# Can I get a 5 series wagon for Euro Delivery?



## 5wagonier (Jul 25, 2015)

Hi everyone,

Just wondering if it's possible to get a 5 series wagon for European Delivery?


----------



## hbdunn2003 (Jun 3, 2007)

No not possible. Only US spec models are available.


----------



## aardvark (Apr 15, 2002)

No way, no how. If the car isn't sold in the U.S., you can't ED it.

Even on the cars that are available for ED, they won't let us select option codes that aren't in the U.S. order guide. Believe me, I asked. This is true even of options that would theoretically save them money (e.g., code 326 - rear spoiler delete). If it's not in the U.S. order guide, forget it.


----------



## ebs0712 (Oct 23, 2007)

Go for the 3 Series Wagon (F31)! It is basically the same size as the previous generation 5 Series Wagon.


----------



## The Other Tom (Sep 28, 2002)

Hmmmm....wonder what would happen if you bought a 5er wagon from a German dealership, then imported it to the US. I'll bet there are companies that handle the conversions from EU to US spec.
Of course this is not the same as ED, and you would spend a bunch more money, but if you were determined.....


----------



## dkreidel (Aug 24, 2005)

The Other Tom said:


> Hmmmm....wonder what would happen if you bought a 5er wagon from a German dealership, then imported it to the US. I'll bet there are companies that handle the conversions from EU to US spec.
> Of course this is not the same as ED, and you would spend a bunch more money, but if you were determined.....


Possible. I took a Z28 to UK and it cost > £40,000 to have it converted to UK specs - and it remained LHD. I think you could expect to spend > $50K getting a 5er wagon through DOT assuming you didn't have to crash test it. If you had to crash test it add the cost of the testing plus a couple extra 5er wagons.

How bad do you want a 5er wagon?


----------



## u3b3rg33k (Jan 14, 2015)

The Other Tom said:


> Hmmmm....wonder what would happen if you bought a 5er wagon from a German dealership, then imported it to the US. I'll bet there are companies that handle the conversions from EU to US spec.
> Of course this is not the same as ED, and you would spend a bunch more money, but if you were determined.....


as a general rule, you can't import cars not destined for the USDM that aren't over 25(?) years old. there may be some magic way around it, but with emissions laws the way they are now, good luck.


----------



## BimmerBahn (Nov 24, 2005)

The Other Tom said:


> Hmmmm....wonder what would happen if you bought a 5er wagon from a German dealership, then imported it to the US. I'll bet there are companies that handle the conversions from EU to US spec.
> Of course this is not the same as ED, and you would spend a bunch more money, but if you were determined.....


It's not worth it. You can find details here --> https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/de...-/-non-conforming-vehicle-or-car-into-the-u.s.


----------



## supakimchee (Jul 9, 2015)

Of course you can import a car from Europe! You got a couple hundred grand?


----------



## Santorini Blue (Apr 7, 2014)

I had a F10 528. Much prefer my F31 wagon.


----------



## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

There is a cheaper way. Import the car without modification. I think you have a year to export it out of the U.S. or have it destroyed. Cars that are 15 years old can be imported into Canada without modification, unlike the U.S. where the standard is 25 years old.


----------



## [email protected] (Jul 30, 2012)

*German model vs US model*



The Other Tom said:


> Hmmmm....wonder what would happen if you bought a 5er wagon from a German dealership, then imported it to the US. I'll bet there are companies that handle the conversions from EU to US spec.
> Of course this is not the same as ED, and you would spend a bunch more money, but if you were determined.....


Get out your checkbook to make the changes!!!


----------



## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

I think it may not be possible, just as a moon launch was possible in 1969 but is no longer possible.

In the 1980's, there were companies that imported and modified cars referred to as gray market cars. I don't think there are such companies anymore. Another problem is that the original poster is in California and must get a California emissions sticker. In order to get such a sticker, if there is no company in existence, the owner might have to start his own emissions testing company, which is a huge undertaking.

In the end, I think there are 2 barely practical ways to do it and 1 semi-legal way.

1. Buy a car in Germany, register it in Germany, bring it to the U.S. for 90 days for testing or journalism, show customs that you have return shipping in 90 days. Might be able to find a way to keep it 1 year.

2. Be a non-resident US citizen and keep the car only for the time you are in the U.S., probably a few months.

3. Know a non-resident who will own the car and be willing for you to sub-lease it. It may be hard to insure.

---
EDIT: Another way might be to start a round the world driving expedition, which has been attempted. Buy the car in Germany. Ship it to the U.S. Tell customs what you are doing. After a few months of U.S. driving, ship the car to the West Coast then off to either another country or back to Germany via Asia, where you'll sell the car. Maybe you can squeeze 11 months of use in the U.S.?

EDIT2:
http://www.dzlsabe.com/
Check this Chicago auto repair shop's website. He imported a 2003 Saab 9-3 diesel, which is not sold in the U.S. However, he had the assistance of Saab Cars USA.


----------



## aardvark (Apr 15, 2002)

Another (semi-insane) possibility/impossibility is to try to import it under the "show or display" law.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Show_or_Display

This was the so-called Bill Gates law. As the story goes, Bill Gates tried to import an unapproved Porsche 959. U.S. Customs impounded the car for something like 13 years. Finally a law was passed that you could import certain unapproved cars as "rare" or "historical" cars so long as you didn't drive them more than 2500 miles per year.

The BMW Z1, though never officially sold in the U.S., has been approved for importation under this program.

Can you live with driving <50 miles per week?

Of course, the problem you would have with a 5-series wagon is convincing the NHTSA that it's "rare" or "historical." It's probably not that rare in Europe, right? Historical? Not really unless it were previously owned by someone famous.


----------



## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

aardvark said:


> Another (semi-insane) possibility/impossibility is to try to import it under the "show or display" law.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Show_or_Display
> 
> This was the so-called Bill Gates law. As the story goes, Bill Gates tried to import an unapproved Porsche 959. U.S. Customs impounded the car for something like 13 years. Finally a law was passed that you could import certain unapproved cars as "rare" or "historical" cars so long as you didn't drive them more than 2500 miles per year.
> ...


Wikipedia has some evil people and also some errors. I wouldn't cite it. I can also change Wikipedia to whatever I want. I have spotted what seems like an intentional error that has persisted for years. It was corrected but changed back to the error a few years ago.

Bill Gates' Porsche is over 25 years old but the 5 series that is proposed to be imported is recent.

One car magazine once tested a Trabant, an East German car, but wrote in the article that there were conditions that it must be exported or it would be seized and destroyed.


----------



## WaxComb (Oct 11, 2011)

Having driven both (F31 and F11 - 320d and 520d), I'd gotta say that the F11 is heads and tails better than the F31.

However, I wouldn't say it's so much better I'd go through the hassle of importing it.


----------



## aardvark (Apr 15, 2002)

Dave 20T said:


> Wikipedia has some evil people and also some errors. I wouldn't cite it. I can also change Wikipedia to whatever I want. I have spotted what seems like an intentional error that has persisted for years. It was corrected but changed back to the error a few years ago.
> 
> Bill Gates' Porsche is over 25 years old but the 5 series that is proposed to be imported is recent.


Gates' 959 was not 25 years old when he succeeded in springing it from customs. His car was an '87, and he managed to get it approved as 'show and display' in ~1999-2000. It was 13 years old, not 25.

See:
http://www.netcarshow.com/porsche/1986-959/
http://blog.dupontregistry.com/celebrity-cars/bill-gates-americas-richest-porsche-959/

FWIW, I'm not seriously recommending the 'show or display' option. It's NOT a realistic option for importing a 5-series wagon that someone presumably wants to use a daily or semi-daily driver. Just mentioned that the 'show and display' loophole exists.


----------

