похоже, что в моем случае все-таки нельзя машинкой пользоваться, по кр мере, таков официальный ответ от zol:
"If you work here not only for a short and limited time, you establish your residence here. In this case you have to register your car here immediately. You can import is for free as personal property if you fulfil the following requirements.
These requirements are:

You have transferred or you are about to transfer your normal place of residence to the EU (here Germany). You could use your Anmeldebestätigung to prove this.
Before moving to Germany you have had your normal place of residence outside of the EU for twelve months or more.
The items you intend to declare as personal property have to have been your possession and have been in your use six months or more before relocation. A proof about this is especially needed for expensive goods. For a car the title and the copy of the last registration is the required proof.
After relocation you have twelve months to import your personal property (in your case until May 2015)
..."