"SHARPSPEED" (SHARPSPEED)
03/27/2018 at 19:46 • Filed to: None
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"SHARPSPEED" (SHARPSPEED)
03/27/2018 at 19:46 • Filed to: None | 0
| 32 |
So I watched a Grand Tour episode with the new Ford Raptor taking on a pair of European SUVs, and the Raptor came out on top. Then Clarkson invalidaded that since the Raptor apparently isn’t sold in the U.K. and (I presumed) Eurpoe in general. Then on new Top Gear they were playing with the scary piece of hardware above and Chris Harris was lamenting that the ZL1 also won’t see Europe. I hear these and I think “The hell’s their problem? Can’t they just import them?” I always figured that all someone in Europe had to do was alter the tail lights so they had amber lights, maybe alter some of the emmisions stuff and they could import basically whatever the hell they’d want. Is it not like that? Do you guys over there have to put up with the same kind of BS like we do with our 25-year ban?
interstate366, now In The Industry
> SHARPSPEED
03/27/2018 at 20:00 |
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With the 1LE it’s the little fins on the side of the aero at the front, which violates European pedestrian safety regulations. What I don’t know is if they can import it for track-only use.
Spanfeller is a twat
> SHARPSPEED
03/27/2018 at 20:03 |
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Well.... in the case of Spain it’s a matter of how long the car is staying. I could bring my car from Mexico to Galicia (as many family members do) and if the car is a temporary import, you pay no tax (and you drive with the Mexican plates which is pretty cool), if you import it indefinitely well, it has to pass the yearly inspection, and pay road tax and import tax... whether it gets a real euro plate or not I do not know. But the import taxes account for the car being not new, so it’s not insane on a used car.
Passing emissions is also not impossible, in case of diesel for instance, the US actually has even more stringent enviromental regulations than europe; if that Raptor complies to CARB standards it could probably ace an inspection.
But that the thing, paying import taxes on a raptor makes it so expensive it’s nearly unviable unless only a raptor can do the job, nevermind importing a car whose engine is not sold in Europe in any car; imagine how much of a pain keeping up with the maintenance would be!
PS9
> SHARPSPEED
03/27/2018 at 20:04 |
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Fuck off, Clarkson. If a Europe-only SUV was kicking american ass, you’d grow a new asshole for all the shit you’d dump on the yanks.
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Spanfeller is a twat
> interstate366, now In The Industry
03/27/2018 at 20:05 |
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So dangerous and sharp I cannot believe that car has plates! and a tax disk!
DutchieDC2R
> SHARPSPEED
03/27/2018 at 20:10 |
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As far as I know, in the majority of EU countries (still including the UK), certain American verhicles can actually be bought through dealerships, albeit, through a ‘grey market’ type construction. For example, I could go to my local US Cars dealer in Rotterdam and order a ZL1. It won’t be in any booklets and/or the showroom floor, but I guarantee you, it can be ordered.
As far as the age goes, I don’t think most of the EU has any age restrictions for importing cars. I know for a fact we can import brand new cars and used cars, the biggest difference being in how much we have to pay in import taxes and so called ‘rest value’ (BPM in Holland) when importing a car.
I dont even think the amber corners are that much of a necissity (Ive seen plenty of US cars with their regular taillights/headlamps still intact). Although, that might have to do with the age of the cars imported.
I think the biggest hurdle you’d have when importing a car from the US to (in my case Holland) the EU, would be the emissions. I know for a fact that my country will slap an emissions tax on top of the import tax if you go for a gas guzzling American.
As far as Holland goes, we actually COULD import ‘whatever the hell we want’, but when looking at the financial picture, it just wouldn’t make sense. That ZL1, thats comparably much cheaper than its Euro rivals in the US, unfortunately gets taxed so hard if imported, that it wouldn’t make sense doing it unless you’re purely going for the ‘unique’ aspect of it (and don’t mind wasting a shitload of money). I love your cars (most of them) and really wouldn’t mind seeing more of them driving around, unfortunately, my government has quite a different opinion on that matter.
(this is mostly speaking for Holland, since I live here)
Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
> SHARPSPEED
03/27/2018 at 20:11 |
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IDK, but I do know Harris has personally imported a 5th gen Z28.
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Spanfeller is a twat
> DutchieDC2R
03/27/2018 at 20:18 |
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My “town” in galicia is filled with temp imports, cars with Mexican and californian plates just litter the landscape.... also tax exempt cars for tourists.
The red plated cars in Spain; they pay no taxes at all (not even VAT) but you can only use them six months a year... I mean, whose gonna check that?
certainly you might think you’re only allowed to insure them for six months a year but again, no... our family runs cars like that (how dare we pay for infrastructure!) because we don’t live there and if we go in winter or in summer it doesn’t matter; we pay more for two policies a year than one every year so we insure them for the entire year despite using them 3 or 4 months a year.
in the case of my slk; it’s so old that we got it the (they call them Nacional) normal plates because the red plates need to be renewed yearly
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DutchieDC2R
> Spanfeller is a twat
03/27/2018 at 20:21 |
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Sounds like a valhalla of all sorts of makes and types of cars. I see your pictures come by every now and then and am amazed at the variety of cars, from new Renaults to old Peugeots and Fiats to the newest Chevy’s and Dodge’s, you name it.
Could your town in Galicia actually be the automotive paradise we’ve all been looking for...?..:P
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Spanfeller is a twat
> DutchieDC2R
03/27/2018 at 20:28 |
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Oh but that’s in Mexico City....
In Galicia I’ve seen all sorts of cars though, we live a few KM away from Avion,Ourence: a rich municipality of immingrants. So it’s normal that during the year’s festivities (San Roque) the traffic can be made out of a Mercedes sl600 behind a Panamera behind a classic seat 600 because the g63 is struggling to park between my car and a Jaguar XKR....
So yeah, pretty common townie stuff. Granted Avion and my municipality are the most conservative places in Spain.... fun, can’t imagine why.
Avion is the second municipality in Spain with the most tax exempt cars only rivaled by Madrid. I’ve seen aventadors, 458s, 488s, huracans, rolls royces, classic mustangs, I see a Camaro with California plates everytime I grab the B road to the highway, etc.
Most of the temp imports in Galicia are like Mercedes c250s from Monterrey or like Jeep wranglers JKs.
We’re also friends with some very nice people that lend me interesting cars, like a 458, and hopefully I amass sufficient trust so that they let me drive their 993 turbo.
I’ll go this summer and let ya’ll know :)
Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
> SHARPSPEED
03/27/2018 at 20:28 |
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Top gear explained in the episode that the ZL1 1LE is banned because it doesn’t meet European pedestrian crash safety standards. You can buy a regular ZL1 though without issue but if you want a 1LE you can’t drive it legally on the roads
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Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
> Spanfeller is a twat
03/27/2018 at 20:31 |
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Pedestrian crash standards have changed a lot since the XKRS-GT came out in 2012. That said the 1LE dive planes stick out a good 3 inches from the outside of the bumper. The XKRS-GT don’t stick outside the bumper at all as they are more inboard
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DutchieDC2R
> Spanfeller is a twat
03/27/2018 at 20:34 |
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You lucky, lucky bastard. Sounds like Monaco of Mexico (which, in turn, sounds funny, Monaco of Mexico.....:P).
We have a small town in Belgium that is a bit like that (Knokke-Heist). Filled with luxo-barges. Not so much classics, but you could spot the occasional classic Ferrari/Porsche.
I cant wait for your content, do love me some 993 turbo write-ups (will there be video too?..:D)....
SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
> SHARPSPEED
03/27/2018 at 20:35 |
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Regardless of the sheer impracticality (both financial and otherwise) there is also the small matter of GM’s utter abandonment of Europe. There simply are no official imports of GM vehicles anymore...yes you can go grey BUT would you buy any sort of new GM vehicle without a warranty?
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Spanfeller is a twat
> Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
03/27/2018 at 20:44 |
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Well, those are mostly for mass market cars, having an imported vehicle with those is probably a legal grey area anyway. At least colloquially I’ve seen new jeeps with bull bars and pickup trucks with bullbars in Spain without issue; they pass the yearly inspections all the time. Passing the first year’s inspections is probably the critical point with imported cars.
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SHARPSPEED
> SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
03/27/2018 at 20:46 |
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Could ask the same to all the fools here in Americaland would wanna import an Alfa.
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SHARPSPEED
> interstate366, now In The Industry
03/27/2018 at 20:48 |
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Couldn’t you just remove them and be cool? On the 1LE it looks like they’re just screwed on and not actually molded into anything. Then again if I knew anything I wouldn’t be here asking questions.
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Spanfeller is a twat
> DutchieDC2R
03/27/2018 at 20:48 |
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“You lucky, lucky bastard. Sounds like Monaco of
Mexico
Galicia”
FIFY.
Fun cars in Mexico, I can spot perhaps in San Pedro when I visit family in Monterrey, and maybe in Pedregal, a fancy neighborhood here. But generally my spotting takes place in Galicia.
But we need to remember we’re not driving gods, like I suspect this (probably) Mexican-Galician person discoverd while driving their tax excempt car through a small city
Yes, it sounds like shit... like a broken vaccum, but a mesmerizing car.
I’ll have a lot of free time in summer to do that!
Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief
> interstate366, now In The Industry
03/27/2018 at 20:50 |
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This is a Camero though. Not a Mustang. Pedestrians should be just fine.
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Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief
> Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief
03/27/2018 at 20:50 |
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Lol autocorrect. Camaro. Jesus.
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SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
> SHARPSPEED
03/27/2018 at 20:59 |
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There is a main Alfa Romeo importer in the USA and a factory warranty. So not quite the same situation... regardless of the qualities of modern Alfa’s.
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Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
> Spanfeller is a twat
03/27/2018 at 21:08 |
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Those are aftermarket additions though. It’s not the same as passing euro crash testing from the factory
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Spanfeller is a twat
> Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
03/27/2018 at 21:15 |
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But an imported car doesn’t need to pass crash testing regs because its an individually imported car, as I said those regs you refer to are probably geared to mass market cars.... I don’t know the laws for importing them through dealers as Dutchie has said it could be done in Holland, but it remains true that the EU big brother won’t ask you to remove those aerodynamic fins. Gas at 1.5 euros a liter or more might force you to though!
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Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
> SHARPSPEED
03/27/2018 at 21:16 |
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You could but then it would just be the regular ZL1 which is legal in europe
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Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
> Spanfeller is a twat
03/27/2018 at 21:19 |
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Im just going on what top gear reported along with other several news outlets
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.maxim.com/.amp/rides/why-the-camaro-zl1-is-banned-in-europe-2017-9
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interstate366, now In The Industry
> SHARPSPEED
03/27/2018 at 21:25 |
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I don’t know, am also American. They just mentioned it in passing on Top Gear and I wondered if it could be brought over as long as it never went on the road.
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Spanfeller is a twat
> Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
03/27/2018 at 21:31 |
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Right.... but top gear once claimed the 911 turbo spouted cleaner air from its tailpipe than ingested to the engine.
I love top gear, but I take their writting with a grain of salt.
But that GM boss on Liebermann’s dinner was probably making a joke about it without much thought. The car is absolutely not banned in Europe as some outlets say. Again, if you import it individually you can have all your crazy aero; I’ve seen it first hand! Plus you said it yourself with the bullbars, if GM still sold cars in europe you could just buy the car and buy the thins aftermarket; probably through a dealer!
What I’m trying to underline is that police in Europe isn’t obsessed with cars unless they are technically unsafe (flat tyre, on fire) or very pollutant. It’s not like the feds decomissioning GTRs because they were illegally imported.
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Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
> Spanfeller is a twat
03/27/2018 at 22:08 |
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The report originally came from motortrend which came straight from GM
Svend
> SHARPSPEED
03/27/2018 at 22:21 |
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You can import them okay. But you’d have to get it VOSA checked (vehicle inspectorate), who will check compliance, if it fails any area you’ll be given opportunity to correct it (which ie remove those fins on the front lower valance), you could possibly get some made to a fashion that don’t stand out as far and made on something less rigid to pass the inspection.
Once VOSA have done their checks, rated the vehicle on emissions you pay vehicle registration fee and your road tax and be on your way.
There are a number of specialised American car dealers that will handle all the issues themselves in that you tell them what you want, they look to see where they can source one the cheapest, handle the import process, etc... then you get it.
jasmits
> SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
03/27/2018 at 23:51 |
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I mean I’d rather have a GM vehicle without a warranty than a lot of the forbidden fruit we don’t get in America without one. GM’s reputation for poor quality stems more from a general feeling of cheapness(crappy plastic shit etc) than any real reliability concerns, especially anything with a V8 and a manual, the LS architecture is pretty well fleshed out at this point.
That said, agreed on the sheer impracticality, I don’t see the point. The ZL1 is awesome because of the performance for the money, if you go through the whole import process the value is kinda gone.
wafflesnfalafel
> SHARPSPEED
03/27/2018 at 23:59 |
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Just ship it through Russia and bring your pocket book
RT
> SHARPSPEED
03/28/2018 at 04:18 |
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Well, that didn’t stop Chris Harris importing a Camaro for personal use.
See RCR’s Stagea review. You can import anything to the UK so long as you deal with the additional cost and paperwork it all entails, no 25 year rule here.
US-market cars are still pretty rare, but I’ve still seen a few Hellcats, Corvettes, Escalades and last-gen Mustangs - so imports are possible. The main drawback other than size and cost is the fact that US cars aren’t right-hand-drive, so that may have a part to play. There’s more JDM imports around here, after all, those are right-hand-drive.
Also, I’ve even seen someone import a LeBaron.
Nauraushaun
> SHARPSPEED
03/29/2018 at 05:36 |
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In Australia you can import them. And people do. But you have to convert to RHD which is expensive.