Performance Car Prices In The Us

[Mondie]

Ahh America, surely petrol head heaven.

l bought a car magazine while over there recently; checkout the prices in the US for some awesome cars compared to what we pay here. l used the 10 yr average exchange rate of US65c.

Audi S8 US$72500=A$111540 (in OZ $223570) 0-60mph 6.1 / 1/4 mile 14.7

BMW M3 $45000=$69230 ($141100) 4.7/13.3

Corvette Z06 $50485=$77670 (n/a) 4.5/12.8

Lexus LS430 $54000=$83080 ($176200) 6.4/14.8

Mazda RX-8 $26680=$41050 (guess $60k) 5.9/14.5

Merc E500 $54850=$84400 ($153900) 5.9/14.4

Porsche Boxster S $51600=$79400 ($133100) 5.7/14.2

Porsche 911 Turbo $111000=$170800 ($308900) 4.0/12.4

Subaru Impreza WRX $23995/=$36920 ($42490) 5.7/14.4

VW Passat W8 $37900=$58300 (dunno) 6.8/15.2

The price on the M3 is unbelievable at less than half of what it costs here, around the same as a GT with a few options. l have lusted over a Corvette for years and have wondered why they are quite rare on the roads in the US, but the competition is so strong. An M3 costs less! If we ever were to live in the US l don't know how l would ever decide which car to buy. Love the E class Merc so an E500 would be tempting. Definitely would buy a Corvette and bring it back with me though.

Never been a big Rex fan but the WRX STi reveiwed in the mag with the 2.5lt turbo motor would be wild, 0-60 in under 5 secs, 1/4 mile in 13.3 and all for US$31k. That too would be tempting. Oh choices

Obviously LCT/import tariffs and the larger US market have a lot to do with the price differences, but do you feel like we are getting ripped off here?

[Dagabond]

Dont forget to bring that mag on the cruize will ya. :D

[Mondie]

Dont forget to bring that mag on the cruize will ya. :D

No worries.

Its interesting reading,

[aniken]

Another interesting comparison is how long it takes the average joe to buy such a vehicle . Dividing local RRP by the local average weekly income, you get the following:

US Workers Aussie Battlers

Audi S8 36 months 59 months

BMW M3 22 37

Corvette 25 NA

Lexus LS430 27 47

Mazda RX-8 13 16

Merc E500 27 41

Boxster S 25 35

911 Turbo 55 82

WRZ Imprezza 12 11

Passat W8 19 NA

(eg. it would take 38 months of income for the average US worker to by an Audi S8 (assuming no spend on anything else), whereas the little aussie battler has to wait a massive 59 months.)

Interesting that we don't seem to fair too badly on Japanese vehicles, with the WRX actually slightly cheaper here.

And yes its a slow day at work today

[Mondie]

Geez, that M3 just gets cheaper and cheaper

And the figures would even be more biased towards the seppos if you took into account their lower tax rates and tax deductibility for all borrowings such as car or house whether for business or personal.

California dreaming

[CJF077]

If you decided on importing one, what would be the cost including getting it changed over to right hand drive.

[Mondie]

If you decided on importing one, what would be the cost including getting it changed over to right hand drive.

l wouldnt import one unless we were to move to live in California for a few years, which is looking like a possibility.

Importing it (a Corvette) wouldnt be that expensive but l think you would get hit with a lot of import tarriffs/duties. But if it was my personal car that l had owned for a while (12 months or more l believe) then l would be exempt from these. Conversion to RHD may cost 20 grand, perhaps more.

l have always thought if we ever did live in the USA for a while l would bring a Corvette back. l love them

[physh]

You could buy a car in the UK and own it for 3 months over there and then bring it back to Aus, tax and duty free, but that was about 7 years ago. I was gonna buy a new BMW over there and bring it back but never got around to it...

Coz then you could buy a RHD M3 from europe, and bring it in here duty free... lol...

Cost - 3 months holiday in Europe... lol...

Wonder if you can still do that?

mmm... I could go a few months driving around europe in an M3... lol.

[plonky]

In regards to the prices on cars in the US, it seems that it really only affects new/late model performance cars.

Whilst a BMW M3 would be very nice, I have been doing a fair bit of research on some genuine US muscle cars. The Americans have begun buying and restoring the legendary cars from the early '60's to early '70's and there is a real passion for originality/matching numbers.

I have been looking for a Dodge Super Bee 440 Six Barrel / Plymouth Road Runner 440 Six Pack, and for a matching number good condition car (no rust) the sale prices have risen dramatically. 25 to 35 USD. For a Hemi powered 'Cuda, Charger, Road Runner, Super Bee, Coronet R/T etc with books, matching numbers etc etc, they are now up around the $50k to 85k USD ! If you owned and original Hemi you can virtually name your price.

This also goes for Ford Fairlane Thunderbolts, Galaxy 427's and so on. Even Brand Crap cars are outrageously priced, (396 SS Chevelle, 427 Corvette, RS/SS Camaro, Yenko Camaro etc)

Whilst a rusted/seized/partially dismantled Super Bee etc would be much cheaper, it becomes and expensive exercise unless a decent car is bought in the first place.

The only reason I could suggest as to why some of the cars mentioned (M3, Audi S8 etc) are considerably cheaper is that the US doesn't have to rely on trade, it has all the resources it needs to be self sufficient, has a ready made market of 250 million people and if it wanted to it could close it's borders and not trade with any other nation.

I hope that never happens because Australia would collapse virtually overnight, and the rest of the world would follow.

[Cobra]

Mustang Cobra anyone ? B)

seppos get this one going 5.6 / 13.8

Aussies here only got 6.3 / 14.4 ................................. the Aussie one had an additional 40+hp too

you got to be careful with their performance figures .... they usually allow a rolling start, one pint of juice and a jockey in a stripped car (tankland cars need it :lol: )