Singapore Charges $80,000 For The Right To Own A Car

In America, being a car enthusiast can be challenging. Some laws make modifying cars in specific ways illegal, and even a noisy stock exhaust could see your vehicle being banned from the road.

But things could always be worse - you could live in Singapore.

Renowned photographer and bonafide car guy Larry Chen recently visited the wealthy Asian republic to highlight the incredible car culture.

"The general consensus among enthusiasts is that the Singapore government would much rather you not have a car at all," he says.

"This is very evident because, in order to own a vehicle and operate it on the public roads, there's something called a COE (Certificate of Entitlement)."

Because Singapore is such a small country, the government introduced the COE to control the vehicle population.

Prospective motorists need to purchase this license, which gives them the right to register and own a vehicle in Singapore.

Whether you're buying a Toyota Corolla or a Rolls-Royce Phantom, you must pay a hefty fee for the privilege of car ownership.

To add insult to injury, the certificate only lasts for ten years. "If you don't pay, then the car either gets crushed, or you have to sell it out of [the] country."

This explains why so many high-quality used vehicles from Singapore can be found on the secondhand market in Australia, New Zealand, and many other countries in the region.

And if you thought that's where the struggle ends, look at Singapore's new car prices.

A base model Mercedes-Benz C-Class (C180 Avantgarde) costs SGD 315,888 in Singapore, around $233,000 in the United States - an obscene amount of money for an entry-level luxury car.

Despite this lofty cost of entry, the country's car scene is thriving and is home to some of the finest Japanese tuner cars and European exotics you'll see anywhere.

Chen and his guide, Ben, attend a local car meet, unsurprisingly, held at the yacht club. Several Lamborghini Aventadors, Skyline GT-Rs, and other desirable vehicles are on display.

You can only imagine what owning these cars in Singapore would cost.

Ref: Singapore Charges $80,000 For The Right To Own A Car (carbuzz)