As you peruse Porsche classified listings, auction lots and SCM auction reports, you may have seen the term RoW, meaning “Rest of World.” Many buyers view RoW versions of Porsches (and other marques) to be pur sang — the way automakers chose to build them without intrusive North American safety and emissions regulations. Often, RoW cars have more horsepower and less weight, although sometimes with fewer luxury options than U.S. buyers traditionally prefer. Among the RoW Porsche models that North Americans buy, most are RS performance models that were not legally available to purchase new in the U.S. The importation trend […]
As you peruse Porsche classified listings, auction lots and SCM auction reports, you may have seen the term RoW, meaning “Rest of World.” Many buyers view RoW versions of Porsches (and other marques) to be pur sang — the way automakers chose to build them without intrusive North American safety and emissions regulations. Often, RoW cars have more horsepower and less weight, although sometimes with fewer luxury options than U.S. buyers traditionally prefer.
Among the RoW Porsche models that North Americans buy, most are RS performance models that were not legally available to purchase new in the U.S. The importation trend started in the 1980s, when 1973 RS 2.7s arrived here under the NHTSA’s “once in a lifetime” exemption, although cars still had to be modified for DOT compliance.
Once the Show and Display exemption was added in 1999, additional models became hot items. These include the 1974 RS 3.0 (52 built), 1984 SC/RS (21 built), 1992 964 RS 3.6 (2,279 built in three variants), 1993 964 RS 3.8 (55 built), 1996 993 RS (1,014 built), and 2004 GT3 RS (682 built). Also desirable were the 964 Turbo Flachbau (93 built in four variants) and Leichtbau (86 built), the “Alpha Dog” 993 GT2 (194 built), and the 997.2 Sport Classic (250 built).
Regulation emancipation
There is a twisting road map to importing a RoW Porsche. For cars under 25 years old, you have to consider both DOT and EPA regulations. DOT rules involve mostly minor but sometimes tricky changes such as lights, seat belts, seat-belt warning lights and buzzers, door-impact bars and more. These regulations expire when a particular car hits 25 years of age to the day from its factory-documented production date.
EPA regulations cover emissions, including engine management, induction and exhaust systems, and evaporative-gas-tank systems. Changing those systems to U.S. spec can be expensive, in part because it must be done by a government-designated Registered Importer (RI). EPA regulations expire on January 1 of the year in which a specific car is 21 years old, per a factory build sheet.
If the car is too new for DOT and EPA expiration, the Show and Display (S&D) exemption comes into play. For this, you need a car that is sufficiently rare (preferably under 500 units, but it can be more), has technological and/or historical significance, and is a model that was not sold new here by the manufacturer.
Then, you can write what amounts to an eighth-grade term paper on the car, citing factual information sources, and the DOT will consider it for S&D status. This exempts that make and model but limits you to 2,500 miles driven per year and requires DOT permission to resell the car.
In summary, without S&D, you must wait 25 years to import. With S&D you wait 21 years until EPA regs expire. Earlier, and you must pay for full compliance modifications.
America sets the market
All of this has an effect on the market for these cars, which is different in the U.S. than elsewhere. Currently, most RoW Porsches are worth more in the U.S. than in markets where they were always legal — notably Europe and Japan — but also the Middle East, Hong Kong, South Africa and Australia. Dealers arbitrage those differences. For example, the Japanese have been shrewd in monitoring and pricing at U.S. market values, as the yen has recently dropped precipitously. Few bargains can be found there.
Once the legal restrictions expired, some models became online-auction darlings because no importation expertise was needed, and the financially onerous compliance work was eliminated. The 964 RS became widely available in the U.S. only after it turned 25 years old in 2017, because the DOT refused S&D exemption for it being “too common” at 2,279 built. The rarer 993 RS was legal at the same time after 21 years because it was granted S&D clearance. Next will be the “sleeper” 2004 GT3 RS — a terrific-performing homologation special despite its 996 origins. It also has been a very expensive RI project, costing over $100,000 due to the evaporative-gas-tank conversion.
Achtung, baby
Once RoW cars began selling at online auctions, sometimes at high prices, foreigners intruded, listing their cars remotely from Europe. Transactional risk escalated because many RS cars were tracked and otherwise driven hard in Europe, even if not technically raced. Selling previously damaged cars repaired with shiny paint to North Americans on the internet has been a profitable way out. Of course, pre-purchase inspections (PPI) or even in-person testimony are more difficult to garner on cars located overseas.
The peanut gallery is also less effective when photos are carefully chosen. Got a wrecked bottom pan and rumpled spare-tire hole? Leave the undertray on and the spare tire in. Got a cap on a rear fender? Don’t photograph the inside fender well with the wheel off. Got a replacement front fender? Either carefully refinish the attachment-bolt area or simply don’t show it at all.
RoW cars can also have skimpier ownership and service records, and there are no CARFAX reports available. A current owner can honestly proclaim that he never, ever tracked his car, even if what is unsaid is that the first owner rolled it at the Nürburgring and the car has a replacement rear clip and roof. Researching all the available paperwork (Google Translate helps a lot — whole pages can be pasted in), talking to all the owners you can dig up, and getting a seller to make claims on condition in writing all will help to make a safer decision. Of course, an in-person PPI by someone reputable in the car’s home area is always best. Spending roughly $2,000 to prevent a big problem can be money well spent.
Of note, Canadians can import RoW cars at 15 years. Buying Canadian can simplify arranging a PPI and can save meaningful transportation costs, although the 2.5% U.S. duties will still have to be paid at the border.
Worth the hassle?
One last area of discussion is whether to choose an RoW model of a domestically available Porsche once the RoW car can come in regulation-free. To overgeneralize, RoW models tend to have smaller catalytic converters, fewer bulky DOT add-ons, and lightweight features such as magnesium or carbon-fiber body panels and plastic windows. Sometimes the engine has slightly more horsepower. I have had more than one friend on the hunt for a Euro-spec Porsche 930 Turbo, passing on any U.S. example.
Likewise, public arguments have broken out between defenders of domestic versus RoW Ferrari F40s and F50s. The market rules, so looking at sales results can tell you which model is preferred in North America. Or consult an expert. The RoW model often wins. ♦