll feel the delivery around 3,500 RPM: a rapid rise, clean turbo whistle, then raw straight-six growl as the CT15B spools to full boost. The Tourer V’s rear-drive layout, paired with a factory Torsen LSD, transforms straight line confidence into corner-slaying aggression. Steering is hydraulic and surgically precise. You almost forget you're in a four-door car until you glance over and see an empty passenger seat where the child seat used to be. Its R154 transmission (in manual cars) clicks with mechanical positivity. Downshifting is an act of joy—rev match, throttle blip, reward. Want drifty euphoria? Disable traction, enter a second-gear sweeper, and let the JZ unit unwind. This thing makes skate parks of roundabouts. And reliability? With oil-fed turbo care, timing belt managed, and an upgraded supercharger pulley if needed (on auto models), you're left with one of Japan's most durable engines ever built.

Here's the cold truth: the days of $5,000 Chaser shells are over. JZX100s—especially Tourer Vs—are rapidly appreciating. Why? Because people have finally caught on. Drift teams want them. Collectors wisened up. And daily drivers realize it’s the only sedan that can do school runs and track days. Demand exploded in the U.S. and UK as more models cleared import laws. In 2025, most stock is hovering around Grade 3.5 to 4 at auction, with only 1 in 10 units having a clean underbody and stock engine. Japan’s dealer lots? Saturated with lowered, bumper-scraping, heavily modded specimens. That's why real buyers look to auctions—and that's where ZervTek comes in. Whether you're importing to Europe, the U.S., or New Zealand, we tap directly into Japan’s auction houses and private networks. Want clean, factory examples with full grading sheets and undercarriage photos? We get eyes on them before anyone else. And it’s not just for the Chaser. If you’re weighing pros and cons of importing to the UK or figuring out the cost of importing a JDM car, we’ve broken it down, turbopipes and all.

You sit low, dash wide, shifter close. The interior is classic late ‘90s Toyota—hard plastics where it matters, velour seats that cling during lateral Gs, and a cluster that lights up clean and simple. The whole vibe? Understated performance. On the move, suspension sits firmly planted; cracks and bumps translate with clarity. In comfort mode via TEMS suspension, it’s bearable. In sport, it firms up just enough to keep your lines tight but won’t knock fillings loose. Three mechanical must-knows: 1. Overheating turbos can lead to oil starvation—CT15B units need proper cooldown. 2. Timing belt service is non-negotiable—snaps kill valves. Do it at 100,000 km. 3. Early electronic throttles (ETCS) are known to throw codes. Easy fix if caught early. But the payoff? Infinite tuning headroom, incredible daily usability, and that joy of having something nobody at cars & coffee fully understands... until they Google the badge.