One of the most dated and hated laws in car culture is the 25-year import laws surrounding Japanese vehicles. What's worse, Japan likes to keep its coolest and most exclusive cars to itself, cars like the rally-spec Subaru 22B and the Skyline GT-R. The sad result is that we must wait for them to be legal in the U.S.
Yes, there are loopholes but none are easy or expensive. Some people buy them at auctions where maybe a drug lord liked JDM cars and maybe he kept an illegal stash of machines in a collection. For the rest of us, we can just be excited about these cars that are available now or soon enough to start saving for, and there are some real legends coming up! These are the cars coming this year, 2022, 2023, and no later than 2024.
9 Subaru WRX STI 22B (2023)
In 1998 Subaru released 424 of these rally-spec cars for the public to enjoy and already some have sold for as high as $312,555. Even cooler is that the 555 is an intentional reference to Subaru's rally sponsor of the time, State Express 555, the cigarette company.
What made it so special besides being the fastest car in Initial D? The EJ22 engine was 2.2 liters and turbocharged, nothing very impressive. And yet, with its four forged pistons, it pushed out 276 horsepower! That was the mutually agreed limit JDM automakers set for themselves, and it was more than any other WRX would make for the next 20+ years. Performance and suspension upgrades were just icing on the cake.
8 Toyota Chaser JZX100 (2021)
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The 6th generation Toyota Chaser has entered the U.S. market finally, and there's a reason it's so coveted. Besides being the first with constant 4-wheel drive, it was bolstered up from previous models to compete with the GT-R. After 6 generations it finally reached the aforementioned horsepower limit of 276.
The Chaser had a 3.0-liter 2JZ option, though the 1JZ was more common and came with a turbo. Rear-wheel-drive models are very common in drifting, albeit a little confusing when the "chaser" isn't the Chaser.
7 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV (2021)
The already-growing-in-popularity Lancer got a completely new platform in 1996, and the entire engine and transaxle were rotated 180-degrees for better handling. Both of the trims, the RS and GSR, had twin-scroll turbos that finally brought the Evo up to the 276-horsepower limit.
It also incorporated "AYC" or Active Yaw Control; an electronically-controlled way of sending torque to individual wheels. The car was the last in the Evo lineup to be considered "compact," and therefore marked up even more sales. The Rally Sport was more simple and affordable while the Grand Sport Racing came with automatic air conditioning, Recaro bucket seats, ABS, and an optional sunroof.
6 Nissan R34 Skyline GT-R (2024)
Soon, the coveted R34 we first saw Paul Walker pull up in for 2 Fast 2 Furious can be our own without bending any laws! The new update gave it an LCD display with engine readouts, a shorter length overall, and some optional aero add-ons like a splitter, diffuser, and wing upgrade.
The 276-horsepower machine drove its power to all four wheels and this was enough at the time to break the Nurburgring lap record in its class, getting 7 minutes and 52 seconds. Unlike some on this list, this is not nor will it ever be a cheap car to get or maintain, one that was loopholed into the U.S. went for a cool $304,000!
5 Honda Prelude Type S (2023)
A Prelude alone is a fun, affordable tuner car. The Type-S, however, is in a class of its own! It had a 2.2-liter H22A engine that gave it 217 horsepower (compared to the usual 195 horsepower in '99). The intake, throttle body, and exhaust were all redesigned for more power.
The Type-S came with toque vectoring, ABS, and was only offered in a manual. Sadly, it never came in anything but a front-wheel-drive, but man! The look of this car is pretty timeless.
4 Toyota Celica TRD Sports M (2023)
The Celica has always waded along in the shadow of the Supra as the cheaper alternative. This, however, is a hidden gem. Only 1,200 were made. The TRD name means upgraded suspension, added aero components, and a better muffler. The Sports M Celica got a 1.8-liter 2ZZ engine that made an even 200 hp with 133 lb-ft of torque from its inline-four.
The racier car benefits range from roof pillars to less weight and a faster-revving engine. Variable valve timing kicks in more distinctly in this car. The little zippy thing is a front-wheel-drive machine that comes with just a manual and comes with a TRD rev meter right in the middle of the gauges.
3 Honda EK9 Type-R Civic (2022)
Based on the 6th generation Civic, this was the very first Civic to don the "Type-R" name! Did it really deserve it? Well, it started as an EK4 or SiR and lost a lot of weight in things like sound deadening material. It then got a 182-horsepower B16B engine (in a 2,300 lbs car!), a limited-slip differential, and a close-ratio manual transmission.
As seen on Initial D, it did come with red Recaro bucket seats and red door panels. Far from the original Civic, this was actually the first instance of using a seam-welded monocoque chassis for improved rigidity.
2 Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution (2022)
This wild design is one you are almost guaranteed to start seeing at shows. The Dakar-homologation spoke to their 12 wins since 1985, and in 1997 the Pajero Evo two-door became available to us commoners. It later carried the first woman ever to win Dakar to her victory in 2001.
It boasted the full 276-horsepower made by its 3.5-liter V6, and its all-wheel-drive was complimented by its specialized ABS turning assist system as well as its four-wheel independent suspension. The pictures you see here are exactly how the Pajero Evo came; fresh from the factory!
1 Nissan Stagea 260RS Autech (2021)
This 1996 Stagea was a wagon based on the R33. In fact, they do make bumper body kits that make it look like an R34 (below), and it's not underserving! When Autech got their hands on the 260RS, the result was a 276-horsepower machine that utilized the same 2.6-liter inline-6 that the R33 used. The Autech version was lowered and had more performance upgrades for a wagon that was basically track-ready.
The real reason this wagon makes this list is not that it looks like an R34 wagon, but because it can go 155 mph stock! Including the same all-wheel-drive as the GT-R, this really is the ultimate skier car!