Anyone here ship a car from US to NZ?

[agurkas]

So there is a possibility I would be moving with my family from Boston to Auckland in a year or so. I am a car guy, so I have looked up NZ import rules and I would be allowed to bring my street legal race car (yes, I race cars ) under the LHD low-production exemption. I also have a muscle car, but considering that car consumes 17L/100KM, it is not worth going through the trouble. Will need to find a power "practical" family car when I get to NZ.

Here is the question, anyone moved their car from US to NZ? Did you do RoRo or pack a 40' container with car and then furniture and stuff? What did it cost you? Experience with customs?

Thanks!

[kiwi.]

They've been getting more strict on importing LHD cars recently. What is it that you're planning on brining?

I'd hazard a guess at a corvette/mustang.

[agurkas]

They've been getting more strict on importing LHD cars recently. What is it that you're planning on brining?

I'd hazard a guess at a corvette/mustang.

Porsche Cayman S which visually looks like stock, but has modifications in suspension and engine for auto racing.

[kiwi.]

You might be in for a tough time. I doubt they're going to judge that your cayman has historical significance (because its new) which means it has to be a vehicle that wasn't produced in right hand drive, and passes three of the four tests they have, which could also be a struggle. You could claim the cayman is a high performance vehicle, it is only two door, but I'd guess more than 20,000 of them were made, and I'm not sure that any publications note it as a collectors edition (unless you got the black limited edition etc). Even if you can pass three of the four tests, I think they'll disqualify the vehicle because it is available in RHD (isn't it?).

Not trying to be downer, could just be hard to convince them to let the car in.

[agurkas]

You might be in for a tough time. I doubt they're going to judge that your cayman has historical significance (because its new) which means it has to be a vehicle that wasn't produced in right hand drive, and passes three of the four tests they have, which could also be a struggle. You could claim the cayman is a high performance vehicle, it is only two door, but I'd guess more than 20,000 of them were made, and I'm not sure that any publications note it as a collectors edition (unless you got the black limited edition etc). Even if you can pass three of the four tests, I think they'll disqualify the vehicle because it is available in RHD (isn't it?).

Not trying to be downer, could just be hard to convince them to let the car in.

You are not being a downer at all. It is available in RHD and 987.1 was manufactured at under 15K cars per year.

What could be an option, since I have raced this car for 4+ years, is for me to get NZ autosports authority card and import it as a C5 motorsport vehicle. Question is if I have enough modifications in it. I can always install that turbo I have always wanted to and it will be one of less than 500 that have it in entire world (since only 1 company makes turbos for it).

New Zealand has some of the most incredible roads I have ever driven, so I would find it very hard to be stuck in a floaty family wagon that does not give me the exhilaration either of my cars do now.

[kiwi.]

The motor sport option may be your best bet.

On another note, if you have to have a 'floaty family wagon' there's nothing wrong with an RS4 wagon (or HSV wagon, or Legacy STI wagon).

[agurkas]

The motor sport option may be your best bet.

On another note, if you have to have a 'floaty family wagon' there's nothing wrong with an RS4 wagon (or HSV wagon, or Legacy STI wagon).

I looked at RS4 on Trademe - commands ofter higher price than Porsches.

Legacy STI would be interesting, since I could likely do RallyCross in it.

When it comes to performance cars, what is the situation there in NZ. Is it mostly dominated by Subarus imported from Japan?

My muscle car is Chrysler 300C Touring (well, Dodge version of it) and I love it... but something like that would be too big for NZ mountain roads.