MP2k

Trying to decide if I should take my S to Germany or take the opportunity to buy a German car I couldn't afford her in the states. My S is pretty high milage and I'm a little worried about breaking it over there. Would parts be a lot more expensive? What about the inspections? I hear they are a lot tougher than what I have to pass being out here in the Texas country side I also don't have an air pump, it broke a while back I never bothered with replacing it.

Man, I can't wait to get on the autobahn, whether it's in the S or a BMW/Porsche/Audi/VW.

HDA

I think EU cars are much more easy to maintain here in the US vs. EU (Gas, taxes, etc...)

Where are you going in Germany?
If you are planning to come back to the States I'd say keep you S here and take the chance to buy something different there (Elise?You can find nice Mk1 models...)

Also: S2ks are kinda cheap, mainly in Italy

just my advise, I just moved from Italy to Houston and left my beloved DC2 type R there.

bye

skipdodoubleg

I'm headed to Italy in 2012, and the thought of not taking my car has not crossed my mind! I've been to Europe before, and the thought of having an S2000 over there just makes me drool. There are so many fantastic roads, which just seem like they were made to drive an S2k on. I'm not talking about the Autobahn and the Autostrada either. I'm talking mountain roads, the likes that you only see in Option DVDs and on the Dragon in NC.

If you're worried about the S breaking, just get a beater. Every base I've been to in europe always has $500 cars that are reliable enough to get you back and forth to work and save miles on your main car.

I can't vouch for Germany, but I know in Italy, as long as all of your safety equipment worked (turn signals, lights, wipers, etc.) you were good to go. The inspector gave me crap about my 3" exhaust on my prelude, but when I asked him if he was going to fail me, he said no. I quickly wondered why he even brought it up! Most replacement parts should be readily available at any dealership. Especially since Europe's car have mechanically been AP1s all along for the most part.

dseltzer

Vehicle inspections are pretty tough in Germany; just went through mine last week in Wiesbaden.

My S2000 is German-spec. so parts aren't a problem; in fact, USAA gave me a better rate because parts would not have to shipped from the States. However, I do stock up on filters and other small parts whenever in the States to save money on basic service. I suggest you do the same if you opt to bring your car over here.

As much as you'd enjoy your S2000 over here, you'll need it in good mechanical condition, the 400-liter monthly gas ration only goes so far at speed, and top-down weather is limited in Germany.

On the plus side, autobahns are fun -- Autobahn 63 (K-town to Mainz) only has a few areas with limits and the traffic isn't bad; I got mine up to 264 km/h (observed) on this road near Alzey -- and you can pay to drive on the track (Hockenheim, Nurburgring, Sachsenring, Lausitzring, Salzburgring, etc.).

Buying a German car definitely has its advantages but it's not cheap -- the dollar/euro exchange is still poor. However, US-spec new cars are available through AAFES, AutoExchange, Pentagon Car Sales and others at decent non-negotiable prices. VAT forms are available to have the 19 percent tax dropped if buying from a dealer on the economy.

It's going to be a tough decision. Hope this helps a little.

D.

US NFR S2K

I'm USAF in England...have driven my car across Europe....bring your car. If you decide not to keep it....trust me, you'll be able to sell it for what you want.

Sol4God

I lived in Germany for 4 years and was stationed in the Ramstein area for 3. Trust me, bring your S! The roads are amazing! There's some pretty good ones in the lautereken area. Top down on a beautiful day! You cant beat it! Here's the link to my CarDomain: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3219945/2002...iserslautern-de
Trust me. You will remember these roads for the rest of your life, and It's a lot of fun showing up the audi's and merc's on their own turf! I ROMPED an A3 that was trying to be cocky...twice in 5 minutes. I've cruised with and SLK Mercedes at 120mph for 30 or so miles. My current max speed is 150mph. The autobahns are made for high speed driving, and you will find that your S likes to cruise at 100mph. It's seriously my average speed on the autobahn. It's like my baby just hunkers to to road and glides. Yours suspesion will get a workout too. The legal speed on most country roads is 100kmph, but the turns make you feel like your going way faster then that! Germany was made for driving! Lots of small villages with miles of open roads in between. TAKE YOUR S...YOU WILL LOVE IT!