Best cars for VIP style: Celsior, Cedric, Crown and LS430

The best VIP cars are big, rear-drive Japanese luxury sedans from the late 1980s to the mid-2000s. In the US, buy a Lexus LS430 or LS400. In Japan, the Celsior, Cedric, Gloria, Cima and Crown Majesta are the classics.

We picked cars on three things that matter for VIP: rear-wheel drive, full-size proportions and factory air suspension or an easy path to it. We left out front-drive sedans and cars without a real following in the scene.

The quick comparison

Car	Years	Engine	Factory air suspension	Recent price
Toyota Celsior / Lexus LS400	1989–2000	4.0-liter V8 (1UZ-FE)	Yes, top grades	$3,050–$46,000 US
Toyota Celsior / Lexus LS430	2000–2006	4.3-liter V8 (3UZ-FE)	Yes, top grades	$8,100–$16,500 US
Nissan Cedric / Gloria (Y33, Y34)	1995–2004	3.0-liter V6, turbo optional	Not in our sources	¥1.72 million average, Japan
Nissan Cima	1988–2010	3.0 V6 turbo, 4.1 to 4.5 V8	First generation only	¥1.52 million average, Japan
Infiniti Q45	1990–2006	4.1 to 4.5-liter V8	Active suspension on Q45a	$3,300–$9,850 US
Toyota Crown Majesta	1991–2009	3.0 I6 or 4.0 to 4.3 V8	Yes, S170 C-type and S180	¥1.79 million average, Japan
Toyota Aristo / Lexus GS	1991–2005	3.0 I6, turbo in Japan; 4.0 to 4.3 V8	Not in our sources	¥2.30 million average, Japan

US figures are recent sales on CLASSIC.COM. Japan figures are Motor-Fan used-car averages across all generations listed. Full details are in each section.

Why these cars work for VIP

VIP means a luxury sedan dropped low, on wide deep-dish wheels, with enough camber to tuck them under the fenders. Our VIP style explainer covers the history.

Rear-wheel drive matters because the front wheels only steer. That leaves more room to run negative camber and wide wheels up front. Size matters because a long, flat body side is what makes the drop look dramatic.

Air suspension matters most. A car that came with air from the factory already has the plumbing, the compressor and a height-adjustable setup.

Diagram of the VIP recipe: rear view with negative camber and tucked tires, and a wheel cut in half showing lip depth and an inboard face — Drop, camber and a low-offset wheel do the work

The best VIP cars

Toyota Celsior / Lexus LS400 (1989–2000)

The car that set the template. It launched in 1989 with a 4.0-liter 1UZ-FE V8 making 242 hp, rising to 290 hp with VVT-i from 1997 (Wikipedia). Celsior C-grade cars had electronically controlled air suspension, marked by a "1" at the end of the chassis code: UCF11 or UCF21 (Japanese Wikipedia).

US prices are low for most cars. CLASSIC.COM shows 1990–94 cars selling for $3,050 to $38,000 and 1995–2000 cars for $5,100 to $46,000. The top sales are low-mileage collector cars, not project bases.

Drawback: the youngest one is now 26 years old. Budget for rubber, bushings and anything with a seal.

Toyota Celsior / Lexus LS430 (2000–2006)

The best all-rounder in the US. It has a 4.3-liter 3UZ-FE V8 with 290 hp and 320 lb-ft, rear drive and a five-speed automatic (Lexus Canada). Height-adjustable air suspension came on the US Ultra Luxury model (Wikipedia).

Clean cars sold for $8,100 to $16,500 on CLASSIC.COM in late 2026. That's very little for a car with factory air.

Drawback: air struts leak with age. Re:Rev puts the repair at $1,290 to $1,850. Many VIP builders swap to aftermarket air or coilovers anyway; our coilovers vs air suspension guide compares them.

Nissan Cedric and Gloria (Y33, Y34)

The car with "VIP" on the trim list. Nissan sold a Cedric Brougham VIP from the Y31 era, and the Y34 offered a 300VIP-Z grade (Japanese Wikipedia). The Gloria shared the Cedric's Y-series generations.

The Y33 arrived in 1995 with a 270 PS VQ30DET turbo V6 option. The Y34 ran from 1999 to 2004 with up to 280 PS, before the Fuga replaced it. In Japan, used Cedrics average ¥1.72 million and Glorias ¥1.72 million on Motor-Fan.

Drawback: none of these were sold new in the US. You import, and parts mean ordering from Japan.

Nissan Cima

The bubble-era legend. The first Cima of 1988 had electronically controlled air suspension and a 255 PS VG30DET turbo V6. It sold 36,400 cars in its first year and 129,000 in four, a craze Japan called the "Cima phenomenon" (Japanese Wikipedia).

The Y32 swapped air suspension for a hydraulic active system. The F50 of 2001 to 2010 used a 4.5-liter V8 and reached 5,120 mm long after its 2008 update.

Drawback: only the first generation has air from the factory. Motor-Fan's ¥1.52 million average also includes the 2012–2022 Y51 generation.

Infiniti Q45

A US-market cousin of the Nissan President and Cima, and the cheapest way into a big Nissan V8. The first Q45 had a 278 hp 4.5-liter V8, and the 1990 Q45a offered Full-Active Suspension (Wikipedia). The 2002–2006 car made 340 hp.

It's also the bargain here. The Q45 averages $7,841 on CLASSIC.COM, and a 2006 car sold for $9,850 in May 2026.

Drawback: the active system added 202 lb and complexity. The later cars didn't offer air suspension.

Toyota Crown Majesta

Toyota's other V8 flagship. The S150 of 1995 to 1999 used the 1UZ-FE V8, up to 280 PS with VVT-i from 1997. The S170 of 1999 to 2004 made 294 PS and had height-adjustable air suspension as standard on the C-type (Wikipedia).

The S180 of 2004 to 2009 moved to the 4.3-liter 3UZ-FE and air suspension. Motor-Fan shows a ¥1.79 million average across all generations, though that includes models up to 2018.

Drawback: 4WD versions were sold from 1992 on. Rear-drive cars are the ones to hunt for VIP.

Toyota Aristo / Lexus GS

The performance pick. The Japan-market Aristo 3.0V used the 2JZ-GTE twin-turbo six with 275 hp (Wikipedia). US buyers got the GS300, plus the 300 hp GS400 and GS430 V8s from 1998 to 2005.

It's the priciest in Japan, at a ¥2.30 million average on Motor-Fan. In the US, dealers ask $5,999 to $19,999 for second-generation GS models on CLASSIC.COM.

Drawback: it's a mid-size car. It doesn't have the length of a Celsior or Cima.

What they cost

US prices are low across the board. Only collector-grade LS400s break $30,000.

Range bars of US used prices: LS400 1990–94 $3,050–$38,000, LS400 1995–2000 $5,100–$46,000, LS430 $8,100–$16,500, Q45 $3,300–$9,850, GS $5,999–$19,999 — The LS430 has the narrowest price spread

Japanese market prices from Motor-Fan's used-car listings, all generations combined:

Model	Listings	Price range	Average
Toyota Celsior	295	¥660,000–¥4,850,000	¥1,797,000
Nissan Cedric	158	¥199,000–¥8,500,000	¥1,715,000
Nissan Gloria	165	¥249,000–¥8,800,000	¥1,718,000
Nissan Cima	210	¥450,000–¥4,693,000	¥1,515,000
Toyota Crown Majesta	333	¥460,000–¥4,335,000	¥1,793,000
Toyota Aristo	105	¥550,000–¥8,800,000	¥2,303,000

Shipping, import duty and compliance come on top. Get a landed quote before you bid.

LS430 vs Q45: the US shortlist

These are the two big V8 sedans most US buyers will find locally. The Q45 has more power. The LS430 has the air suspension and a longer wheelbase.

Spec card comparing the 2003 Lexus LS430 and Infiniti Q45 on engine, power, torque, size, weight, air suspension and recent prices — The Q45 is faster; the LS430 has factory air

Importing a Japan-only car

The US lets you import a car once it's 25 years old, counted from the date of manufacture (NHTSA). As of October 2026, that covers cars built before October 2001.

That includes every Celsior and LS400, the Y33 Cedric and Gloria, early Y34s, the Y33 Cima and early F50 Cimas. The S150 Crown Majesta and early S170s also qualify, as do Aristos built before late 2001.

How to buy a VIP base car

Decide on air or coilovers first. A factory-air car saves plumbing; a non-air car is cheaper to lower with coilovers.
Check the air suspension if it has one. Watch for a car that sags overnight or a compressor that runs constantly.
Measure the wheel arches before you buy wheels. Our stance explainer covers fitment and camber.
Pick rear drive. Avoid the 4WD Crown Majesta and Cedric variants.
Get an inspection from a specialist who knows the model, especially for imports.

Common questions

What is the best VIP car to start with in the US?

The Lexus LS430. It has a V8, rear drive, optional factory air, and recent sales between about $8,000 and $16,500.

Is the Celsior the same as the LS400?

Mostly. The Celsior was the Japanese-market version and was largely identical to the LS (Wikipedia). It came in A, B and C grades, with air suspension on the C.

Why do VIP builders prefer rear-wheel drive?

The front wheels only steer, so there's more room for camber and wide wheels. Rear drive also matches the long-hood proportions of the classic sedans.

Can I use a Lexus LS460 for VIP?

Yes, it's big and rear-drive, but it's newer and dearer. This list sticks to the classic-era cars that defined the style.

Sources

Featured image: 1991 Nissan Cedric Brougham VIP by TTTNIS (CC0). Source