When you think of Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) imports, you probably think of Japanese classics, like R34 Skyline GT-Rs and Toyota Supras. And for good reason, countless incredible Japanese cars that were never sold in the United States can now be imported and it’s very exciting. However, what about non-Japanese JDM cars? This 1998 Volvo V70R was sold new in Japan and is now for sale on Bring a Trailer and it’s as intriguing as it is fresh.
With only around 35,000 miles on the odometer, this V70R didn’t even complete its original warranty mileage yet (though, it’s obviously well past its eligible warranty years), making it about as fresh a V70R as you’ll find. So fresh, in fact, that it still has plastic wrapping on its seats, with factory Volvo seat covers atop the plastic. It’s a 26-year-old car, so there are bound to be at least a few minor imperfections but, for the most part, it’s incredibly clean. This could sit in a dealership showroom today and look right at home.
However, what makes this JDM Volvo V70R so intriguing is its list of unique factory Volvo parts. It has a factory JDM Volvo navigation system, a Volvo TV tuner, and Volvo roof-mounted antennas. It also has a sport-tuned suspension with self-leveling air rear shocks, Volvo’s TRACs traction control, Volvo’s ’90s-style rear parking sensors that peak up from the rear bumper like periscopes, and a telescoping parking pole. The latter sits on the front bumper’s passenger side like an old-school telescoping radio antennae and rises at the push of a button, so drivers can better judge where the front end is while parking.
Under the hood is a turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-five-cylinder engine with 236 horsepower, a four-speed automatic, and viscous-coupling all-wheel drive.
A clean example of a ’98 Volvo V70R as fresh as this one would be desirable for most car nerds. However, a JDM-spec one with incredible unique ’90s options and right-hand drive is the dream of countless mega-car nerds. There are three days left on the auction and the current bid is at $4,166, so if you’re interested in this quirky snapshot in Volvo’s JDM history, you can still take a relatively cheap shot at it.
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