TearItUpSports

iTrader: (2)

There is no one that has their car from EI for street legal use. In fact if they have a car at all from them it would be illegal, until it has NHTSA paperwork.
I hope all goes well becuase I still would like a geniune JDM model from them myself.

Señor Info

I guess I put too many links in my posts to expect everyone to read all of them. One of the links, http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/.../ELIG0206.html, contains this:If one scans further down, one finds exactly one RHD entry in the list of eligible cars, our friend the Nissan GTS, GTR (i.e. "Skyline"). Approval of the G&K petition for the LHD EVO VII will NOT have the effect of making it easier to import a JDM EVO. An attempt to import a JDM EVO would require a separate petition and crash testing, unless you could extract a letter from Mitsubishi stating that LHD and RHD EVOs perform the same in crash tests (fat chance of that happening).

TwiNpnOy84

Theres a limited time in which a imported car can be considered legal?
How much will it cost for insurance on an imported car like the evo?

RedEvo6

I realy feel that EI should be told of this information, and see how they react to it all. Afterall it really does explain why the first batch of cars is taking so long.

broeli

iTrader: (19)

I'm sure EI knows about all of it. They probably just didn't relay it to their customers or potential customers.

Scot

iTrader: (6)

I had actually spoken to J.K. in Baltimore about 2 years ago about importing EVO's. He was pretty honest and explained how they would need to crash at least one (this was before the USA Lancer), and have access to at least one more for a month or so to evaluate. At that point, you would need to have about $65k worth of cars available to let one get destroyed and the other potentially exported after they deny it (seeing how Mitsu didn't just bring in the car, you would assume it would somewhat fail the crash test without some kind of work).

I am glad I did not pay EI up front for anything. I am too poor to trust anyone with $30k.... except for that guy from Cape Town who emailed me about his Gold Mine finds. All I had to do was send him some "travel" money and I will be a millionaire.

Scot

RedEvo6

From my conclusions, I feel that E.I. and G K didn't do their research. They felt that trying to go around the whole crash test data, they felt they could risk everything and just do it by making the Evolution 7 seem as if it were similar to the USDM Lancer. But they need to understand that there many differences such as rear stance and width. Also performance, and body material is significantly different, as stated in an earlier post. I feel that if E.I. sacrificed a little money, they could've gotten away w/ getting not just the Evo 7's but maybe all Evo's, they could've most certainly did what J.K. and Motorex did by saying..."the Nissans GTS and GT-R from 1990-1999, comply etc, etc...." I feel those crash tests, is the main determinant on how and when they Evo's are going to be made legal for importation. I'm having much concerns as too this, as I so bought an Evolution from E.I., and feel that this is going to just add way more time to when I'm getting my car. I honestly feel that, its really worth the wait, as it doesn’t bother me too much, but I really liked to know and exact time frame.
Also, I feel that, getting a letter from Mitsu., could be a possibility as if it would just make people want an
Evo if you think about it. IT would be a type of marketing.. "People see the nice Evo's from Japan and wonder when the U.S. getting one...." Does anyone know when the dockets are going to be published, and if so, is anyone going to be able to give their insights to all this, after all.... THERE ARE ALWAYS LOOPHOLES... and I feel that a lot of research and determinants can lead to how other people made their cars legal. Hopefully E.I. will give some insight to all this... or I'm going to give them a call and force them too.

GMat

It wouldnt be illegal to have the car there, it just wouldnt be street legal. If he ripped the car down Las Vegas Blvd then yeah it could be impounded because it would be the same essentially as driving a touring car down the road, its not street approved.

TearItUpSports

iTrader: (2)

No matter what it has to have NHTSA paperwork, even if it is used just for show or racing purposes, though it is a moot point since that is not the purpose of this whole thread. If they were not street legal, they would have been delivered within 30 days off the boat.

GMat

My fault man I didnt realize you were refering to a specific Evo7. Thought you were stating that it would be illegal to have it period. Apologies.

Scot

iTrader: (6)

Even if you get it into the states (via private boat, helicopter, whatever), it is still illegal to have even it if is just parked in your garage (if i read everything correctly in a issue of Road and Track from about a year ago).

How do you get through customs? I think they are smarter than the old "I am not going to drive it on the road" ploy.

Somehow the Lotus Exige and Elises are allowed in the USA but not street legal. It makes sense that any car would be allowed but the rules don't let that happen.

RA29

Arent the Elise and Exige available here for racing only? I thought i saw on the Lotus USA webpage that you can buy them but only for racing. Also there is a company that sells street legal Elise with an ITR engine (for emissions purposes).

RedEvo6

That's interesting, because customs isn't really supposed to let any vehicle w/ a motor already in it to arrive into customs. It would have to be allowed and so on. So yea, maybe E.I. was allowed to ship it over and let it to be worked on for a reaosn that yes, it would be sold and made legal!

GMat

The lotuses are brought in under the racing exclusion. Thats why most the ones you see have some type of roll cage in them and an electrical cut off switch. We have a 340R that was brought in like this. The street legal cars you are refering to are totally different. They are not brought in by lotus, but by Sun Imports(?) i believe it might have been? They most likely crash tested the chassis and then put in the ITR motor because its obd2 and can conform to all current emissions standards.

RedEvo6

Yes it's a Company called "SUN" something, but those cars are only for Racign purposes only. Also there such situations that the only reason you can have a non US car, is that fi you only have it for a year or so, after that time frame, the car must be taken out of the US.