VIP Auto Salon

Recently we had a new customer contact us that made us appreciate how easy it is to mod cars.

We are based out of Southern California, and with California's strict smog laws and sometimes overzealous Highway Patrol Officers who hate modders, we thought we had it rough.

This guy is a true and true Lexus Enthusiast and has had an LS430 and currently has a LS600HL. After talking to our new customer and friend from Hanover, Germany, he informed us of how strict the laws are for our European friends across the Atlantic.

To explain how hard it is over there to be an enthusiast he said that you basically need a special license for each individual thing you mod on your car. For example, he put some 22" wheels on his LS430 and that required him to take his car to a facility and file for a license to roll around on those wheels after proving to the government that they pass European Safety regulations. That includes EVERYTHING and i mean EVERYTHING you want to do to your car.

All parts, and this includes body kits, need a TUEV approval before you can put it on the car. Thats each piece of the Body Kit, new set of wheels must have TUEV stamped on it or you have to submit paperwork to prove it can meet standards (D.O.T. for US Wheels, JWL for Japan), all lighting stuff, all suspension parts.

So to dump your car, put a front lip on, throw on some wheels, that's at least 3 Special Licenses you need approval for.....

So right now with our help he is redoing his entire car and getting all the licenses he needs to do it just because he wants to do it right and make an amazing JDM VIP car. I think that's pretty awesome. Anyways he sent some photos from Germany to us so I thought I'd share them with you guys. Hes doing some serious work to his LS600HL and when hes done ill keep you guys posted on the progress with pictures of course!











GDM Dog!



Steven @ VIP Auto Salon

KillaIS250

iTrader: (1)

Dang i would HATE to have to get a license for every individual mod! Thank god its not THAT strict here. lol

Nice to see your doing business even with/on cars overseas

Stormwind

He has to get license only because the parts he is buying is not regulated by Tuev, he can just get the products that are already licensed then he wouldn't have to jump throu all those hoops.
Kinda like if you want to buy a car that didn't pass US safety regulations you'll have to bend over backwards and pay a large sum of money, jump throu some hoops but you can still get it.

VIP Auto Salon

Exactly, although imagine if we couldn't run what ever wheels, body kits, accessories we wanted to run. Almost all aftermarket parts have never undergone D.O.T. Approval because that process is extremely expensive. So all aftermarket parts, if the US was stricter, wouldn't be allowed on the car without an approval process.

No aftermarket JDM wheel and ESPECIALLY the cheapy replica wheels would be allowed since none of them are D.O.T. either. The higher end Japans wheels are JWL at least. All the US made monoblock wheels would be illegal too.

duncan73

Just curious. Why are the plates different? "Hi Steve" vs "Hi Steven" Or are they fakes covering the real plates. Or different cars. Or.....

VIP Auto Salon

They are either paper covering the real one it or its photoshop, these pictures came in 2 batches at different times is why its probably different spelling.

He wanted to visit VIP Auto Salon to check out our shop but being in Germany I took a bunch of photos to give him a virtual tour of our shop, and i wrote on a piece of paper "Guten Tag" and put it on top of an LFA so he sent me back these ones ahaha.

whitetooth

Both plates are not real. The one with "STEVEN" is a paper printout hiding some original letters and the other one is made with original 3 D material and machines but with no real numbers except the first two which stands for the city. This plate is too short for Steven's complete name. The "N" is still in the machine

Here is the virtual tour:

http://euro.lexusownersclub.com/foru...dpost&p=418751

written in a special style no German speaks but (some in the beer and pretzel country LOL) understands. An automated translation would produce a lot of nonsense.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

guy has some major bucks over there to have that going on (incl. home with pool)

Trexus

I noticed his windows aren't tinted. Probably need a license for that too huh?

Alucard

I wish a license was required for fake side air vents and other similar tacky mods

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

it's not that hot/sunny in germany, so tints aren't as big a deal.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

What a great choice of car to mod!

LexFather

Great story VIP Auto Salon, thanks for sharing! You guys rock!!

Mike

whitetooth

Correct, no German type approval, no licence to drive the car. New cars are checked after three years and afterwards, every two years whether all is stock or according to the approval given.

Car manufacturers can get a certificate, Accessory manufacturers can get it. Owners can get it if the test has passed the TUEV criteria. If you tint the windows (BTW the LS600hL has enough privacy by push of two buttons ) or replace a bulb by LED, all material have to have a common approval (car make/model independend such as RL -running light- logo) or a car specific one, sample list at http://www.bmw-syndikat.de/bmwsyndik.../gutachten.asp. Additional and in some cases, the workshops need a licence to install/change.

All this makes sure you do not loose an apron or side skirt while driving 160 (LS), 170 (ISF) or 200 (LFA), 250 (Bugatti)

whitetooth

It is more fun as sun and in some cases there is no hope of deliverance from the darkness that's around drivers: