Can you modify cars (performance and visuals) in Europe? I can't find any associated legislature and I'm genuinely curious. For example, have Underground Racing mod an R8 (the 1500hp option with twin/quad turbos and a modified engine) and ship it to Greece. As long as I stated the changes would that be legal or would bureaucracy kick my ass?
>pic hopefully not related
Yes modding is legal in all of Europe, but laws vary per country.
Also good luck with Greek bureaucracy
In Portugal every modification, be it cosmetic or mechanic is illegal. You can, however, go through the proper channels and have cosmetic mods homologated.
But even then, it's not certain they'll be approved and it'll cost you.
Mechanic mods are straight up illegal.
IIRC, it's the same in Spain.
Can buy heroin, can't mod car. shiggydiggy.
you're right, except for the bit about heroin
Holy fuck what a shithole
Yes, only you have to have it inspected and probably contact your insurance company and pay a bit more if you increase horsepower
Really? I thought heroin was decriminalized in Portugal.
yeah like a retard i read your post wrong
Germany: It's not a general rule, but most parts that affect performance or get mounted to the exterior of the car including lighting need a type approval by the manufacturer for your car model, meaning they've been tested and comply with all industrial standards and safety requirements, similar to the American DOT approval, only extended to include far more than just tires and lights and a few other things.
If you don't have type approval, for example on custom fab or an imported part, you need individual approval which depending on the part ranges from a visual inspection to extensive testing costing several thousand bucks. Extensive performance modifications are possible, but are usually both easier and actually cheaper than individual fabrication if taken from the catalogue of a tuning company that can spread testing and certifying costs across their production run, hence why we have so many tuners like ABT and Brabus and so on.
Lots of other minor rules, the American equivalent would be state vehicle codes, also apply, regulating all sorts of stuff from minimum ground clearance to headlight height to window tinting to mudflap requirements on lifted vehicles.
This all sounds very complicated and it is, but ultimately it depends on how much your inspection garage is willing to let slip, and whether the cops actually care for it in case it's not been inspected or has been approved wrongfully. For example this thing I've seen at a meet a week ago not only had valid tags, but actually had historic plates which carry further restrictions even though just from looking at it you can tell it's not only era inappropriate, but also not road legal. Another example is a work colleague who's daily driving a Ram SRT-10 half the year with illegal custom fabricated sidepipes and nobody gives a shit. He'll probably only have to exchange them for the stock exhaust every two years for inspections.
Live in Ohio, no inspections, could drive pic related and would not get pulled over. Feels good man.
this is in east texas. I saw it the first time I ever went to walmart.
I don't know what's supposed to feel good about a practically complete lack of road safety assurance in public traffic. Any surrounding car could pose a significant danger to you solely thanks to the negligence or ignorance of its owner, not even factoring in anyone's driving skills.
Pussy.
>that B&S cowling on the fender
I audibly kek'd
UK here. We're surprisingly flexible. Sure, road tax and insurance is more expensive than a lot of places, but you can do pretty much whatever you want to a car, provided it doesn't make it unsafe to drive, and you declare it to your insurer. (Obviously, certain performance modifications may be expensive for younger people to insure, so there is a limit there depending on your history/age etc.)
After all, the 90s shitbox modding scene was huge here and threw up some absolute turds, but it's all legal, provided your flimsy 5-foot ABS wing doesn't pose a decapitating risk to pedestrians etc.
>hurr ur not acting like a moron so your a pussy
This applies to Switzerland as well. Same kind of rules. So yeah, most mods are expensive, but almost anything is possible as long as it's reasonably safe and reasonably non-polluting. We've got Rinspeed here building cars that can swim and stuff like that. Also the Volvo 245 with a cast iron heating oven and a pipe through the roof for that.
Also, anything can be imported. I've seen a couple Skylines, some Subarus, a Thai Tuk Tuk and a fucking Mitsuoka Le Seyde, all with Swiss plates.
>I don't know what's supposed to feel good about a practically complete lack of road safety assurance in public traffic. Any surrounding car could pose a significant danger to you solely thanks to the negligence or ignorance of its owner, not even factoring in anyone's driving skills.
It's part of FREEDOM. Or freeDUMB. Sure, there can be hazards to me from those dorks that mod the car that way. But I accept that as part of the price of freedom. If people keep giving up their freedoms in return for a nanny all-controlling government, we the people won't have any freedoms.
So whatever happened to the new classic car taxes Europe was rolling out? There was a thread about it last week.
Some people were saying its fake bur from what I've seen here its entirely plausible.
You are acting like a moron though.
you some kinds terrorist sympathiser buddy?
>in return for a nanny all-controlling government, we the people won't have any freedoms.
>provided your flimsy 5-foot ABS wing doesn't pose a decapitating risk to pedestrians
that doesn't stop some people lol
Freedom does not guarantee safety, and I would rather die than lose freedom.
>go to the inspection office where a friend works
>Give him some euros and hell give you an okay in your modified car
Thats how it works in spain
While we're on this topic, is there any way for me to take my vehicle from the US and drive it on German roads without being a permanent resident? I always wanted to tour across Europe one day in my own car, but I don't really think it'd be something possible.
My fucking sidepipes