Hey there, Corvette peeps!

My wife and I sold both of our C7 Stingray coupes (a 2019 and a 2017) before we moved to Germany back in August. I have seen three C7 coupes over here so far - one was a Torch Red Stingray driven by an American who had it shipped over here. The other two were fully Euro-spec Grand Sport models (different mirrors, lighting, front & rear fascia, headlight squirters, etc.). I assumed I would be seeing a lot of them here, but I haven't. ( We had our four-cylinder Mazda SUV shipped over here and it serves us well. We only have one parking space underneath our building, so no other cars until we return to the USA. That's likely going to be in 2026 or 2027. )

I believe that GM makes "export" models of the C8 for markets outside of North America - even building cars that are right-hand-drive for Australia, the UK, India, New Zealand, etc. I have yet to see a C8 - of any stripe - cruising on the Autobahn here. I have no plans on buying one, but I was just curious if they were being built yet. No doubt some well-heeled German folks would love to try out that new Z06 on the unrestricted sections of the Autobahn.

I am curious as to whether anybody here has seen one yet or knows how much it deviates from the US-spec version. I suppose the tariff & VAT would be pretty significant on one of those babies.

Peace and best wishes to those of you in the USA - and I hope your Corvettes are tucked away in a warm garage as you folks on the East Coast suffer through some cold weather. Surprisingly, it's been warm and sort of wet over here - plenty of rain, but very little snow so far.

 

GM is trying everything to sell as few Corvettes as possible in Germany - or so wicked tongues would claim.

There are anyway only 5 - 6 Chevrolet dealers in Germany, all were terminated to 31.08.2023.

No one knows what will happen next, there is a Z06 with European equipment but it is not available for order. As far as I know, no more Stingrays can be ordered. My dealer is pretty pissed at GM, think the others will feel the same. GM has spent a lot of money for the homologation but apparently they have enough money left.

Anyway, until August 23 there was and is officially Corvette for sale.

Differences C8:
- different front and rear lights
- necessary other control units and wiring harness
- Otto particle filter and other ECU
- Infotainment and operation in German
- always at least 2LT and Z51 package

The Corvette has always been an exotic here and even more so now. People here buy Porsches first, an Audi R8 or AMG GT if they want something more special, and then the usual suspects: Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren.

Greetings from Stuttgart

 

Thanks for the reply. We're definitely not in the market for a Corvette while we are over here and buying one with European specs would be cost-prohibitive even if we were able to afford such a car - which we can't right now. ( I retired four years early so that we could move here, so we have to rely only on my wife's income until I can get any income from my retirement investments. )

I was just curious as to if they're selling any C8s here at all. We live in Wiesbaden and another American with whom I spoke told me that you had to buy a then-new C7 Corvette through a dealership located in Switzerland and that all of their vehicles were built with European specifications. You definitely do not see very many Chevrolets here at all. Quite often, they are US-spec vehicles that Americans had shipped over here to drive during their time in Germany.

Since the C8 has been out for more than three years now (and into the fourth model year), I assumed that I would have seen some of them by now. A Z06 on the Autobahn would be quite a nice experiment, huh?

P.S. I think you are about an hour away from us. We're west of Frankfurt and you're probably a little bit south of it.

 

In the past it was possible, but today it is very difficult to get US vehicles approved, due to the Otto Particle Filter (OPF) and emissions regulations.

Those days are over. It remains exciting whether the Z06 will make it here. A U.S. import is probably not worth it, since it involves a high technical conversion effort.

I bought my Corvette from the dealer regular, 100,000 kilometer or 3 year warranty. Thank goodness I still bought, because with gray import that falls away.

As far as I know, GM officially sold about 850 units to Europe in 2020. I don't know the registration figures for last year, probably similar numbers. This year there will be very few, what comes after that, only the gentlemen in Detroit know. I fear nothing good.

Yes, about two hours away, I know someone in the neighborhood who also drives a C8, but with American registration (military). And we have here in BW an international Corvette Club - BWICC - Europe

 

We are here because of the military. My wife is a civilian employee of the US armed forces, so we are here under the Status Of Forces Agreement. We were able to bring our 2021 US-spec Mazda over here with us, although (from what I understand) we aren't able to sell it to a German national without them having to pay tons of money to get it 'converted' and to pay an import duty.

I am glad you got your C8 before all the crazy stuff began. Do you notice a big difference in appearance between yours and the US-spec C8? To the average eye, it probably doesn't stand out unless they're parked side by side.

That's cool that there is a Corvette club over here.

 

The reflectors in the headlights are missing, which I personally like even better. And the turn signal flashes normally and does not have this animation what the US versions have, which is a pity. Turn signal is also yellow. The differences are minimal, probably not even noticeable when the cars are parked next to each other.

 

I have seen a few European-spec Mustangs over here. The rear blinkers are amber instead of red and they flash normally instead of sequentially (like the US cars).

I suppose that the European market cars have different instrument panels - kilometers rather than miles. Our Mazda has a selector switch that lets us choose which units we wish to use. It's a nice feature and helps to prevent speeding tickets.

Your bright blue Corvette would certainly stand out if I ever saw it on the Autobahn!

 

Notice the Otto Particle Filter on European C8s. They take a few hp's off of engine power. Plus they take up more room in the exhaust circuit, add expense to the car, and they do muffle the exhaust note. Let's hope they don't make their way here.

https://www.carthrottle.com/post/wha...s-sound-worse/

 

I was under the assumption that 'particle filters' were something that is only used on diesel engines. Before I retired, I had a few work trucks with them.

 

The volume is limited here anyway, so the OPF doesn't make much difference. I have an aftermarket exhaust and must say, I do not want to have louder. From the age I'm out.

 

Sounds good to me!

 

here is the onboard sound, smartphone recorded, so not so good quality

 

Greetings. Thanks for the post. I am the owner of a 2023 C8 3LT Z51. I recently accepted a job offer to work in the Rheinland Pfalz area working as a contractor under SOFA. From what I understood above, I would have to make some modifications (and who would perform those mods) and it will be a very expensive decision to ship it to Germany. Even If could afford the shipping and modifications cost, who would service the Vette? Are there any dealers that would honor my warranty? Thank you in advance for your reply.

 

Rhineland-Pfalz - also called Rhineland-Palitanate - is the 'state' next to us (we are in Hesse). It is just across the river in Mainz, where its capital is located. Ours is in Wiesbaden.

If you are here under SOFA status, you shouldn't have any issues at all. Tons of people here are Americans (civilian & military) and there are lots of US-spec cars driving around in this part of Germany (plenty of Jeep Wranglers, Ford, Dodge and Chevy trucks with red rear blinkers More than a few Mustangs in town with red 'sequential' rear blinkers too. The EU-spec cars all have amber rear blinkers.

So long as you have SOFA status here, your car will only need to pass a basic safety inspection when you go to register it here. There is no VAT, duty or import fee assessed to you if you bring the car here with SOFA status, government orders, etc. For some vehicles, the size/shape of the EU license plates cause issues because they're too wide for the fascia or they interfere with front sensors. If that is the case, they'll issue you the ugly square ones. Make sure that they give you the green "Umwelt" sticker with a '4' in the middle of it. That's for emissions/environmental purposes - it allows you to drive in the center of the city. Shouldn't be an issue for a 2023 car of any kind. ( We have a 2021 Mazda SUV and they never even tested our emissions. They just gave us the decal after the safety inspection. )

Maybe your employment arrangement is different than that of my wife's, but we didn't have to pay to ship our car here. Uncle Sam pays to ship one car over here and then one car back home when we return to CONUS; but it doesn't have to be the same vehicle. We will have been here a full year after nest week and our scheduled DEROS (return to the States is 2025 - unless my wife decides to extend). When she decides an exact date for us to leave, we might order a new US-spec Audi or BMW at a discount. We will then sell Mazda and enjoy the Audi for several months before having it sent home. ( You can buy a German-spec car while you are here and you'll be exempt from the VAT, but you won't be able to 'export' the vehicle to the USA. ) SOFA status allows you to drive a US-spec car without any modification.

One of the catches is that, from what I understand, it is hard to sell your US-spec car to a German national or someone who doesn't have SOFA status. The German government might seek to charge a tax or require modifications (different headlamps, white parking lights in the front vs amber, rear red fog light if you have front fog lights, extra side blinker on some cars, different reflectors, etc.) on a US-spec car before it can be registered normally.

I have no idea about warranties or even where the nearest Chevrolet dealership happens to be. I also don't know if they have a Corvette technician on the payroll. There are Chevrolet cars here, but they are rather uncommon. Opel used to be owned by General Motors and they had "Euro" versions of the Chevy Equinox, Chevrolet Trax and a few other vehicles badged as Opels. They still sell Opel cars here, but they apparently broke away from GM a few years back.

I have seen a few Corvettes here (C4, C5, C6 and C7) that were both US and EU models. The EU cars are easily recognized by the tail lights because half of the inner ones are amber. The fascia is also different because it has to accommodate the wider EU license plates.

With Porsche, Audi and Mercedes cars always needing highly-skilled technicians, I suppose it should not be very hard to find someone competent enough to work on Corvettes. I would suggest contacting a local Corvette club once you arrive OR joining a Facebook group targeting Americans living in your area. They could probably recommend somebody who can work on your car. The Auto Skills Center on North Clay Kaserne does a lot of work on cars (oil & filter changes, tire rotations, filter replacement, brakes, etc.) - but they might be squeamish about messing with a C8 Corvette.

Before you decide to bring your beautiful fiberglass baby over here, be certain that you'll have a safe garage for storage. You want to keep snow and thieves away from it. I would DEFINITELY not use it as a daily driver at all - even if you have to buy a little puddle jumper of a car to get around. Winter can be harsh here (although this past winter was quite mild) and "summer only" tires are prohibited during snowy weather. The polizei will ticket you if you decide to drive with them, especially if you crash or get stuck. Germans with high-performance cars that have summer tires either park them when it snows or they have an extra set of "snow tires" mounted on steel wheels for winter driving. Others will just drive their 'beater' during times of poor weather and slippery roads. It sure would be fun to "open it up" LEGALLY on the Autobahn - about 60 percent of which is unrestricted. In the rest of the places, speeds are limited to between 80 kph and 130 kph (about 50 mph to 81 mph).

I hope it works out that you can bring your car with total SOFA status. Make sure that you are exempt from the German taxes and restrictions before you even think about doing it. Good luck!!

 

I am facing this same dilemma right now. I have a 2020 C8 HTC and will be PCSing to Germany in Feb '24. Gov't will pay to ship 1 vehicle so no issue there. However, one item I can't get a straight answer on is if it will pass inspection due to rear turn signals being red. I don't want to mod the car just to pass inspection because I'm already forced to remove the driver & passenger window tint and that's as far as I'm willing to go. I was initially concerned about my aftermarket exhaust (Borla) being over the 95 decible level so I bought a meter and checked and it reads 87 even in its loudest mode so I'm good there. Also planned on putting all-season tires next week before I came across the rear turn signal color issue so now I'm concerned. I'm going to try calling the inspection station at Kapaun AS to see what they have to say. I'm hoping for the best because I'd really like to open her up on the autobahn.

 

If you are truly under SOFA status, you ought not have any issues at all. When our Mazda arrived at the port, we got a "temporary" registration to drive it to the inspection station that is located on Clay Kaserne (also known as Wiesbaden Army Airfield). You get your safety inspection done by a German who works for the US Government - checks lights, brakes, tires, exhaust, etc. - and they give you the plates, "Umwelt" decal and registration. It's like a DMV and an inspection station all rolled into one. You'll need to have base access, of course, which you should already have from the minute you get here.

I see Americans over here with red rear turn signals and yellow front parking lights. EU-spec cars all have amber rear blinkers and white front parking lights. US-spec vehicles are common here (Ford F-150, Dodge Ram, Jeeps, Mustangs, Chargers, etc.) with the American tail lamps. You will even see Americans driving US-spec Audi, BMW & Volkswagen cars that they bought here - easily recognized by the red rear blinkers - and it's perfectly legal under SOFA status.

My wife bought a new US-spec 2016 Audi TT in the end of 2015 and drove it over here for almost two years before having it shipped back to the States. It also had the red rear blinkers on it. We sold it in May of 2022 - along with my 2017 Corvette Stingray before we moved over here. The C7 has yellow blinkers in the back. I thought the C8 does too.

Glad you are coming here. It's a bit of a change, but you should like it. The Autobahn is wonderful, but it's not "wide open and unlimited" everywhere. I think the unrestricted portions constitute about 55 to 60 percent of it - but keep in mind that the limit often drops down to 100 or even 80 kph when you get close to major cities or drive through construction areas. The German polizei don't often hide in the bushes with radar like the state troopers in the USA, but there are LOTS of photo radar traps and they just mail you a ticket with a picture of you driving your car.

Most Germans have driving skills far superior to US drivers. They generally know how to use directional signals and drive in the correct lane. Highway driving is much nicer here, but driving in the city can be quite aggravating. The roads here are a lot smaller, you cannot make a right-hand turn on red (unless a sign or green arrow indicates that you may do so) and on-street parking is almost nonexistent.

In many places, you have to park with two wheels up on the curb and parallel parking in a Corvette will be an issue because of the low ground clearance and concerns of getting curb rash on your wheels. You will also be turning your wheels while the car is not moving - which can be harmful to the soft rubber of low-profile performance tires. I'd strongly suggest renting a place with a reserved covered parking spot or even a garage. Buy a cheap "beater" car to drive during bad weather. We only have one car (the Mazda SUV) and it costs us 130 Euros a month for a dedicated covered space underneath our apartment building.

Good luck on your upcoming move!!

P.S. If it is going to be your only car (daily driver), I would suggest all-season tires. It does snow regularly here in the winter months, and you can be ticketed for driving on summer-only tires!

 

Thank you for the quick reply and insight. You were 100% correct -- I called the Kapaun Inspection station this morning and the Sgt there confirmed that my C8 will be ok. Apparently US spec vehicles with red rear turn signals are allowed. In fact, he mentioned that he had personally inspected a C8 recently and knew of 2 others in the area. I'm relieved, and pleased to hear there will be other C8's to share the road with me. One other issue he warned me about was the tint -- it's not allowed on the driver or passenger front windows. Tint is permitted as long as it's behind the drive so the little rear window tint on my vehicle can stay.

This is my second trip to Germany (last time was 01-04) so I understand what you're saying about not all parts of the autobahn being "no speed limit". And unfortunately, even way back in the early 00's, I got my share of photo tickets. I'll try to have more awareness this time around. I currently have a V2 radar detector but my understanding is you can't use them over in Germany so not sure if I'll risk using it or not. It would probably save me from the photo tickets but not sure what the consequences would be if the Politzei pull me over. I think they can confiscate it but I'm guessing they would have a cash penalty on top of that so maybe it's just best to store it.

This definitely won't be my daily driver and I plan on storing it during winter months. I am getting All-season tires put on next week but that's mainly to deal with the sub-40 temps as my summer tires couldn't safely handle those temps. I will be getting a house with a garage so I just plan to keep her buttoned up when it's cold outside then break her out when it warms up. I'm really looking forward to opening her up when summer arrives and I'm even thinking about taking her to the Nuremburg Ring for some track time as I'll never get an opportunity like this again.

Hope to run into you when I get over to Germany, and thanks again.

 

Good to know that you will be keeping that baby inside a warm garage! Germany isn't exactly the Arctic Circle, but does get its share of snow & cold weather. The summer-only tires on my C7 were kind of dicey when it was cold outside. I had to drive it about 20 miles on a perfectly straight highway to warm them up a bit. When I first took it out of the garage on a cold morning, it was like driving a gravel truck. Haha!!

Nice that you were over here before, so you at least have a decent understanding of the German motoring habits and traffic laws. The traffic cameras are still here - and they have added many more of them. Some are 'fixed' and most everybody knows where they are - but they use "portable" ones that you won't be expecting to encounter. They now use cameras up on overpasses (portable ones) that are looking for people holding their cell phones and even following too closely to the vehicle in front of them. Leave your radar detector at home. It might not even work on the frequencies of German radar - but you will be in deep doo doo if you get caught. Radar detectors are verboten over here.

FWIW, my wife got one camera ticket here in Wiesbaden and another in Switzerland. I got one right at the border coming from Luxembourg into Germany and another one in Mainz. Two tickets in 16 months is not bad - according to other Americans living here. The fines are typically 30 to 50 Euros and there are no points against your license until you get more than 20 kph over the limit. My second ticket (in Mainz) was for going 37 kph in a 30 kph zone, so their "tolerance" is not very high. I have gotten "flashed" a few other times and - knock on wood - never got a ticket for those. So has my wife. ( The flash will look red, almost like a strobe light. You can often see them during the day. ) I would recommend using a dash cam. I drive with one all the time. When I did get the camera flash, I went back and reviewed my speed with my GPS, etc. The one in Mainz had me going 38 kph, but the ticket said 37................leading me to believe that their radar calibration is pretty good. 7 kph is only about 4.3 mph - not exactly flying well above the limit.

Upon arrival of your car (expect it to be filthy - even though they demand that it be clean when you take it to the transport company. Upon inspection, you will be required to install a front license plate. Yeah, it's going to make your Corvette look as if it is easting a Tic Tac, but all EU nations require the front plate. Just be mindful that it could interfere with your front cameras or sensors. The plates here are shorter, but much wider than those used in the USA.

When my wife bought her Audi TT (US spec) here back in 2015, they had to give her a different front tag because it interfered with the cruise control and forward collision sensors. The German government does produce "oddly shaped" plates (almost look square) which you are allowed to use on a US-spec car that won't accommodate the EU type tags. You will see them a lot of Jeeps, pickup trucks and some Hondas that have a narrower place for affixing the rear plate. The people at the inspection station should already know which type of tags will be needed for your car. Just ask them about the one in the front and if it will block the sensors in any way. With many cars, the front fascia will be slightly different on the EU-spec cars, so as to accommodate the different safety equipment.

I would recommend sending your car ahead of time - because it won't likely be here when promised. We dropped our car off on July 3rd, 2022 - with the expectation that it would arrive here by early August (we flew here on August 16th of 2022) and waiting for us. The morons with the logistics company kept the damn thing in Baltimore for more than a month, probably waiting until they had a full ship. Our car did not get to Germany until September 22nd - causing us to have to rent a car. The idiots also ruined our battery (on a car that was only 1.5 years old) by not letting the car run enough when they had to move it. Finding a new one required me to leave our car overnight at a dealer 30 minutes away and ordering one from Mannheim. They sell a Mazda CX-30 here in Germany, but the engine, transmission and battery are completely different than those in the US-spec car that we have........even though they are all assembled side by side in the same plant over in Mexico. German batteries are short and flat, while US batteries are taller and thinner. The posts are often in different places (side vs top).

Oh, and it was freaking filthy upon arrival (Did I say that already?). No effort on their part to keep it clean at all. I washed, waxed and detailed it before dropping it off in Chesapeake at the shipping company. I am **** about keeping a car clean, so it really was irritating. The guy must be used to people complaining, so he just handed me a voucher to use at the car wash that was located about 1/4 mile up the road. For as much money as they get paid to do that, they should have somebody there to wash the cars before people come to pick them up. They had a nice indoor facility with plenty of room. Just nothing but laziness.

Hoping that your journey over here is not stressful and that everything goes smoothly. Let me know if you need a heads-up on anything. I assume you will be a bit south of us (we are in Hesse). Just know that Germany has 'declined' a bit from what it was in the 1970s and 19080s. It's still nice, but they have some issues - you will see it after you get here. You lived here before, so you will have a reference point.

I look forward to seeing some photos of your C8 after it is cleaned up and ready to cruise on the Autobahn!

P.S. Are you bringing your wife and kids with you? Our children are all grown and live in the USA. Two of the three came over this year to visit us so far.

 

Copy all and thanks for the information. I'm getting the car ceramic coated again before I leave so hopefully that will help with the dirt/dust (or at least make it come off easily). Already have the front license plate holder on order and will definitely need the "American" version of the small, square license plate. Not looking forward to the speed cameras so I'll be on high alert early on. Thanks again!

 

Just make sure that the front plate bracket is not only compatible with your car, but also with the ugly square front license tag that they will give you. I think your car will still be okay with a regular EU plate in the rear, though. That square front plate is not the same as a US tag (not as wide). When your vehicle arrives and you go to have it registered and inspected (there should be a place on the base where you go to have that done), they should know which type of plates that your Corvette will require. It will need to be the correct dimensions to not interfere with the front cameras, sensors, etc.

Good luck with everything and don't hesitate to send me a PM if you have any questions for which I might have an answer - or maybe a good guess. LOL!!