When Pakistan Switched from JDM to Mercedes, BMW, and Audi
By The Community
Disclaimer: For informational purposes only. We do not encourage illegal activity.
Remember When It Was All About Japan?
RX7s. Supras. 350Zs. That was the dream….those were the cars that everyone wanted…affordable and powerful
Then something changed.
Around 2018 or 2019, the JDM market started getting expensive. A Supra that cost 30 lakh NCP suddenly became 50 (now theyre at 90) . An RX7 became a collector’s item and Custom paid cars even skyrocketed , 350Z was 27 lakh some years ago…now the market starts around 85 for a clean car. The cheap days were fading.
But the hunger for cars didn’t go away. It just switched brands.
Welcome to the German invasion.
How It Started
Japanese cars began climbing in price. Auctions got competitive. The easy NCP JDMs weren’t so easy anymore.
Meanwhile, in Japan hanji yes, Japan , German cars were sitting at auction for cheap. People in Japan don’t buy used German luxury cars the way they used to. Depreciation hits hard. A 2007 E-Class that cost millions of yen new? In Japan, it becomes a 600,000 yen car.
Now add the NCP route. No customs duty. Just the cost of the car, shipping, and a few bribes along the way.
Suddenly, a Mercedes is cheaper than a Mark X.
And Pakistan noticed.
The Numbers (Real Examples)
Let me give you some real figures.
An NCP C63? Around 50 lakh. A Porsche Panamera NCP? Around 40 lakh. A base E-Class W211 with air suspension, full option , E230 I think someone was selling one for 600,000 rupees. Six hundred thousand.
Think about that. For the price of a mehran, you could be driving an E-Class with air suspension. Yes, it’s an older car. Yes, it’s high maintenance, Yes its ncp and can only stay in designated areas…But the badge. The presence. The leather.
People took the risk.
What’s Coming In
Everything German is fair game.
Mercedes SLK. SL. E-Class. C-Class. BMW 3 Series, 5 Series, even M5s. Audi A4, A6. And Porsches especially the Panamera.
The model years aren’t new, but they’re not ancient either. Think early 2000s to early 2010s. The era when German cars were built solid but electronics were starting to get complicated.
That complication? It’s the catch (This was an original M5 E60 NCP , wonder where now)
Why So Cheap?
Two reasons.
First, auction prices in Japan for used German cars are very low. The Japanese domestic market doesn’t value them highly. They’re not seen as special. So they sit at auction with low starting bids.
Second, the NCP route means no customs duty. You’re only paying for the car, shipping, and the underground logistics. That keeps the final price shockingly low compared to a legal import or a local used German car.
But cheap to buy doesn’t mean cheap to own.
The Dark Side
Here’s where the dream meets reality.
German cars are complex. Electronics fail. Parts are expensive if you can find them at all. Not every mechanic in Pakistan knows how to diagnose a BMW with 30 different control modules.
Like the Range Rovers , the suspension bags are soooo expensive!
Some owners scrap the car. Some part it out. Some send it back to the border and take the loss in NCP , but the thing is most of these NCPs are used as parts donor cars usually by people who own the same models custom paid.
Others get lucky. Find a specialist. Spend the money. Keep it alive.
But it’s a gamble every time.
The Buyer Profile
Who’s buying these German NCPs?
Not the same crowd as JDM enthusiasts. The JDM guy wants performance, heritage, a connection to Japanese car culture.
The German NCP buyer? Often someone who wants luxury for cheap. A badge. A presence. Comfort. They might not even know what an M156 engine is. They just see a Mercedes for the price of a Corolla.
And sometimes, that works out. Sometimes it doesn’t.
There’s also a small group of dedicated German specialists in Pakistan mechanics who’ve learned these cars inside and out. They keep the scene alive. Respect to them.
Customs and the German Blind Spot
Are German NCPs targeted less than JDMs?
Yes and no.
Customs knows about the 350Z problem. They know about the RX7s and Supras. Those cars have profiles. They’re on the radar.
German sedans? They blend in. An E-Class looks like any other E-Class. A 5 Series doesn’t scream “NCP” the way a Supra does, many made it to mainstream cities as well and the thing is that I remember a case where a E60 5 series was caught in ISB but was in possession of a police officer and discovered being fixed at a workshop…people were not happy.
But when a Panamera gets flagged, that’s different. A Porsche attracts eyes. Same with an M5 or a C63. The flashy ones get noticed but M5 and C63….conversion se kia kia nahein possible huh?
So the smart German NCP owners keep it subtle. No loud exhausts. No crazy wraps. Just a clean, quiet luxury car that doesn’t ask for attention and usually kept in a less strict area like south punjab or sindh….AND NOT LAHORE , ISLAMABAD , KARACHI and such.
The Clearing Game
Are people clearing German NCPs?
Some are. But it’s not as common as with JDMs.
The cost to clear a German car can be higher not because the process is different, but because the car’s value in Pakistan is higher once cleared. A legal C63 commands serious money. So the bribe scale goes up uper se gari exotic hai kinda.
Most German NCP owners just run the risk. Keep the car in areas where enforcement is light. Avoid checkpoints. Pray. (yes this is a huge reality , more on that sometime later , i feel like too much NCP content….this might be the last article on that)
Regional Differences
Where are German NCPs most common?
Quetta, as always, is the hub. But they’re spreading.
Islamabad has its share tucked away in sectors where no one asks questions. Lahore too. Karachi, more risky because customs is active all these places have NCP germans in good quantity but especially South Punjab and Sindh cities….like Hyderabad and such…
Peshawar? Less than JDMs, but growing. The same networks that brought 350Zs now bring E-Classes.
The Future
Will this trend continue?
Probably. As JDMs get even more expensive, German cars will keep looking attractive.
But there’s a limit. The older German cars are getting older. Parts are getting harder to find. The ones that are still running are either very well maintained or barely hanging on.
Eventually, the cheap supply from Japan will dry up. Or customs will crack down harder. Or another amnesty scheme will change the math.
For now, the German invasion is real. Quiet, but real.
A Small Request
If you own a German NCP and it’s running well please take care of it. Find a good mechanic. Use the right oil. Don’t beat on it.
These cars are not Civics. They need love.
And if you’re thinking of buying one? Do your homework. Check the auction sheet. Find out what common problems are. Have a mechanic lined up before you hand over the cash.
Otherwise, that 600k E-Class might become a 600k paperweight.
What’s Next?
This is the third chapter in our NCP series. The first was how cars get in. The second was the 350Z invasion. The third is the Germans.
There’s more. The Supra controversy. The supercars. The seizure graveyards. This topic albata will only be continued on the reader’s request….until then…this is the last article for the NCP game…
Let us know what you want next. Comment or DM.
The Truth
The German invasion isn’t flexy lol. It’s not drift clips. It’s quiet and unnoticing, rolling through checkpoints with tinted windows rolled down , straight faces and a prayer.
Some of these cars will last for years. Some will die in a garage, too expensive to fix. Some will get seized and join the 350Zs in customs yards.
But for now, they’re here. More than you think. And they’re not going away.
THE FULL EXPERIENCE
The Carnama magazine, A benchmark of car culture in Pakistan….
Special Thanks
To the mechanics who keep these cars alive. To the owners who took the risk. And to the German engineers who made things complicated enough to scare off most people.
From all of us who were there, and all of us who still are.