R25 import compliance,
signed and certified.
Apex Performance Tuning is an independent European and performance car specialist workshop at Unit 4/6 Woodbine Court, Wantirna South VIC 3152, servicing greater Melbourne. We are not a dealership.
Engineering, VASS certification and import compliance is carried out to manufacturer specification with genuine or OEM-equivalent parts and manufacturer-level diagnostic software (BMW ISTA, VAG ODIS/VCDS, Porsche PIWIS, Mercedes XENTRY), so your statutory and new-car warranty stays intact.
Open Monday to Friday 8:30am–5:30pm, contact 0483 939 216. Every job is quoted in writing against your VIN before work begins and documented with a video inspection.
Lands in Australia.
We take it from there.
Apex Performance is a Melbourne workshop specialising in the compliance and certification of imported vehicles under the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018. We don't broker overseas purchases or arrange shipping — your import broker handles that side. The moment your vehicle clears Australian customs, we step in.
Our specialty is the R25 concessional pathway — the rolling 25-year rule that lets passenger vehicles 25 years or older enter the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV) without full ADR compliance to manufacturer standard. We also operate as a Registered Automotive Workshop, handling in-house RAWS compliance for eligible specialist and enthusiast vehicles.
VASS approval certificates are issued for Victoria and Tasmania. Whether it's an air-cooled 911, an E-Type, a Ferrari 355 or an R32 GT-R, every job is project-managed end-to-end and finished to collector-grade standard.
Vehicles we regularly compliance.
- 01
Porsche
964, 993, 996 air-cooled & water-cooled
- 02
Jaguar
E-Type Series I/II/III, classic XJ
- 03
Ferrari
308, 328, 348, 355, 360, 456, 550, 575
- 04
Mercedes-Benz
R107 SL, W124, W126, 190E Cosworth
- 05
BMW
E30 M3, E34 M5, E36, E46, classic 2002
- 06
Lamborghini & Aston Martin
Era-correct concours imports
- 07
Japanese 25-year imports
R32/R33/R34 GT-R, Supra A70/A80, NSX, RX-7, S2000
Don't see your vehicle? Send us the VIN, build date and country of origin and we'll confirm the correct pathway in writing — usually within 24 hours.
The four ways into the RAV.
Every imported vehicle takes one of these federal pathways onto the Register of Approved Vehicles. We confirm yours up-front so there are no surprises.
- R25 Concessional
25-year rule import (rolling)
For passenger vehicles 25 years or older from the date of import approval. We coordinate the RAV entry, identity and safety checks, and issue the VASS approval certificate so the vehicle can be registered in VIC or TAS.
- RAWS
Registered Automotive Workshop Scheme
In-house RAWS-pathway compliance for eligible newer specialist and enthusiast vehicles. All ADR-related engineering — lighting, restraints, glazing, structural anchorages, emissions labelling — is carried out in our workshop under our authorisation.
- Personal Import
Personal Import Approval (PIA)
If you've owned and driven the vehicle overseas for 12+ months and meet the residency criteria, we handle the Australian-side compliance and certification once it lands.
- Returning Australian
Returning resident vehicles
Vehicles brought back by Australians returning from work or study overseas — full compliance, identification and certification handled in-house.
Brief to certificate.
- 01
Brief & assessment
Send us the vehicle details, build date, current location and import paperwork. We confirm the correct compliance pathway and quote a fixed fee.
- 02
Receive & inspect
Once your broker delivers the vehicle to our Melbourne workshop, we carry out the full identification, ADR and roadworthy inspection.
- 03
Compliance engineering
All engineering required to pass VASS is completed in-house — lighting, seatbelts, child-restraint anchorages, glazing, emissions labelling and any ADR-related structural work — to certified specification.
- 04
Certify & register
We issue the VASS approval certificate, complete the RAV entry where applicable, and lodge with VicRoads or Service Tasmania for registration.
VASS approval certificates issued in-house.
Apex is an authorised VASS signatory and licensed VicRoads roadworthy tester for the State of Victoria. We issue the VASS approval certificate and roadworthy certificate, lodge with VicRoads and hand the vehicle back registered and road-legal.
Certification accepted by Service Tasmania.
Our VASS certificates are accepted for Tasmanian registration. We coordinate with your nominated freight provider and Service Tasmania to finalise rego on your behalf.
Common questions.
Still unsure? Send us the VIN and build date and we'll come back with a written assessment.
Do you handle the import side from overseas?+
No. We don't broker overseas purchases or shipping — that's handled by your import broker of choice. Apex steps in the moment the vehicle lands in Australia. We can recommend reputable brokers we've worked with if you need an introduction.
What's the R25 / 25-year rule?+
R25 refers to the rolling 25-year concessional pathway under the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018. Passenger vehicles that are 25 years old or older at the date of import approval can be entered onto the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV) under a concessional approval — bypassing the need for full ADR compliance to a manufacturer's standard. R25 imports are our specialty.
Which states can you certify vehicles in?+
Apex issues VASS approval certificates for Victoria and Tasmania only. If you're registering interstate, we can still complete the federal RAV-entry side (RAWS or concessional) but you'll need a state-based certifier in your destination state for final registration.
Which vehicles do you typically certify?+
Air-cooled and water-cooled Porsches (964, 993, 996), Jaguar E-Types, Ferraris, classic Mercedes-Benz, R-chassis Skylines, A80 Supras, NSXs and RX-7s, plus most European specialist vehicles aged 25+ years. If you're unsure whether your car qualifies, send us the VIN and build date and we'll confirm in writing.
What's RAWS and is my vehicle eligible?+
The Registered Automotive Workshop Scheme (RAWS) is a federal pathway that lets approved workshops compliance newer specialist or enthusiast vehicles to ADR. Apex is set up to handle in-house RAWS compliance for eligible vehicles — contact us with the make, model and build date and we'll confirm whether RAWS or another pathway applies.
How long does compliance take?+
Straightforward R25 certifications are typically completed within 2–4 weeks of the vehicle arriving at our workshop. RAWS compliance and vehicles requiring rectification work take longer depending on parts lead time. We'll give you a realistic timeline in the initial assessment.
What documentation do I need to provide?+
Import approval (from the federal Department), shipping/customs paperwork, original title or registration document from the country of origin, and any service or build records you have. We'll confirm the exact list once we know the vehicle and pathway.
Do you engineer engine swaps or modified vehicles for VASS?+
No. This service is dedicated to import compliance engineering — bringing imported vehicles up to ADR and VASS standard. We don't certify engine conversions, suspension swaps or performance modifications under VASS. All engineering we perform on this pathway is the work required to lawfully comply and register an imported vehicle.
Is the engineering work done in-house?+
Yes. Every piece of engineering required for a VASS certificate — lighting, restraints, glazing, anchorages, emissions labelling and any ADR-related structural work — is carried out in our Melbourne workshop under our signatory authorisation. Nothing is sub-contracted out.
Can you also issue the roadworthy certificate?+
Yes — Apex is a licensed VicRoads roadworthy tester. We bundle the RWC with the VASS approval and registration lodgement so you collect a finished, road-legal vehicle.
Vehicle landed?
Let's get it certified.
Send us the VIN, build date and country of origin — we'll come back with a fixed-fee quote and a realistic timeline.