can you import an elise or exige?

[tonner_notts]

i already have an elise just wondering if you can import them? if its any cheaper etc
as i often hear of ppl shippin them out to various countries australia etc

[StuartB]

Most of those import stories also talk of stonking transport charges and long discussions with customs and excise.

There wouldn't be anything stopping you doing it bar the expense and the fact you would likely be buying the car unseen

[tonner_notts]

so there is no savings to buying a car from abroad

[jago]

whoever has had a car shipped to aus has very deep pockets. A good friend of mine is emigrating there and the hardest part of it is letting go of his 355 (and not being able to see the inlaws at short notice obv!) ... cost to transport and import was something like 50% of car's value. Sadly i can't afford to take it off his hands.

[Chrome Orange]

I'm not sure this answers your question bu I got my Elise in Germany whilst I was working there. When i movd back to the UK I imported it to the UK. Nothing stopped me driving it in, and I think the DVLA like you to have the car registered here withing 3 months. Cost? Just registration (£25?) and a set of headlights for this market (£70). It's still LHD but this really isn't an issue.

[beachbum]

I cant tell you much from the Lotus perspective, but from just the overall importing one.
It can save you a lot of money. It realistically needs to be a country that is art of the EU to make the greatest savings as you then do not pay import duty.
Best EU countries to buy in are the ones that have the highest taxes, as this is what you do not pay in that country, you pay the VAT on import into this country.
Reason behind them being cheaper in the higher taxed countries is due to the manufacturers keping the price as low as possible, so that once the relevant taxes have been added people can still afford to buy them without paying stupid prices for them.
Problem now is that the base price for a car in the UK is not that much more than in most EU countries, so the massive savings that once were available, are no more. I saved approx 35% on my import, 5yrs ago.

Shop around and see what importers will offer you, make sure that when specifying the car, you state you want UK spec, there are major differences in some countries. You can do it all yourself, or you can get a specialist to do all the leg work for you. I paid £400 for a company to do everything, all I had to do was turn up and pick up the keys.

One last thing, this really only works for brand new cars, otherwise the saving disappear and you also end up with a LHD car if it is from Europe.