[kaiynne]

ok, say you get 35k US... that's what.. $38k AUD

save your 23k (AUD?)

makes ~$61k

leaves you $14k short...

Personally, with the risk and hassle and worry (albeit it limited if you use Austorient ), I don't see the point..

$14k is ~ a set of tyres, a RWC, and a big service with brake pads and a paint work tidy up.... all stuff that will be done to a car you'd buy here.

I have had some modifications done (side scoops, mesh grilles, lid bone, HID's etc ) which add up to around 8k AUD which would be essentially worthless if the car was sold.

From talking to the dealer over there the conversion to RHD is not that difficult as everything is bolt on.  Plus I would have my car which I know has been taken very good care of and has no issues whatsoever, if I buy a used elise here there is a higher likelihood of having issues since I won't know how it has been driven cared for etc.

The other issue is that 2008 N/A elises are vaishingly rare, only about 10-20 were imported into the US so I would imagine even fewer would have been here, which means I would have to get very lucky to get the colour and options I wanted in a used Elise.  Which means buying a new one and then we are talking 110k+.  But there is a very good chance I would have to fork out 85k to get close to the options I want and even then it would not have the mods I have done, so to get it to the same point we would be talking 95k and then the difference becomes 34k which is well worth any risks of getting it over here to me.

Not to mention I love the car and I would probably spend an extra 10k just to keep it let alone spending more to get rid of it...