The United States has its own automobile industry that produces vehicles at a blistering rate, yet there are many cars not bred in the industrial rich country which the people of the States covet.
Originating from Italy, Japan, and Australia, a number of automobiles have been prohibited from the U.S.A. Most of them because they do not comply with the NHTSA or FMVSS, the U.S governing agencies responsible for ensuring the car’s safety. Foreign built cars are mainly restricted for exceeding the designated criteria for either emissions, speed, safety, or are deemed too risky to be driven on the roads.
To many Americans joy, because of the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act in 1988 amendment, vehicles that are disapproved by the concerned motor authorities are allowed to be imported into the U.S provided they have reached 25 years of age. Under the law, here are 15 illegal cars that you can acquire from overseas this year.
15 Alfa Romeo GTV
Alfa Romeo’s GTV 2+2 coupe, along with its fellow roadster version, the Spider, was built by the Italian manufacturer, Alfa Romeo from 1993 till 2004. These models have been awarded titles like Autocar Magazine’s "1995 Car of the Year". Its engines included a 2.0L, 16-valve Twin Spark and a 12-valve 3.0L V-6.
14 Alpina B8 (E36)
Produced from 1995 till 1998 in Germany, according to the law’s statute, the 1995 Alpina B8 is the model turning 25 this year and subsequently eligible for import in the U.S. The five-seater coupe is fitted with drivetrain making 333 horsepower and 281 km/h of top speed. The rear-drive accomplishes 0-60mph in 5.6 seconds.
13 BMW M5 Touring "Elekta"
With only 891 units seeing production BMW’s M5 Touring was already exclusive. Elekta was a special edition that consists of 20 models that are extremely rare. Produced by Italy, none of the Elekta models were officially imported to the U.S. The sedan features a luxury interior furnished with either Marine Blue or Tobacco leather.
12 Fiat Barchetta
Another Italian model that never made it into the U.S market earlier is the Fiat Barchetta. But now, turning 25 this year, the 1995 built model can be availed in all its glory. The front-wheel-drive uses a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder paired with a five-speed manual and takes the car from 0 to 60mph in 8.5 seconds.
11 Honda Integra Type R
In the U.S regions, Honda Integra R was sold under the Acura nameplate and produced 195 horsepower. Meanwhile, in several overseas markets, including Japan, the Type R holding its original Honda banner was all the rage, and it was more potent than the U.S model.
10 Mazda RX-7 SP
Mazda, in the 1990s, with its extraordinary Miata roadster, left many automakers plying their cars to compete against their models. But disappointingly, a rare and powerful road-going RX-7 SP was withheld from the U.S market. With only 26 SP built, many of the models have been auctioned at prodigious prices reaching six-figure bids.
9 Mercedes-Benz Special Edition SL Mille Miglia
While you can easily buy high-class luxury SUVs from Mercedes-Benz's latest productions, the Special Edition Miglia convertible is rare, covered in Metallic Silver, and pays tribute to the 40th anniversary of Stirling Moss's historic win in the 1995 Mille Miglia race. Out of the 600 built, the SL500 used a 5.0-liter V8 engine.
8 Euro-Spec BMW M3
Although BMWs Euro-Spec M3 was available in 1995 for the U.S market, but the version sold here was strikingly different with many of the car’s features neutered. While the U.S M3 used a 3.0L inline-six motor engine making 240 horsepower, the European M3 model boasted an advanced VANOS engine making 286 horsepower.
7 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III
The U.S car enthusiasts had a chance to reap the Mitsubishi Evo series with Evo VIII in 2004. But the highly demanded the race-winning Lancer Evo III was never available, until now. With the advent of 1992 Lancer Evo, Mitsubishi continued updating the Evo series. The 1995 Evo III was fixed with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder rated at 266 horsepower.
6 Mitsubishi Pajero Mini
It is easy to guess by the name that the Mitsubishi Pajero Mini’s extensively shorter wheelbase made it the miniature version of a Pajero. Alongside a spark-ignition 4-stroke engine, the kei car offered an additional DOHC multi-point fuel injection. However, the Pajero Mini could only make a weak 63 horsepower and 72 lb-ft of torque.
5 Porsche 911 GT2 (993)
Sporting a massive spoiler and keeping the brand’s signature body style, the Porsche 911 GT2 incorporated aerodynamic upgrades into the limited 194 units of the model which didn’t come to the U.S. The GT2 was powered by a turbocharged B6 engine that sported 424 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque with maximum power focused on the rear wheels.
4 R33 Nissan Skyline GT-R
Throughout the course of the Nissan Skyline’s production from 1989 to 2002, the line-up rolled away iconic models with the R33 Nissan GT-R elevating the popularity of the series since its debut. Following the R32, the R33 came in three variants namely GT-R, V-Spec, and V-Spec N1. An intercooled twin-turbocharged RB26DETT engine delivered 276 horsepower.
3 SARD MC8
SARD’s MC8 was specifically created to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Based on the Toyota MR2, SARD’s MC8 went all-in with an upgraded twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine that blasted out 600 horsepower. After the race version, SARD built a road-legal MC8 with Porsche’s 6-speed manual transmission.
2 Subaru WRX Series McRae
A limited number of Subaru Imprezas were built in the Subaru WRX Series launched in 1995 to honor Colin McRae’s first win in the World Rally Championship with the Subaru 555 crew. Only 200 of the limited editions saw production. All the units were housed with 250 horsepower turbocharged engine that drove 16-inch gold Speedline Safari alloy wheels.
1 Toyota Mega Cruiser
Toyota introduced the ardent off-roader Mega Cruiser in 1995 which now joins the league of cars eligible in the U.S. The four-wheel drive is largely compared to the American Hummer H1 for its similarities but the Cruiser beats Hummer H1 with more ground clearance of 10mm and is powered by a turbodiesel engine making 152 horsepower.