Or you could bring in USD cash and pay Argentine prices.. When you see an new car advertised in USD (or ARS) it is usually based on the official rate. The brecha largely eliminates the mark up and import duties making it quite cheap to buy a vehicle in real USD terms.
Only thing is owning a bike or car in Argentina regardless of your tax residency status is, it makes you liable to file and pay annual “wealth tax” on those assets plus the applicable vehicluar patents and taxes. Luxury tax may also apply if it is over a certain value.
As for bringing in a foreign car (as if you were say a Brazilian or Chilean tourist) the vehicle will only be allowed to be on the roads here for 180 days (and you can get an extension only once) unless you’re an Argentine citizen or resident in which case it is 90 days with no extension possible. You also need to take the car out of the country with you or you’ll be hit with permanent importation taxes and end up paying what you were trying to avoid in the first place when you next go to leave Argentina. You won’t be able to legally sell it here or get a local patent. If driving it on the roads here outside of what you are permitted to the chances of being caught are very high given amount of vehicular check-points in the city and interprovincial roads where checking papers and looking for a minor discrepancy is a police pastime. With a foreign plate or interesting looking vehicle you’ll be stopped more than a locally plated FIAT Cronus for sure...
If and when you become a permanent resident you are allowed to import a vehicle for personal use without taxes that you have owned for at least 6 months prior and is valued up to a certain amount. I’m not sure if you still get that benefit if you skip from temporary resident to citizen without going through the PR stage?
