[TommyK]

I have a E90 330i, and i wanted to ship it over to Britan when i move in 2 months. I dont know, but is it legal there to have a left hand drive car there? Also would smog/emissions be a problem with that model engine in the car?

Thanks

[willhollin]

Originally Posted by TommyK

I have a E90 330i, and i wanted to ship it over to Britan when i move in 2 months. I dont know, but is it legal there to have a left hand drive car there? Also would smog/emissions be a problem with that model engine in the car?

Thanks

"SoYank" will be the man to talk to, PM him or he should be on here later.

What's the attraction of England? Most of us want to leave.

[AlanQS]

Yes, it is legal to have a left hand drive here and since your car has to qualify for emissions in all 50 States, including California, I think you should be O.K.

Why don't you Google to find out for sure?

As Will said, "SoYank" is the man to check with. He is returning to the States in spring and currently has a U.S. spec 335i over here.

[SiKkBaSs]

That's a hot fcuking car either way

[TommyK]

Originally Posted by willhollin

"SoYank" will be the man to talk to, PM him or he should be on here later.

What's the attraction of England? Most of us want to leave.

ok thaks. ya that is what i hear a lot of is that most people want to leave because of the weather & it is a slower life style, im personaly going over there for school, a buisness oppertunity and i really wanted to get involved in motorsport on the side. im only 19 so i really wanted to go out there and do somthing different and expand on what is out there. like i live in Newport Beach Califonia Orange county and everything is so clean and manicured, to many celebs. & the UK is the best place i thought to get everything i wanted to get done.

[Exotica]

Make sure you live in the South of England as your use to the sun

[AlanQS]

You might find it a problem to get car insurance over here at 19 with a 330i. You might want to check up on that too.

[beemerbird]

Originally Posted by Exotica

Make sure you live in the South of England as your use to the sun

Yeah, and you're probably used to getting ripped off paying for everything from a cup of coffee to going for a shite.

AlanQS has made a very good point about your car insurance btw.

[TommyK]

oh, is the 330i like a really fast car there? i mean like here in OC people my age have Porsches and M3's & STI's and they are totally fine and their cars i mean kill my 330 and they have no problem with insurance here. is it an age isue there?

[willhollin]

Originally Posted by TommyK

oh, is the 330i like a really fast car there? i mean like here in OC people my age have Porsches and M3's & STI's and they are totally fine and their cars i mean kill my 330 and they have no problem with insurance here. is it an age isue there?

330i is a group 17 insurance, Ferrari F430 Coupé is group 20.

[TommyK]

is that scale done by price? or speed?

Originally Posted by willhollin

330i is a group 17 insurance, Ferrari F430 Coupé is group 20.

[willhollin]

Originally Posted by TommyK

is that scale done by price? or speed?

Bit of both I would guess, Imprezas and Evos in group 20 too.

[beemerbird]

Bottom line in the UK is that statistically at your age you are far more likely to be involved in an accident, either caused by you or otherwise, not have the driving experience nor the temperament to drive a high powered car sensibly etc, etc. The insurance premiums are high and so is the excess on the policy. The premium is also post (zip) code related and calculated on the risk of your car being stolen or vandalised depending where you live and where it is parked. Also bear in mind that a BMW costs far more to repair than a Ford. Hence here we have loads of young lads in little fart bomb cars, with big bore exhausts on and irritate us older people lol.

[Porscha!]

You won't have no problem insuring your car so long as you live in a nice postcode! Forget the South

[Exotica]

Originally Posted by Porscha!

You won't have no problem insuring your car so long as you live in a nice postcode! Forget the South

Forget the south if your looking for an easy lay too. Not saying northern girls are easy of course.

[beemerbird]

Originally Posted by Exotica

Not saying northern girls are easy of course.

No........but the men are.

Move to Essex luv.

[Exotica]

God no, cant stand the accent. Northern girls are much more appealing.

[Porscha!]

Originally Posted by Exotica

Forget the south if your looking for an easy lay too. Not saying northern girls are easy of course.

Well judging by one of your recent posts Southern girls are reeeeeeally easy!!

If he's looking to get into motorsport, join the queue, behind me first but only either Northampton, Derbyshire, Leicestershire or Nottinghamshire will do

[Exotica]

She wasnt from the south

[beemerbird]

Originally Posted by Exotica

God no, cant stand the accent. Northern girls are much more appealing.

Have you ever heard a local from Barnsley or even worse Burnley!! But then there's east Hull.

Are we bored tonight or what.

[SoYank]

Originally Posted by TommyK

I have a E90 330i, and i wanted to ship it over to Britan when i move in 2 months. I dont know, but is it legal there to have a left hand drive car there? Also would smog/emissions be a problem with that model engine in the car?

Thanks

Yes, it's legal to have a left hand drive vehicle here provided it meets the Single Vehicle Acceptance (SVA) test. Since the 330i is already approved for sale in the UK, the major portion of the test isn't a problem. The issue you'll need to get around is the lights. Your headlights must shine towards the left instead of the right as they do in the states. Your turn signals must be amber on all four corners and you must have a functioning rear fog light (you've read about them, you now have the opportunity to live them). You don't specify what year your E90 is, though. As it's an '06 I know you will retain the amber side lights at the front and this may cause problems with the SVA. Some stations don't allow the amber side lights and others seem to. There is no easy way of getting rid of it, either, that I know of.

With a 330i your headlights are adaptive. If you can get by without that feature it will save you quite a bit in the conversion. Otherwise it's about £1500 for all four corners. You only need to replace the outer rear tail light assembly unless your car already has the Blacklines. The inner assembly, on the boot lid, comprises the adaptive brake light AND the rear fog light. The fog light is enabled by a minor switch change on the dashboard. Learn when to use the fog light properly!

You won't have a problem with the smog/MOT unless your vehicle hasn't been maintained properly. If it's less than three years old you aren't required to have the MOT but one will be done during the SVA regardless. Replacement repair parts are readily available if needed and can be obtained within a day or two.

My experience with British insurance companies says insurance is going to eat you alive. Consider what you're paying for insurance in dollars and that's the low end of what you'll pay for it in pounds. So, at the moment you're looking at at least a 50% increase. If you currently have Geico or USAA then you can probably keep them while here as they operate here but you need to make sure. British insurance companies will go to extra length to screw you if you ever make a claim, claiming that because it's left hand drive it isn't worth the amount on which they've been basing their premiums. A left hand drive vehicle with UK plates screams AMERICAN so it's likely to be a target for vandals. You also don't get the benefit of courtesy from a lot of other drivers; I don't think that's totally because of the marque, either.

You'll need an International Drivers License before you arrive. You can get a British license but getting that isn't like getting it from a bubblegum machine like the states use. You actually have to know how to drive. What a concept! There is a written test and a practical test, both of which make the stateside tests look like a first grade spelling quiz. To put it into perspective, there are some people here that have failed one or the other more than twenty times. Few pass on their first attempt.

When I first got here there was a cartoon at work: Two guys were talking and one asked the other, "How long did it take you to get used to driving on the left?". The other guy answered, "Three cars".

Driving a left hand drive vehicle, SUV or mini, is going to take quite a bit of adjustment. You aren't going to be able to see around the vehicle in front of you if you drive over here like people drive in the states, i.e., right on the bumper. To get an idea, drive in the fast lane on a divided highway with a van in front of you and see how far ahead you can see in the other lanes. So, you have to hold back and pop in and out of the other lane to see ahead. I don't think there's a single road in Britain other than a motorway that has more than 500 yards of straight roadway with an unobstructed view the whole length. Motorway driving is different as well. You have to flip part of your mind over while keeping the other part set because your instinct will be to drive on the right when, in fact, you have to drive on the left and overtake on the right. Passing on the left (undertaking) is not allowed except under strict conditions. Bear in mind, too, that the 330i is not a narrow car compared to the normal UK car. The secondary roads here aren't really wide enough for even two UK size cars to meet at speed and bends in the road are sharp. It's a whole different experience.

Before you bring that car over here make certain you can bring it into the UK without having to pay the import duty (6%) and VAT (17.5%). There is a scheme HMC&E runs which allows cars in under certain conditions. If you don't qualify for the scheme then you'll need to open the checkbook/chequebook.

Shipping the car is going to cost upwards of $3000 each way. How long are you planning to stay? Is all this worth it for driving a US spec 330i in a foreign country? If you're staying here for a couple of years your best bet would probably be to sell the US 330i there and buy a used UK one, maybe with a smaller engine like a 316i or 318i, over here. I'd wager the overall costs would be considerably cheaper (except the insurance) and it eliminates the left-hand/right-hand problem.

Last thing: When here, consider that, like it or not, you are an ambassador of the United States and anything you do, good and bad, reflects on all other Americans.

[SoYank]

Originally Posted by Porscha!

You won't have no problem insuring your car so long as you live in a nice postcode! Forget the South

Oooh, double negative!