Moving a US M4 to EU - any relevant experience here?

[NashvegasR]

I've got a pretty amazing career opportunity that would take me from San Francisco to Amsterdam/Netherlands.

Anyone here shipped a US market M4 to Netherlands (convertible in my case)?

Company will pay relocation and cover cost of a car, trying to figure out if it's smarter to sell then re-buy, or if pricing is too high over there and it's a better deal to keep my US car.

[Keca10]

I only visited Amsterdam but it seems like a city where no car is a practical option.

[NYG]

There's a lot of variables with this question.

I don't know if it's exclusive to any particular country in Europe but most of the people I know who are either in the UK, Russia, Greece, etc... all get far worse deals on cars like BMW than we do here. Maybe getting it right in Germany would be equivalent or cheaper. I'm not sure but if you love your car, whether or not you're going to be driving it daily to work, someone is paying all the ridiculous fees to bring it over. I'd probably take it with me. It'll probably be worth more used in Europe as well but again, I'm not 100% certain on this and maybe someone else who lives there can clear this up.

[IK6SPEED]

Connected Drive will not work.

No DAB access.

Navigation has to be changed.

Parts availability issues.

I’d sell it and repurchase a EU model.

[RickFLM4]

Sell car, buy bicycle.

[nickl630]

Originally Posted by IK6SPEED

Connected Drive will not work.

No DAB access.

Navigation has to be changed.

Parts availability issues.

I’d sell it and repurchase a EU model.

100% this. Not to mention import taxes (even if they are covered) plus shipping time.

[hlm2c]

Originally Posted by IK6SPEED

Connected Drive will not work.

No DAB access.

Navigation has to be changed.

Parts availability issues.

I’d sell it and repurchase a EU model.

I'd bring it still if you can live without Navi and Connected Drive. I have a US spec overseas and actually have never had these things from the get-go and I'm cool with that. Get yourself a nice phone mount, find out what app people are using for navi that's in English and run navi from your phone instead. Most parts are the same between EU and US spec models unless we're talking about headlights/tail lights, etc. Hell, might give you a good opportunity to upgrade these parts to EU ones if anything ever happens even.

[Tommy L Garage]

If you own the car (title in hand) for more than 6 months I believe you can be exempt from import taxes but you can’t resell for two years I believe.

Everything else can be reprogrammed by the dealer.
These cars are made in Germany after all.

[Darth One]

Sell US car, buy E46 M3 CSL over there

[NashvegasR]

HA. I like the E46 CSL idea the best

Connected drive doesn't matter to me.

Nav -- yea, hopefully can be reprogrammed.

There is no import tax / VAT on this -- it's not taxed as importing a car, it's moving a car as part of your personal belongings which is not taxed as if you purchased and imported it. So that's a bonus. You can do this with one car provided it comes over when you move personal belongings.

The no taxation is conditional on 1) you have owned the car more than 6 mos 2) have lived out of NL for 12 mos 3) do not sell the car for 1 year upon moving there.

That's why this is on the table btw. M4's much cheaper here than there so selling and buying will be a financial hit if I replace with like.

[cossie1]

I lived in Amsterdam for a year in the mid 90's and even back then it was not a car friendly city (which didn't matter to me as I was too young to drive back then).

I don't imagine that it has gotten more car friendly since then though.

[EdM5]

Originally Posted by NashvegasR

I've got a pretty amazing career opportunity that would take me from San Francisco to Amsterdam/Netherlands.

Anyone here shipped a US market M4 to Netherlands (convertible in my case)?

Company will pay relocation and cover cost of a car, trying to figure out if it's smarter to sell then re-buy, or if pricing is too high over there and it's a better deal to keep my US car.

welcome to our great city

[EdM5]

Originally Posted by cossie1

I lived in Amsterdam for a year in the mid 90's and even back then it was not a car friendly city (which didn't matter to me as I was too young to drive back then).

I don't imagine that it has gotten more car friendly since then though.

You're absolutely right. In many parts of town, riding a bike is much more convenient.

Right now, the snowflake city administration is doing everything they can to bully motorists out of the city.
Parking fees are 7,50 EUR/hour. Curbside parking gets more restricted each year. And to drive cross town is a major headache.

On the other hand, the infrastructure in the Netherlands is perfect and if you're lucky enough enough to have your own parking space you will definitely enjoy the M4.

[nbennettksu]

Originally Posted by NashvegasR

I've got a pretty amazing career opportunity that would take me from San Francisco to Amsterdam/Netherlands.

Anyone here shipped a US market M4 to Netherlands (convertible in my case)?

Company will pay relocation and cover cost of a car, trying to figure out if it's smarter to sell then re-buy, or if pricing is too high over there and it's a better deal to keep my US car.

You have to own the car outright to be able to move it.

[cipri]

Originally Posted by NashvegasR

I've got a pretty amazing career opportunity that would take me from San Francisco to Amsterdam/Netherlands.

Anyone here shipped a US market M4 to Netherlands (convertible in my case)?

Company will pay relocation and cover cost of a car, trying to figure out if it's smarter to sell then re-buy, or if pricing is too high over there and it's a better deal to keep my US car.

You can only drive the US car in Europe for 6 months max, so even though you can bring it to Europe after that period of time you can't drive it because you won't be able to register it .

[BigHunk]

M4 is so much more expensive in EU.
Make your homework and see if you can even use your car, it's not ICE friendly town.
Temporary admission is the term called, if you're staying for more than 6 months, you can import vehicle without duties, but you will have to sign that you will export it one day outside EU.

[IK6SPEED]

Originally Posted by hlm2c

I'd bring it still if you can live without Navi and Connected Drive. I have a US spec overseas and actually have never had these things from the get-go and I'm cool with that. Get yourself a nice phone mount, find out what app people are using for navi that's in English and run navi from your phone instead. Most parts are the same between EU and US spec models unless we're talking about headlights/tail lights, etc. Hell, might give you a good opportunity to upgrade these parts to EU ones if anything ever happens even.

So your radio and satellite radio never worked?

And no Navigation either?

Where did you purchase your junker?

Originally Posted by EdM5

You're absolutely right. In many parts of town, riding a bike is much more convenient.

Right now, the snowflake city administration is doing everything they can to bully motorists out of the city.
Parking fees are 7,50 EUR/hour. Curbside parking gets more restricted each year. And to drive cross town is a major headache.

On the other hand, the infrastructure in the Netherlands is perfect and if you're lucky enough enough to have your own parking space you will definitely enjoy the M4.

Quite frankly, have you ever checked some Major American Cities on parking?

Even smaller cities are hitting parking rates in that price range. Majors are way past it.

[hlm2c]

Originally Posted by IK6SPEED

So your radio and satellite radio never worked?

And no Navigation either?

Where did you purchase your junker?

Honestly I don't use any of those. I usually just play music from my phone to my car via bluetooth, navi from phone too and it all works seamlessly. It's a US spec that I ordered here in Korea, but it was built from factory as a US spec car so I can take it back to the states if I wish to do so.

[cionide]

It's better to sell it there.
1) Your navigation has to have new maps
2) Radio won't work properly, because US cars only read odd-numbered stations 101.1, 101.3, 101.5 whereas in europe we have broadcasting on even numbered stations as well.
3) If you ever sell the car here, it's worse substancially less because everyone will think its some crashed car from copart that was fixed here.
4) Amsterdam is not very car friendly...

[DFW_M]

Actually, I have done this and unless you get the inputs from a particular country of interest, makes no sense to listen to the others.
In Germany for example, if the import vehicle is 6 months or older, you get a substantial tax break. The radio comments may be irrelevant if you're listening to your own music. The Nav maps conversion is also irrelevant as the cost of the same vehicle in Germany is MUCH higher.
You will however, need to do a few other conversion things like headlights to meet Euro standards, and a few other things.

See if the company will cover your car sale, then, you may actually profit from the deal (that is what I ended up doing in 2010)

[NashvegasR]

Ya - thanks all.

So - we shall see. This is all very informative, thank you all for chiming in. I still owe 5,000 US on the car so I'd have to pay that off as well apparently.