Euro-spec cars: more power, small bumpers, and California smog

European-market W126s are prized for higher-output engines, slimmer bumpers, flush bright headlights and lighter weight, and are considered rarer and more desirable than US cars. The practical catch is registration: gray-market Euro cars without US emissions labels are unlikely to pass California smog, and commenters note the real money is on the US side of the market.