Moving to London, how to buy US Spec

[gq6967]

Evening everyone, hope all are having a great V-Day.

A lot of things are "up in the air" at moment so wanted to get everyone’s view on the below.

Also this is my first post so look forward to learning form everyone here. So far I enjoy the atmosphere of this forum. ha-ha I have belonged to others when I owned other cars and things can get quite childish for no reason.

No I do not have an R8, I currently live in Washington DC. While I make very good money, living in a nice place and in this city takes up enough of that money an R8 it too much of a reach. I currently have a CLK 550 Coupe which is not my favorite car, but the money off was too good to pass on it.

Anyway here is the situation, I am currently hoping to accept a job that is just north of London. I will still be working for a US company and exempt from any UK taxes (other than obviously if I buy something there) and up to 87k of my salary is exempt from US taxes (as long as I stay out of US longer than 330 days).

With the tax saving as well as quite an expected raise in pay in general for this position. I can finally afford the R8. Though also in the "want" car list is the CTS-V, and GT-R.

My question is How best to buy a US Spec car with these factors;
1) To buy it in Dollars not in LBs or Euros
2) European delivery state no longer than 6 months or a 14% V.A.T.
3) To be able to pick it up at Germany plant, not just buy it in US then ship it out there.

So the above are concerns, but since I bought 3 Audis from my dealership here last year. I am "first" in line for the RS5 once released, which nowhere near an R8 is still going to be an awesome car.

[gq6967]

Also any words of advice on living in UK would be nice as well.

[R8 England]

You can order a left hand drive car from Audi (UK). You will have to add the spec you want. Whether you can get the US rear lights (different to European) to special order, I do not know.

If you buy in Uk, you will have to pay in Pounds. If you buy in Europe you will have to pay in Euros. Buying in UK is cheaper for you at present due to the weak Pound.

You cannot avoid sales tax !!! You can have it shipped from Germany to US as a private import, but you will have to pay whatever US taxes are on arrival.

If you want to drive it away, it will have to be registered and insured in Germany, UK or otherwise, and you will have to pay the VAT (sales tax). The only sales that are VAT exempt are for diplomats. So, if you are a US diplomat working in UK, it will be tax free, otherwise not.

You can also buy late model used R8's in UK. Expect to pay GBP £65,000 - US $100,000 for a car 6-12 months old with 6,000 - 9,000 miles on it.

[Bodhii]

If you are a USA national in UK for just a year, you may be able to do this... You are indeed allowed under EU law to drive the newly delivered car without an EU country's registration for 6 months using only the new car's original documentation. By the end of that period you must have either registered the car in an EU country and paid their taxes, or you must have shipped the car to the USA...or...

Maybe this will work; maybe not. Just before the 6 month deadline, using the mail, you could have registered the new car in the USA, in your home state, and paid all USA taxes and registration fees, and have another 6 months to use the car in the EU. Once the car has USA tags and registration, the EU will now see this as a completely different car. And you would now have a full 6 months to drive a USA title and registered car owned by a US citizen in Europe for 6 months without changing its registration.

Of course this could happen only if your home residence is in a US state and city that does not require a physical car inspection. Also having the vehicle's original documents coming direct from Germany and not from a US car dealer, my trigger the need for a physical inspection. Physical inspection is always mandatory on new registrations for used cars, but I have never seen it with the registration of a new car.

A few years ago I shipped my USA registered Porsche for almost a full year to the EU. Then the EU gave us a full year to drive our cars without new EU registration.( maybe double check that this grace period has indeed been changed on US registered and titled cars. It may still be a full year. New car European pickup has always been just 6 mo.) I had my own great car to drive and track on all the dream hiways and raceways in Europe. And then I shipped my Porsche back home after 11 months. Shipping each way was under $2000, which is much less than I could have rented a poor quality car. ps You will need complete new insurance from an EU country BEFORE you can drive anywhere in EU.

[R8 England]

Sorry, mis-understanding here !!!!!

If gq6967 buys a brand new car from Germany or Uk, he CANNOT drive anywhere in the EU unless it is registered and has vehicle plates and is insured.

You cannot just buy a new car and drive it out the showroom with no insurance or plates !

You are confusing the 6 month rule for cars ALREADY legally registered in another country. It does NOT apply to new unregistered cars.

[6 month rule: If you rbing a car in UK for example, provided it is insured to drive in UK, you can drive it in the UK for a continuous period of 6 months. If you drive it for longer, the vehicle must be re-registered in Uk (no VAT or sales to pay) and will be given a UK plate. If you then take it back overseas, you can revert to the original countries' registration]

Also. do not confuse with Audi selling you a car for export and letting you drive it home. For this purpose, TEMPORARY German reg plates are issued. Furthermore, if your destination is an other EU country, under EU VAT regulations, they MUST charge you German VAT on all deliveries unless you are buying it as a compay car and are VAT registered.

[gq6967]

This is probably why when doing the European delivery they make you pay the VAT up front then refund it to you when you get back to the states.

Also I will be in UK for at least 2 years.

Ok to simplify the question since doing the European delivery will not work.

1) Would it just be easier/ more cost efficient to buy in UK or Europe and have it spec'ed to US standards (so I can take it home to US when I leave)

Or

2) Go ahead buy car here (U.S.) from my dealership then have it shipped to UK drive it for the year then register it in UK?

[gq6967]

A side question to all this,

My company is going to pay to ship my CLK 550 over when I go, how hard is it to sell a US Spec car in UK?

I know you have to sign a statement saying you will not buy the Mercedes for the reason of selling it in Europe. But me moving there make it my home and should have no legal issues selling at that point since it was not purchased for reason of selling there.

[R8 England]

Remember, US/Europe is LEFT hand drive, we are RIGHT hand drive, so you take a heavy hit selling a car in UK which is LHD.

As regards buying an R8 in UK to US spec, you may well be able to do it. Check www.audi.co.uk for current UK prices, which INCLUDE 15% UK VAT. You will NOT get the VAT back if the car is registered in UK, so compare US pricing with UK pricing at the appropriate exchange rate and make your decision.

Cars are very cheap in UK at present for US and Europeans due to the collapse in the Pound.

I do know that my dealer has been ordering European LHD vehicles in UK for European clients. Due to the above, European buyers can save £££££ by ordering their European spec car in UK.

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Remember, US/Europe is LEFT hand drive, we are RIGHT hand drive, so you take a heavy hit selling a car in UK which is LHD.

But that all depends on who you sell to. We still have a large presence of US military in the UK, Mildenhall and Lakenheath being not too far from north London. And maybe even the US miltary in Germany. Don't the US military also get free shipping back and forth to the USA for cars and personal posessions?

[gq6967]

How hard would it be to bring a UK spec LHD to US? or would it not meet requirements emissons saftey and such?