[s-cars] Devil Went Down to Georgia..

[Steve Mills]

The RS2 being "banned" or "non-importable" is an urban legend. Search the
NHTSA and EPA sites all you like, you will only find one mention of the RS2,
and it's on the "Not eligible for show and display" list. For what it's
worth, the SportQ did get added to the "good" half of list fairly recently.
This isn't that big a deal- even if it qualified, all Show and Display gets
you is a pass on NHTSA (safety)- the car still has to pass muster with the
EPA. With the RS2 sharing most of it's body structure with (cheaply)
available B4 sedans, the safety part would be relatively easy, since you
could retrofit NHTSA-approved parts, and the RS2 also got both air bags and
catalytic converters from the factory. Some background on Show and Display
is here:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/ShowDisplay/howtosd072003.html

The only reason they're on the "bad" half of the Show and Display list is
because Audi just built too many of them for it to have any chance of
qualifying- anything where they built more than 500 is extremely unlikely to
get a pass, and something around 2,500 RS2s were built.

So, if anyone really wants to legally bring in an RS2, they can- they just
have to follow the normal (read: slow and expensive) process with applying
for waivers, posting bonds, contracting and RI, and handing over anywhere
from $10 to $25K for conversion work and emissions testing.

Simple, right?

Now play nice, everyone.

Steve


On Thu, Dec 16, 2010 at 4:10 PM, Taka Mizutani <t44tqtro at gmail.com> wrote:

> That's actually not correct, Tom- the Audi RS2 and S2 are specifically
> mentioned by DOT as non-importable vehicles due to their lack of historical
> significance or something like that. Even an RI cannot Federalize one. I'm
> also pretty sure that the cars that are specifically prohibited cannot be
> imported under the "exhibition and show" exemption, either.
>
> You won't be able to bring one in until 2019, when the blanket 25 yr. old
> exemption allows you to import anything- the first RS2s are 1994
> production.
>
> Taka
>
>
> On Thu, Dec 16, 2010 at 3:41 PM, Tom Green <trgreen at comcast.net> wrote:
>
> > If I understand things correctly, it was not a "roller" and it was not
> > a RS2 model vehicle.
> >
> > Those who are stating "facts" about importation of vehicles need to
> > add that those "facts" are only their lay person interpretation of
> > federal regulations and hearsay gathered from the internet, or get
> > some real facts from a registered importer or attorney qualified to
> > opine on these matters.
> >
> > These vehicles are not "banned" from importation.  But, no one said it
> > would be easy or inexpensive.  You just have to be willing to pay a RI
> > to modify the vehicle where necessary to meet all federal regulations,
> > certify it for EPA emissions requirements, and do all the paperwork,
> > And, be prepared to abandon the project if the RI finds an obstacle
> > they can't overcome in the time limits the feds allow.  Bringing the
> > vehicle to the US does not guarantee success  in federalizing it,
> > since those restrictions mean it is not eligible for any of the
> > exceptions to the rules, which is going to make it an expensive project.
> >
> > I think that means nobody here is going to legally import one to the
> > US for another 10 years.
> >
> >
> > Tom '95 S6
> >          '95.5 S6 avant
> > Knoxville, TN
> >
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> >
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