Exporting Elise to the US

[Moz]

Hi - I'm after some advice.

Looks like I may be relocating to the Washington DC area form the UK and am considering taking my Elise with me. Does anyone have any experience of doing this? Number of questions:

1) Costs and timescales of export?
2) Difficulties of getting US insurance on a RHD softtop when my residency status may be questionable (although legal!).
3) To get the car reg'd in the US would any modifications be required - I drive a 111 - for example to reduce emissions etc.
4) I lived in Washington DC for a few years before and am a bit concerned about my Elise not having air conditioning during the summer. Valid concern?!!!

Thanks in advance.

[Moz]

FYI

1) 12 days Southampton to Baltimore, leaving weekly. £650 plus "2.5% of value" insurance.
2) ???
3) No modifications necessary if returning car within a year.
4) Probably unpleasant!



>> Edited by Moz on Thursday 25th March 13:28

[nobbles]

Just done this, in fact my elise will be travelling back from Baltimore as yours could be arriving.

You cannot have it here permanently though, just 1 year temporary importation - any longer and it gets crushed. You car has to be owned by you and registered in the UK. It is fairly simple - some states require their tags - which don't fit. Others i.e. california don't. I have a friend in CA who took his out there and he gets pulled by the police all the time. I haven't in my 12 months.

Basically the car does not conform to the laws over here - hence the federal elise. Buy one of these and this could be a different story. Although the exchange rate over here means that you could by a new elise 11R for $40k - about 24K in real money. So get your order in over in the US and wait about 18 months, use it for one year and take it back to the UK with no customs tax ?!?!

[Moz]

Cheers for the reply. Everything else is doable but insurance. Who did you get insurance from? Did you need a US license to get insurance?

I was planning to keep it over there for less than a year to avoid the modifications that would be necessary.

[nobbles]

My insurance was from nationwide. You will need documentation from the uk to prove that you are a safe driver. I do have a US drivers license I think the insurance wants you to get one within one month - but any muppet can get one of those. I would like to see US license holders get a UK license. It costs me about $900 for six months - the same as UK basically..

[Moz]

Thanks very much - I'll try them.



>> Edited by Moz on Wednesday 31st March 16:14