Maybe it is not my responsibility to do that as a moderator, yet to me it was worthy of immediate action, as it was mentioned that the poster was not a financial member (I hadnt noticed that, so thanks) and I made the decision on my own to delete it, as I feel there is something fishy going on. 

 The member has been advised where to post those ads or links to cars for sale before (only 914's from what I've seen) and I personally feel that they have a financial interest in them without mentioning that or becoming a financial member. That, and they have not contributed in any other way, shape or form to be welcomed as an active member on PFA

 To the member in question. I have a 3 strike rule here, and you're on 2.75. Maybe introduce yourself and be an active member of the forum, financial preferably, yet if you're just going to post 914's for sale that you have a financial interest in, theres always Gumtree and Carsales where you won't get deleted as a member 

 Thanks 👍

http://www.carpoint.com.au/news/2017/porsche/macan/porsche-macan-to-go-all-electric-107964 

"Widespread changes to vehicle safety throughout the European Union look set to require manufacturers to include a number of features in every new car, including a black box-style data recorder and intelligent “speed assistance” pushing drivers to stick to posted limits.

The same technology could come to Australia under the vehicle “type approval” process which requires cars sold locally to meet the same minimum standards held in Europe and other markets — a Volkswagen or Mercedes sold in Australia is largely the same as its overseas cousin."

Try this one 

https://www.whichcar.com.au/news/gosford-classic-car-museum-closes-its-doors

https://petersenstore.org/products/porsche-effect-street-banner?mc_cid=91d3431096&mc_eid=90360dfba9

They include these street banners for $199

If anyone has the itch and needs help with shipping hit me up.

I'm collecting this data from various places so I might have some of it wrong.  Feel free to correct me.  Those who insist on only considering vehicles with an Australia dealer stamp look away now while the ugliness of imports is discussed!

1989 Imports

The old rule of importing vehicles manufactured before 1989 (had to have a build date prior to 1/1/1989) is going away.

It is going to be replaced with a rolling 25 year rule.  I'm not sure if this applies on a calendar-year-to-calendar year

Personal Imports

This is not changing - if you own a vehicle for 12 months you can bring it in.  

RAV - Register of Approved Vehicles

This is a big list of vehicles approved for Australia.   There are three ways of getting on the list:

1. type approval

2. concessional RAV

3. rule based

Type approval seems to be the normal way of importing cars (e.g. manufacturers) where type approval is granted.

Concessional RAV means the car appears on a list known as the Register of Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicles or SEVs Register.  This appears to be a big list of vehicles the government will keep. 

On the list is :

• older vehicles (rolling 25 year)
• specialist and enthusiast vehicles (SEVs)
• vehicles owned and used overseas for a minimum of 12 months by migrants or returning Australians (the current Personal Import Scheme)

Cars brought in under the 25 year or personal import rule don't have to be on the RAV type approved list ( I guess hence concessional )

Cars on the SEVs list are those which fulfil the following criteria:

• Have never been on the type approval.
• Can be a variant of a vehicle that did/does have type approval.  Variant means a model that has a different body, transmission or propulsion system, or is a different vehicle category
• Variants must be available elsewhere in the world for at least three months before the application is made
• Variants must also meet one of the 6 criteria:
  • Performance : a graduated threshold based on power-to-weight: staring in 1992, it is 110kw/t, increasing by 1kw/t for every model year.  A 2018 model must have 126kw/t
  • Environmental : blah blah greenie cars who cares
  • Mobility : for wheelchairs and things like that, but only for manufacturer based models (ie no dodgy conversions)
  • Rarity : Make is under 3,000 per year averaged over production run; or model is less than 1,000 per year averaged over the production run; or Variant is less than 100 per year averaged over model run.  LHD vehicles in this criteria don't have to be converted, but are still subject to state registration laws (Have Bugatti Veyron? Move to Darwin)
  • LHD : If the car was never made in RHD for any market in the world (eg Corvette).  Only applies to passenger vehicles.
  • Campervans : Originally built as a camper

SEVS sheet : https://infrastructure.gov.au/vehicles/mv_standards_act/files/Info_Sheet_1_SEVs.pdf

I recommend looking at 'attachment B' on this link : https://infrastructure.gov.au/vehicles/mv_standards_act/files/Info_Sheet_10_RAV.pdf 

Rally / Race Vehicles

There is an ongoing scheme for special purpose vehicles which include race/rally use and hot-rods where the vehicle is not on the RAV but can be imported, but cna't be used on-road.

Modifying Vehicles

It appears as though modifications are not allowed - what exactly consists a modification I can't figure out.  But if it varies significantly from vehicles on the RAV it isn't allowed - although I think this is aimed at conversions of vehicles to campers and other types of mods.

When does it happen?

Some becomes effective immediately, and some start 12 months after passing of the bill.  Vehicles on the SEV only start 12 months after.  Personal imports start immediately (I think)

Links : https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd1718a/18bd108

Concessional Imports : https://infrastructure.gov.au/vehicles/mv_standards_act/files/Info_Sheet_5_Concessional_Imports.pdf

Not sure if the bill has become law yet, but it passed both houses of parliament, so it won't be long.

ALSO don't forget the LCT and Import Duties appear to be staying the same.

What does this mean for the Porsche lover?

As of bill passing, the max date of manufacturer jumps from 1988 to 1993, and will go up each year for import approvals. 

* All 964s will immediately become importable, whereas previously they have never been.  Expect a flood of RHD HK/UK cars in and a gush of LHD US/EU/JP cars.

* Over the next 4 years the entire back-catalog of 993 models will be importable, both RHD and LHD

* 928 GT and GTS cars are now importable, whereas previously they were not. 

* All 968 models are now importable, whereas previously they were not

* Carrera GTs satisfy both the performance criteria and the rarity criteria and will be importable in 12 months

* 918s satisfy both the performance critera and the rarity critera and will be importable in 12 months (in LHD or RHD)

* All 993, 996, 997 and 991 NA, Turbos and GT3s (and GT2 etc etc) satisfy the performance criteria but were originally sold in Australia thus fail the variant test.  The only exception I can think of would be perhaps the 993 RS, if it satisifies the variant test. (or was it sold here?) . However as the 25 year rolling rule marches on these will become importable.  You are only 5 years away from importing 996.1 GT3s if you have your eye on one.

* Cayman GT4s etc satisfy the power/weight ratio - but again only in RHD and don't satisfy the variant criteria.

...Basically if you want a Porsche sports car from another country that wasn't previously sold here you can have it.  The only trick will be getting a RHD model for newer cars unless you live in the NT, or Tas/WA where the LHD rules allow for newer exotics (rarity criteria).

I haven't covered the JDM imports under RAWS but basically those will continue.  Because a lot of Jap cars don't really clear the performance bar (especially in the last ten years) then it's not so good for them.  But for a Porsche fan it's happy days if you have your eye on a rare model somewhere.

The only thing I can't figure out is where you stand with a Singer ... is it a modified car?  I _don't think so_ - but I could be wrong.  

There's also a ton of stuff in there about recalls - probably in the wake of the Takata airbag thing.  I didn't read any of it.

Anyway hope this is helpful for those who peruse international websites (ahem @Mike D'Silva who is always on FB ads poking around) - especially those with their eye on a 964 or 993.

And here's me purposely buying pre 1989 for import, then they go and pass the law, and there's a 'street find' 964 a couple of blocks away.  Dang.  It's a bit rough anyway.

Porsche Track Precision app to provide owners racing tuition and data

http://www.msn.com/en-au/motoring/news/porsche-track-precision-app-to-provide-owners-racing-tuition-and-data/ar-BBSBxIH?ocid=ientp#image=24

Is this marketing going too far? 

https://www.realestate.com.au/news/luxury-apartment-sky-garages-given-green-light/?rsf=syn:news:nca:dt:socref

https://www.velocetoday.com/book-review-gulf-917/

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/future-tech/porsche-has-ripped-nurburgring-lap-record-shreds

Discuss. 

It was announced early this morning that a Tesla Model S has been involved in a fatal crash during which the autopilot mode of the vehicle was activated.

The accident occurred on a highway in northern Florida when a tractor trailer drove perpendicular across the highway crashing into the Tesla car which was driving itself.

Tesla, which said the driver was ultimately responsible for the vehicle’s action even when in autopilot mode, said both the driver and the car failed to notice the tractor trailer “against a brightly lit sky” and the brakes failed to kick in.

.......

The driver of the Tesla was a 40-year-old Joshua Brown, the owner of a technology company who nicknamed his vehicle “Tessy” and had praised its sophisticated “Autopilot” system just one month earlier for preventing a collision on an interstate.

While the accident was only recently reported, it took place on May 7.

The cameras on Mr Brown’s car had failed to distinguish the white side of a turning tractor-trailer from a brightly lit sky and didn’t automatically activate its brakes, according to a government report obtained by the Associated Press.

Your free account is to be limited to 1000 photos only.

To save more photos you must be a financial member which is $49.99 per year which will give you unlimited storage.

I'm not sure if that is AUD.

Still a lot cheaper than what Photobucket wanted, when it without notice pulled the rug out and removed all the photos that had been posted to a secondary site (pricks)

I think for the first year they are also offering a 30% discount to become a " pro member"

They are a business in the end, and I have to say a lot easier to use than what Photobucket was.

Plenty of detail to back up his story and when you think digital cameras, mobile phones etc, it all sounds pretty compelling. NHP reckons 100M abandoned used cars in the US by 2030 as 247M cars on the road now falls to 44M as ride sharing takes over.  New and used car market and the oil industry are destroyed.

At least the roads will be clear for Dinosaurs roaring around this hills in their Porsches!  

If he is even half right, it makes you think that the car manufacturers and governments are asleep at the wheel as this massive disruption looms.

fascinating stuff.  I fully expect a detailed rebuttal from Smit which might break the forum.......

https://au.news.yahoo.com/australian-race-car-legend-bob-jane-dies-age-88-013529825.html

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/future-cars/a23496316/new-porsche-935-moby-dick-rennsport/

https://venturebeat.com/2018/09/18/porsche-leads-80-million-investment-in-wayray-to-bring-holographic-ar-displays-to-cars/

Yay?

https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/motoring/hitech/mercedesbenz-eq-c-electric-suv-revealed/news-story/de5218fb725614238cd1f240c432df35

"Top speed is limited to 180km/h"

I think for an SUV that is a sensible safety move.

"the company wants to return to its sporty roots. "It's important to us that motors can be run in a sporting fashion," he said. "In the future, Porsche will be more Porsche than it was in its past. We'll focus on performance and efficiency.""

Fake or real news? Would he openly slam Porsches unrelenting push into electrification....??

"Consumer Affairs Victoria issued a public warning on Tuesday about the alleged conduct of Melbourne Luxury Car Hire, a Southbank firm which leases high-performance and luxury vehicles.

Consumers contacted the authority 46 times between November 2017 and August 2018, alleging the company either did not return security deposits, totalling several hundred thousand dollars, in a timely manner, if at all.

The security deposits for the vehicles ranged from $2000 to $30,000 and were meant to be paid back within 10 business days of the lease ending.

Among the complainants were car owners who rented their cars to the company advising they had not received payments, the watchdog says.

CAV director Simon Cohen has concerns the hire company may be acting unfairly in giving back deposits late, or at all, offering unfair rental agreements, or not paying lease fees to car owners who have provided cars to the company.

He warned people to be "very cautious" before dealing with Melbourne Luxury Car Hire, saying by doing so consumers may be agreeing to unfair contracts and find it hard to get their security deposits back."

Günther Werks... Not sure about the name but geez, this car is really doing for me.

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1118462_california-based-company-offers-carbon-fiber-porsche-911-993-bodies

 I reckon the wide hips and ducktail rear end really suit the 993 shape.

And the full carbon fibre body shell... Phwoar. 

Any idea on cost? Given the work involved to build one of these I'd reckon upwards of USD500k.