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Well yes, that makes sense - I know some people who spend a lot of time per year in France/Spain and they actually have UK-registered LHD vehicles because it's

Well yes, that makes sense - I know some people who spend a lot of time per year in France/Spain and they actually have UK-registered LHD vehicles because it's more convenient that way. Either way, about Australia - I came across this article about the Chiron and indeed, it sounds like Bugatti cannot sell it there because it wouldn't be compliant with the rules(but some people have imported them anyway as "special interest vehicles"). https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-advice/bugatti-chiron-price-what-one-would-cost-in-australia-74173#:~:text=vehicles%20into%20Australia.-,While%20the%20Chiron%20doesn't%20comply%20with%20Australian%20Design%20Rules,brought%20in%20to%20the%20country https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-advice/bugatti-chiron-price....

skissane 4y ago
About the Bugatti Chiron, per my understanding of Australian law - you can legally import a brand-new one-but you can’t legally drive it on public roads. Well, put it away for 25-30 years, then suddenly it becomes old enough to be street legal. You can drive it on a private road (which legally means a road closed to the public). You can drive it on a racetrack. You can move it around on the back of a truck. You can even get a short-term permit to drive it on the public roads, but only to move it to a new permanent storage location, or to take it to the mechanics. If you are wealthy enough to afford one, you are wealthy enough to deal with all these complexities of owning one in Australia.
- gambiting 4y ago
  The article mentions exception for businesses which have a business need for a vehicle that is only available as LHD - I'm sure an argument can be made that exotic car rental company can only get an LHD Chiron because no RHD version is made, ergo, it should be legal to register for business use. I'd love to know how this was actually done.
  - skissane 4y ago
    I doubt that would work. The bureaucrats who approve the applications would realise it was politically sensitive, and ask their politician bosses, who would say “no”. Australian culture tends to look down on special perks for super-rich people, to a greater extent than British or American culture does (“tall poppy syndrome” maybe), and if what you are talking about happened, the media and opposition politicians would make a lot of noise about it. You’d be more likely to get away with it with an exotic car that was less obscenely expensive. Some kind of special vehicle for mining/construction/etc, that’s practical, no matter how expensive it may be, nobody is going to view it as a rich person’s toy, so no political gain from condemning its approval.

skissane 4y ago

About the Bugatti Chiron, per my understanding of Australian law - you can legally import a brand-new one-but you can’t legally drive it on public roads. Well, put it away for 25-30 years, then suddenly it becomes old enough to be street legal. You can drive it on a private road (which legally means a road closed to the public). You can drive it on a racetrack. You can move it around on the back of a truck. You can even get a short-term permit to drive it on the public roads, but only to move it to a new permanent storage location, or to take it to the mechanics. If you are wealthy enough to afford one, you are wealthy enough to deal with all these complexities of owning one in Australia.

gambiting 4y ago
The article mentions exception for businesses which have a business need for a vehicle that is only available as LHD - I'm sure an argument can be made that exotic car rental company can only get an LHD Chiron because no RHD version is made, ergo, it should be legal to register for business use. I'd love to know how this was actually done.
- skissane 4y ago
  I doubt that would work. The bureaucrats who approve the applications would realise it was politically sensitive, and ask their politician bosses, who would say “no”. Australian culture tends to look down on special perks for super-rich people, to a greater extent than British or American culture does (“tall poppy syndrome” maybe), and if what you are talking about happened, the media and opposition politicians would make a lot of noise about it. You’d be more likely to get away with it with an exotic car that was less obscenely expensive. Some kind of special vehicle for mining/construction/etc, that’s practical, no matter how expensive it may be, nobody is going to view it as a rich person’s toy, so no political gain from condemning its approval.