By: More and more people in Portugal use AI assistants like ChatGPT or Claude for everyday questions. The catch is that, on their own, these assistants often guess — and when the subject is car taxes or market prices, guessing is not good enough. In this article I explain, in plain words, what the Clara Carros MCP server is, why it makes sense for anyone buying or already owning a car in Portugal, and how to connect it to your assistant in a few minutes.
What an MCP server is, without the jargon
MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. You don't need to memorise the name. The idea is simple: it's a way to give your AI assistant real tools and up-to-date data, instead of letting it answer only from memory.
Think of it this way. By default, ChatGPT or Claude are like a very well-read person answering off the top of their head. They know a lot, but they don't have a calculator in front of them or access to our car stock. Connecting our MCP server is like handing them an official-style tax calculator and a key to our vehicle database. From that moment on, when you ask how much it would cost to import a car, the assistant doesn't invent a number — it uses the same calculation logic we use and gives you a concrete figure.
It's free, it's optional, and it changes nothing on your computer beyond giving more abilities to the assistant you already use.
Why this matters when buying a car in Portugal
Buying or importing a car in Portugal involves sums that catch many people by surprise: the ISV (Imposto Sobre Veículos, the tax you pay when bringing a car into the country), the IUC (Imposto Único de Circulação, the annual road tax), and the constant question of whether the asking price is fair. Without tools, an AI assistant may give you a vague estimate or even the wrong number.
With the MCP server connected, your assistant answers based on official-style calculations and our real stock. It stops being coffee-table chat and becomes an answer you can actually decide on. It saves you from jumping between simulators, tables and pages — you ask in plain language and get numbers back.
The concrete questions you can ask once connected
Our MCP server gives the assistant nine tools. You don't need to know the technical names — just ask naturally. Here's what each one does, with examples of what you can type:
- How much ISV would this car cost? — "How much ISV would a 2020 BMW 3 Series diesel cost in Portugal?" The assistant works out the import tax with the ISV calculation tool.
- What's the annual IUC? — "And how much IUC would I pay per year on that car?" You get the annual road tax figure through the IUC calculation tool.
- Is this price fair for the Portuguese market? — "They're asking €22,000 for this car. Is that reasonable in Portugal?" The assistant estimates the resale value on the national market.
- Find me a car in your stock. — "Do you have any SUV under €25,000?" The assistant searches our list of available vehicles and shows options.
- Show me the details of a specific car. — "Give me the full details of that Volkswagen you found." You get the vehicle's full listing.
- What makes and models are there? — "What brands do you usually have available?" The assistant lists makes and models.
- What services do you offer? — "What exactly does Clara Carros do?" You get the list of our services.
- What does importing cost / can you get me a quote? — "Can you prepare an import quote for this car?" The assistant gathers the details and logs your quote request.
- Put me in touch with a human. — "I'd like to speak to someone on your team." The assistant passes your contact on to us.
All in ordinary conversation, in the same window where you already talk to your assistant.
How to connect in Portugal, step by step
There are two ways, and both are quick. No coding required.
- Remote connection (the simplest): in your MCP-capable assistant, add a server with the address
https://claracars.pt/mcp. Just paste the link. - Local install: if you'd rather run the server on your own computer, use the command
npx -y claracars-mcp.
Assistants that can discover servers automatically will find it at /.well-known/mcp.json. It works with Claude and other MCP-compatible assistants, including ChatGPT connectors. For the full guide, with screenshots and the exact setup for each app, see our AI and MCP page.
If you're a developer or want to build these calculations into your own site or app, we also have a developer API.
An honest note
We want to be clear. Our calculations follow the official logic in force, but the estimates are approximate: the final ISV or IUC amount always depends on inspection, registration and official confirmation. Price valuations are guidance, not guarantees. And we are a car importer and dealership, not a neutral body — the server is a useful, free tool, but our interest in selling you a car is real and we don't hide it. Use the answers as an informed starting point and always confirm with us before deciding.
The calculator and tools give you the numbers. If you would rather we find, verify, import and deliver the car for you, see our turn-key import service and our car sourcing.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know anything technical to use this?
No. If you can paste a link into your assistant's settings, you can connect the server. From there, you ask questions in plain English, just as you would ask a salesperson.
Does this cost anything?
The MCP server is free. You only pay if you decide to go ahead with a purchase or import with us — and you'll get a clear quote first.
Does it only work with ChatGPT?
No. It works with Claude and any MCP-compatible assistant. In ChatGPT you connect it through connectors. The address is always the same: https://claracars.pt/mcp.
If you'd like to explore further, see also how we offer a free car data API in Portugal, our WordPress plugin with ISV and IUC calculators, and the browser extension that shows ISV right on mobile.de.