Importing B5 RS4
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1st Gear
Joined: Nov 2005
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Importing B5 RS4
I know this is a strange question, it might not be very practical but how difficult would it be to import a B5 RS4 from Europe. Import it to the U.S. It's not a car I would have for a few years and then sell but a car I want to keep for a very long time. I love the car. I know a guy that has an Importing license and I think he could do it. What kind of price do you guys think I would be looking at? Thanks a lot!
Jeff Dalman
Jeff Dalman
1st Gear
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 55
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RE: Importing B5 RS4
its not just the cost of importing it alone, what you will have to deal with is getting it emissions legal.. i dont know how close it is already, or what needs to be done to do so, but im sure your looking at more than just a couple of cats, probably some re-tuning..
Senior Administrator
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 13,574
From: Lotsa places, currently Metro D.C., USA
RE: Importing B5 RS4
Not just emissions, DOT (dept of transp) as well. Plus, when it hits the docs, stateside, you hafta post a bond for something like 3X the cars bluebook value (not purchase price). And, if it doesn't PASS the emissions and DOT cert (glass, headlights, bumpers, doors, and 100 other little things that are required by US law, but not by European stnadards) they CRUSH it (literally), and you get 0 (zero) dollars back.
Grey market imports ain't easy. If it were EVERYbody would be doing it. The bar is set WAAAAAYYYYY high, for a reason. They DON'T want people importing their own cars.
Or, you could import it as a race car (off road vehicle), and, once it's here, swap the vins and register it (semi) legally. If you're planning on keeping it forever, this might be a viable option, since you'd never be able to find anyone to buy it, once you explained what you did to get it registered. People'd be wondering what other shady things you may have done with the car, and if your fantastical story made any sense, and back out of the deal...
If you go the legit route, remember, that you will have to own the car for some number of years before you could legally sell it, so be 1000% sure you want to go this route.
Your friend w/import license should be able to explain all this to you. I useta have the links to some federal websites, years ago. Might still. I'll troll through my favs and get back to you. Cud take a few days, so be patient.
Grey market imports ain't easy. If it were EVERYbody would be doing it. The bar is set WAAAAAYYYYY high, for a reason. They DON'T want people importing their own cars.
Or, you could import it as a race car (off road vehicle), and, once it's here, swap the vins and register it (semi) legally. If you're planning on keeping it forever, this might be a viable option, since you'd never be able to find anyone to buy it, once you explained what you did to get it registered. People'd be wondering what other shady things you may have done with the car, and if your fantastical story made any sense, and back out of the deal...
If you go the legit route, remember, that you will have to own the car for some number of years before you could legally sell it, so be 1000% sure you want to go this route.
Your friend w/import license should be able to explain all this to you. I useta have the links to some federal websites, years ago. Might still. I'll troll through my favs and get back to you. Cud take a few days, so be patient.
3rd Gear
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,680
From: San Diego
RE: Importing B5 RS4
ORIGINAL: AWDaholic
Not just emissions, DOT (dept of transp) as well. Plus, when it hits the docs, stateside, you hafta post a bond for something like 3X the cars bluebook value (not purchase price). And, if it doesn't PASS the emissions and DOT cert (glass, headlights, bumpers, doors, and 100 other little things that are required by US law, but not by European stnadards) they CRUSH it (literally), and you get 0 (zero) dollars back.
Grey market imports ain't easy. If it were EVERYbody would be doing it. The bar is set WAAAAAYYYYY high, for a reason. They DON'T want people importing their own cars.
Or, you could import it as a race car (off road vehicle), and, once it's here, swap the vins and register it (semi) legally. If you're planning on keeping it forever, this might be a viable option, since you'd never be able to find anyone to buy it, once you explained what you did to get it registered. People'd be wondering what other shady things you may have done with the car, and if your fantastical story made any sense, and back out of the deal...
If you go the legit route, remember, that you will have to own the car for some number of years before you could legally sell it, so be 1000% sure you want to go this route.
Your friend w/import license should be able to explain all this to you. I useta have the links to some federal websites, years ago. Might still. I'll troll through my favs and get back to you. Cud take a few days, so be patient.
Not just emissions, DOT (dept of transp) as well. Plus, when it hits the docs, stateside, you hafta post a bond for something like 3X the cars bluebook value (not purchase price). And, if it doesn't PASS the emissions and DOT cert (glass, headlights, bumpers, doors, and 100 other little things that are required by US law, but not by European stnadards) they CRUSH it (literally), and you get 0 (zero) dollars back.
Grey market imports ain't easy. If it were EVERYbody would be doing it. The bar is set WAAAAAYYYYY high, for a reason. They DON'T want people importing their own cars.
Or, you could import it as a race car (off road vehicle), and, once it's here, swap the vins and register it (semi) legally. If you're planning on keeping it forever, this might be a viable option, since you'd never be able to find anyone to buy it, once you explained what you did to get it registered. People'd be wondering what other shady things you may have done with the car, and if your fantastical story made any sense, and back out of the deal...
If you go the legit route, remember, that you will have to own the car for some number of years before you could legally sell it, so be 1000% sure you want to go this route.
Your friend w/import license should be able to explain all this to you. I useta have the links to some federal websites, years ago. Might still. I'll troll through my favs and get back to you. Cud take a few days, so be patient.
Senior Administrator
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 13,574
From: Lotsa places, currently Metro D.C., USA
RE: Importing B5 RS4
ORIGINAL: ocadam
You can import it as a race car? Do you have to pass any tests then?
You can import it as a race car? Do you have to pass any tests then?
Two other possibilities:
Find out what America-lite's import rules are (they're less stringent, but, if you can get it into Canada you can register in in America, because of NAFTA) and import it from there.
Import it as a prototype (IDK, but, I think you hafta have a dealer's license to do this... I'm prolly wrong, tho)
1st Gear
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 207
From: Poconos
RE: Importing B5 RS4
As far as I know the emissions in europe are more strict than America, so i doubt that would be a problem. I also saw that RS4 on ebay, wow, what a car, but money wise you might be better off finding a S4 avant (which are very rare) and doing a conversion kind of thing.
3rd Gear
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,136
From: SuFu, SoDak
RE: Importing B5 RS4
Check this if you're serious about importing a RS4
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=168179
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=168179
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