Interesting, the market for the model I'm looking for has shifted in NZ and prices have become significantly lower. The same model, for a good condition low km item, is still relatively expensive in Japan.

And then I found a locally available car, with the balance of the NZ new warranty with 30 months to run, for only a little more than importing a similar vehicle.

So no import required this time.

Thanks for the advice, who knows, I could be back in the market in a few years.