e46 m3 E46 M3 Import Advice

[Olly B 1]

Hi All,

Very new on here and looking for some advice.

I'm currently living in the UK and moving home to NZ next month and am looking into purchasing an E46 M3 to bring home. I've checked out a silver, 2003, SMG, coupe with 92k miles (148,000km).  It has full service history and has also had a thorough inspection which has come back fine; no under body rust, no cracking in rear sub-frame, no modifications, recall free, SMG shifting smoothly, so seems to tick all the major boxes.

Have done my research and I should be able to import it under the Special Interest Vehicle category as it wont pass the Euro 4 requirement for a standard import. I've worked out i should land it on the road in NZ for under $27,000 all up.

I'm very new to the market for these epic machines so I just want some advice from the experts if you think this is worth doing, and what a car like this is likely to be valued at in NZ?

I plan on garaging it and using it as a weekend toy so as to keep it in good nick and keep the KMs low.

Any help would be very much appreciated!

[FIAT 131R 223]

You should be able to do atleast as good in NZ.  That's not a low mileage car.  The car market in NZ is in a little bit of turmoil and could get worse as personal circumstances change at a rate of knots from fallout from Jacinda and Covid.   Make sure you have made allowance for ALL the fees etc when you land a car here including GST.     Customs entry, customs clearance, documentation and sundries, government processing, MPI inspection, port service charge, GST on all of the charges plus GST on the car.    That's a few for you to think about.

Edited May 22, 2020 by FIAT 131R

[Driftit 2078]

Any rust or corrosion and the car will be a nightmare getting through compliance.

Because you won't have owned the car for over 1 year you will have to pay GST.  Shipping is all up in the air too.  You would need to check when the vehicle could be loaded too.  Many shipping companies are running at a very reduced capacity.  Especially car carriers.

Also don't forget the charges for getting the car to the port and out of the port once it arrives.  You can't do this yourself in NZ.

Spend some time un-uglying this one.  1/3 of the KMs.  I haven't checked if it is a singapore vehicle though. Edit:  It actually states it is.  Hmm.  I wouldn't touch it actually.  But there are others.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-2631646131.htm?rsqid=b1cc2385c8b0471aa826d9190dad147e-002

Edited May 22, 2020 by Driftit

[Matth5 471]

Buy one in NZ. Much less hassle. Have a look on Trademe as per Driftit's link above, it's where most of NZ's car sales happen. 

$27000 is about as much as that car could hope to sell for in NZ, if it wasn't a UK import (people here are wary of UK imports having rust issues due to salt on UK roads).

Edited May 22, 2020 by Matth5

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2958]

Pretty sure you would struggle to get an E46 M3 in as a SIV, good cars but far too many of them built.

Check the rules around the “immigrants vehicles” they used to be exempt from the emissions and frontal collision rules. Should still qualify even if you own it for less than a year before shipping.

How much other sh*t are you bringing back to NZ? I brought my E30 vert out to NZ in a container with all my furniture and stuff packed around it, and my E46 wagon I filled with “personal possessions” as well. Both of which saved quite a bit of cash.

And as others have mentioned allow a good budget to pass compliance, you would probably be up for at least a set of rotors and pads.

[Olly B 1]

Thanks for the advice so far.

The $27k stated is including all fees plus a little extra to cover unforeseen costs. I've done my research into all costs including shipping, insurance, compliance, customs entry fees and GST on all of the above.        Shipping at this stage seems fine and unaffected, I've had a couple quotes with both companies saying ships are still departing weekly.

I did see the one on Trade me you linked but it seems very fishy to me. $29,500 for 58000kms seems ridiculous! Surely there's something up with it or information he's withholding - crashed etc? 

SIV requirements state: "The vehicle’s make and model has been (or was) manufactured in annual volumes of  20,000 units or less (evidence must be supplied with this application)."

The E46 M3 from what I gather was produced from 2000 - 2006 and a total of 85,766 units so that is well within the ruling on numbers.

Unfortunately I dont have much stuff to bring home to make shipping worth while, a surfboard and snowboard to lay inside the cabin and that's about it. Otherwise that would be a great idea.

This is the actual listing btw:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201911144373691?fromSavedAds=true&advertising-location=at_cars&newApplicationVersion=true

All very good things to think about before I make a D. Thanks again for your help!

 

[M3_Power 636]

 "The vehicle’s make and model has been (or was) manufactured in annual volumes of  20,000 units or less (evidence must be supplied with this application)."

- Make = BMW

- Model = E46

- Sub Model = E46 M3

The wording specifies model not sub model like requirement 1

I have been told that this is interpreted as in all model variations (ie all E46 chassis) not just a M3, a 330ci a 316i ect because otherwise almost every single car has the potential to meet this requirement.

The E46 M3 does not qualify for SIV and I believe some have tried and failed as none of the quoted magazineS have listed it as a collectable. Only the CSL qualify under 1,3 and 4

So I am afraid you are out of luck there. It would not qualify under the rules.

Edited May 26, 2020 by M3_Power

[Driftit 2078]

Ah so if it is listed as collectible it bypasses that rule?

Like the Nissan Skyline GTR?  Submodel of the Skyline which was built in large numbers.

The E46 M3 should be but doesn't look like it is as yet.

[M3_Power 636]

1 hour ago, Driftit said:

Ah so if it is listed as collectible it bypasses that rule?

Like the Nissan Skyline GTR?  Submodel of the Skyline which was built in large numbers.

The E46 M3 should be but doesn't look like it is as yet.

Sort of - it has to meet 3 out of the 4 requirements. So for example the M3 CSL does because it meets 1,3 and 4 below but not 2 for reasons explained above.

Here are the requirements

1. The vehicle (or its make, model and submodel) is identified as being a collector’s item in one of the following magazines or their respective websites – Australian Classic Car, Car and Driver (US), Automobile (US), Motor (Australia), Motor Trend (US), New Zealand Autocar, New Zealand Classic Car, Road and Track (US), Top Gear (UK), Top Gear NZ, Unique Cars (Australia) or Wheels (Australia).

2. Less than 20,000 units of the vehicle’s make and model have been (or were) manufactured annually.

3. The vehicle is, and was, manufactured as a two-door coupe or a convertible.

4. The vehicle is, and was, manufactured as a high-performance vehicle.

My suggestion someone bombard Jeremy Clarkson and get him to write an article in Top Gear as to why it would be a future collectable - I think telling him so we can get it registered here in NZ as a SIV might do the trick as he’s anti-establishment ??

Edited May 26, 2020 by M3_Power

[m325i 709]

Can you 'apply' first or do you have to chance it when it lands?