Apparently you do need them. I think they're looking more for cars that have been seriously molested from standard. This pinched from another forum......
Car Rules:-
- Bonnet pins are now TOTALLY verboten. Even if covered with tape or rubber. It's flush mount or standard bonnets only
- Interior trim - NO sharp edges or even tatty-looking 'rip outs' will be tolerated. You must have door cards installed, you can't leave shin-breaking metal beams uncovered under your dash.
- Roll bars and cages must be padded where your body will hit them. This will be checked more.
- Expect more TüV time - this is where a Meister guy from the the standards body here in Germany spends time at the gate spot-checking for safe and unsafe cars. This can only be a good thing provided the decisions are consistent.
- valid MOT certificate, tax-disc and insurance that does not have funny small print. if you already fail to produce any of the above criteria then game over.
- weld in or bolt in cages only with certificate from the manufacturer or TUV stating the complete construction of car/cage is safe and solid and from within the last two years. same applies to harness bars, especially concerning the welds.
- seatbelts/seats/seatmounts fall in the same criteria, so unless you have a certificate from a governing body (uk or germany does not matter but german preferred) saying the construction is save.
- bucket seats and harnesses will only be tolerated when mounted on corresponding subframes and only seats/harnesses still within FIA will be accepted at spot checks. anything out of date will not be tollerated.
- perspex windows is another sore point on modern cars as they are part of the carrying structure of the vehicle. not so much a problem with older cars with rubber seals.
Apparently they're looking for 'chavved up' cars....lol.