OK, I may really be dreaming here (only had half my morning coffee so far):

If I wanted to take on the bureaucracy, and as I need to special order my vehicle anyway, would it be possible to order a Passat (Alltrack) with the nice retractable towbar and then obtain a special permit to use it here?

I mean, people get permits and exemptions for all kinds of things, from left-hand steering to what-not. Why not a towbar?

Apart from the plug for which I could always get an adapter, just what wouldn't work? Is the ball size different? Trying to remember that you could order different sizes due to variations within the EU. What else?

Or is there simply nothing to be done?

Yeah, I'm sort of obsessing about the b*tt-ugly "slice open the back of your car" approach taken here. It just freaks me out to have to do this to a new car. Talk about attack vector for rust!

Tell me I'm dreamin'
Mike