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Towing with a NON homologated CAR


maurici

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SO!

I've driven lately a BMW M135I and I fallen in love with it. Is from a mate in Andorra who have "illegally" fitted a tow bar and uses it to tow his caterham around Europe. Andorra is a bit no-law country.

The issue is that the car is NOT homologated for towing, and this is stopping me of buying it. Is the ONLY relatively modern car I've ever driven and loved straight away. Of course, the BMW130 is homologated, and the BMW135I itself have the same fittings for the tow bar, so is merely a marketing Issue. BMW don't bother to go to the certification of some of the sporty versions... saves costs, and helps marketing as you don't se a sporty M135 towing a s***ty caravan or whatever.

Then. provided that the car is technically capable of having a tow bar fitted and to actually tow, (same gearbox and suspension scheme, better brakes and better power than 130), Is there any way I could go through an SVA or whatever to homologate the car for this?

 

I did  A LOT of reading about it and I couldn't find anything specific about it. Only a mention to the equivalence law... to be able to argue with the insurance, but nothing actually in the DVLa...

 

(please, avoid any answer suggesting going for another car... as that won't happen. I'm very picky with my daily car as... I normally hate the fact of driving washing machines and microwaves... and this is the very first road car in 10 years that made me want it).

  • Haha 1
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In short....

 

You can't. 

 

The punishment for towing with a non homologated car can be up to 12 points if you are on a UK license. Along with the voiding yours insurance etc.

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8 minutes ago, Stephen W said:

In short....

 

You can't. 

 

The punishment for towing with a non homologated car can be up to 12 points if you are on a UK license. Along with the voiding yours insurance etc.

I get that... I'm asking if there is any way to homologate it. I know I can't straight away...

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1 minute ago, maurici said:

I get that... I'm asking if there is any way to homologate it. I know I can't straight away...

That was what the first part was about. 

You cannot.

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Oh, Ok. :(

Its hard to beleave that on the country where you can build a car in your yard and make it roadlegal... you can't actually certify a capable car for towing... :)

Even in spain were everything is super mega strict we have a way to sort this (paying quite a lot... but we can)...

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It's down to the manufacturer to type approve for towing. If they don't then your stuffed.

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4 minutes ago, AdamR said:

And Bentley? :p

I've been told to not bite the hand that feeds you... I love Bentley.

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Yes. A huge shame.

BMW in this case, Is lost a sale. I had the finance aproved and pretty commited to chunk an stupid ammount of money (providing that I normaly drive  road-cars worth less than a grand) till I asked if I could have the towbar fitted please as a part of the deal.

"You can´t tow with this car" was the answer.

I can´t really beleave it.

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Could you not take the homologised (for towing) version of the car, and update it to the spec of the car you really want? I know it would exactly be cheap, but compared to the cost of one off manufacturer level homologation...

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No option to do that... the 6 cilinder twinscroll turbo is not available in any other car of the series 1 platform. Been considering the 125i instead... but driven one today and is not the same at all. In fact drives like a different car.

I gess I'll be stucked with my £1000 cars forever. :(

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It does seem a shame that towing is assumed to mean lugging heavy caravans and horse boxes that needs lots of expensive testing, where it could usefully be cheaply plated for lightweight duties at least. I wanted a Focus ST, but that has a blinking great silencer bang in the middle :(

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I suppose you could keep an eye out for wrecked M135’s to use as donors? And then build them into a base 1series?

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