It is a shame that there are so many great cars from Europa and Japan that you can't buy if you live in the U.S. Even if you have the money and you are prepared to cover all the import fees you still can't buy them. Problem is that those cars never passed U.S. regulators safety tests. Sure, you can search the internet and find ways to obtain that foreign car. Be warned that this process is complicated and expensive. You will have to sponsor a crash test. However, to do that you have to buy multiple models and let them be tested. Therefore, you need to spend like $500.000 to buy a $100.000 car. There is also “Show or Display” certification you could try to obtain. This means if your car is rare and unique enough you can show off and drive your dream car for up to 2,500 miles a year. Another option is if your car is over 25 years old, there is no import restriction anymore. This gives you a great opportunity to buy say a legendary BMW M1 from the 70's.
Import restrictions are not the only obstacle between you and your dream car. Some car brands like Peugeot, Citroen or Skoda do not sell their cars in the U.S. In addition, some automakers made some of their models exclusive to a certain market.
Volkswagen Scirocco R
Volkswagen Scirocco R is a sporty three-door, high-performance coupe with a power of a hot hatchback. This is a crowded market and Scirocco has many great competitors. From Audi TT, Nissan 370Z to hatchbacks like Ford Focus RS. Under the hood, Scirocco has a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine that produces 276 horsepower. Scirocco is a fun car to drive; handling has a lot of grip, light steering, and slick manual or automatic gearbox. Scirocco R will speed up from zero to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds and 5.5 seconds with automatic DSG gearbox. Scirocco is a decade old model, so the interior is not modern and full of features that you will see in say Volkswagen Golf R. This car has an excellent safety rating and reliability. Volkswagen Scirocco R presents a good and sensible buy.
Peugeot RCZ
For some reason, Peugeot does not sell cars in America since 1992. Therefore, Americans missed many good cars during the years. The Peugeot RCZ is a modern car they probably miss the most. It was made to be the rival of Audi TT. It definitely has a phenomenal styling and charm to match the TT. When it comes to the engine, Peugeot offers two options. A 1.6-litre petrol engine that delivers 156 horsepower and a version with 200 horsepower. The second option is the 2.0-litre diesel engine with 163 horsepower. There is a special RCZ R version with 266 horsepower. Unlike the looks, Peugeot RCZ can't match Audi TT or BMW 2 Series when it comes to interior design and quality. Peugeot RCZ is the stylish and reliable car that tops car owner satisfaction surveys.
Alfa Romeo Giulietta
Giulietta presents a stylish alternative to the mainstream family hatchback. Although 4C and 8C Competizione are available in America, for car enthusiasts it is a shame that cheapest but still nice Giulietta is not. Alfa Romeo offers a wide range of engines from 1.4-litre with 118 horsepower to 1.7-litre with 237 horsepower. Experts usually recommend a 1.6-litre diesel engine. Giulietta possesses a driving mode selector that will offer help when you need speed or in bad weather conditions. Therefore, handling is great, as you would expect from an Alfa. Reliability is pretty good for an Alfa as well. However, Giulietta does not offer a comfortable ride at high speeds. Also, as with any Alfa’s, styling is great but materials and finishing touches are not. I personally don't like that the pedals are all at different heights.
Toyota Hilux
Toyota makes many pickup trucks and sales a good number of them in the U.S. However, they are not as good as Toyota Hilux. Ever since an old Top Gear crew conquered the North Pole with Hilux, it is considered a pickup legend. Hilux is available with a single cab, rear seats, and a double cab. Under the hood is the 2.4-litre diesel engine with only 148 horsepower. This is not enough to get anywhere fast on the regular road. Nevertheless, Hilux is spectacular, virtually unstoppable in any off-road conditions. Hilux also has that legendary Toyota reliability. Surprisingly, interior of Toyota Hilux is pretty modern. For example, you have a 7.0in touchscreen and 4.2in information display at your disposal. With great practicality and good comfort for a pickup, it is a huge shame Americans can't have Hilux.
Mercedes CLS63 AMG S-Line
Everyone who wants an ultimate performance and luxury car thinks about Mercedes S-Class AMG. It was never about sporty and aggressive driving but CLS63 AMG brought exactly that. The CLS63 looks more aggressive than the regular S class as well. Under the hood is 5.5-litre Biturbo V8 engine. It delivers 590 horsepower and 800Nm of torque. Using seven-speed dual-clutch transmission CLS63 can speed up from zero to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. Despite the fantastic performance, this is a big car so you will feel the weight while driving. Mercedes CLS63 has too many high tech and luxury features to mention. Well maybe to mention headlights that turn in your direction of travel, based on the satellite navigation information. It’s incredibly expensive but CLS63 AMG is one of the best cars good people from Affalterbach can offer.
Toyota Century Royal
Toyota Century Royal is an old school luxury car. New third-generation model enters the market this year. Century Royal feels like a modern take on some limousines from the 80's. Toyota Century Royals is long and wide with a traditional boxy design. Century as a brand is 50 years old and is the traditional vehicle of the Imperial House of Japan. Toyota replaced a 5.0-liter V-12 engine from the previous generation. Century Royal now has 5.0-liter V-8 with an addition of the electric motor. This engine is a new version of Toyota’s famous UR engine, the 2UR-FSE. Combination of those two engines delivers, for this type of vehicle, very good 394 horsepower. Toyota put as many modern luxurious features and technologies as they could. There is more space inside and interior feel like the one from Rolls-Royce.
Noble M600
Noble M600 is a unique and hand-built car by a Noble Automotive from Leicester. Like every Noble, this one also has mid-engined spaceframe steel chassis. Most body is made out of carbon fiber and because of that, M600 weighs only 1250kg. The M600 has a 4.4-litre V8 engine with 32-valve set in a V letter design. This engine is originally designed by Yamaha. Motorkraft reworked this engine to deliver 662 horsepower at 6500rpm and 604lb ft of torque at 6800rpm. Noble M600 has a specific six-speed manual gearbox designed by Graziano. Thanks to excellent weight distribution, M600 speeds up from zero to 60 mph in 3 seconds, to 120mph in 8.9 seconds. Interior is stylish but lacks high tech. Noble M600 is an interesting supercar with great performance that is only available in Europa.
Peugeot 3008
It is already mentioned, Peugeot does not import cars in America since 1992. One of many good cars Americans miss is the new version of 3008, a stylish small SUV. The exterior is aggressive, beautiful and built quality is great. The 3008 has only one suspension set-up and because of its softness passengers will feel some bobbing true the ride. From petrol engines offered the most powerful is 163 horsepower producing the 1.6-litre engine. It is only available with the six-speed automatic gearbox. When it comes to diesel, probably the best options are two 2.0-litre engines. They are delivering the power of 148 bhp with manual and 178bhp with an automatic gearbox. Handling is great with a nice grip, despite the stiff suspension set-up. Interior is stylish, classy and full of infotainments.
Toyota Land Cruiser 70
In 2015, Toyota made a special version of Land Cruiser to celebrate 30 years anniversary of 70 Series. Toyota actually uses the name Land Cruiser since 1954. The most impressive feature of Land Cruiser is a five-star rating on ANCAP crash test. It has a stiff frame, five airbags, stability and traction control. Quite impressive for an off-road workhorse. Under the hood is a 4.5-litre V8 diesel with new Piezo injectors. Of course, like every Toyota truck, Land Cruiser 70 is incredibly reliable. It's great in off-road conditions especially if equipped with the front and rear diff locks. On the regular road, Land Cruiser 70 provides a hard ride. Inside the cabin feels spartan but still comfortable. As a 4X4, Land Cruiser 70 Series is an excellent load carrier with a payload of about 1220kg.
Porsche Panamera
Panamera is a luxury sports car and another Porsche built on a 911 platform. The new version has a revised design; it looks more like a four-door sedan with 911’s iconic buttocks. Panamera also marks the debut of VW Group’s new front-engine. Porsche-developed twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 engine with a wheelbase now at 116.1 inches. Most powerful Panamera Turbo V-8 engine develops 550 horsepower and 568 lb-ft. Porsche even apparently improved fuel efficiency. With that in mind, a Panamera E-Hybrid has 330-hp from the V-6 engine and 136-hp from the electric motor. Panamera turbo will go from zero to 60 mph in 3 seconds. The basic Panamera is a rear drive other versions are all-wheel drive. Porsche Panamera is also very luxuries and full of new technologies and systems. Most notably a 4D Chassis Control overseeing torque vectoring. Panamera is truly a fantastic car.
BMW Alpina B4 Bi-Turbo Convertible
The B4 Bi-Turbo is a wonderful Alpina tuned convertible that presents an alternative to BMW M4 Convertible. As always, Alpina put many fantastic goodies to make this a unique car. Classic Alpina wheels, Michelin Pilot Super Sports tires and Brembo brakes on the exterior. Under the hood is now B4 Bi-Turbo engine with 61% larger intercooler and famous Akrapovic exhaust. This Alpina twin-turbo engine delivers 404 horsepower at 6250rpm and 443lb ft of torque at 4000rpm. The B4 Convertible offers a smooth ride but if you choose Sport or Sport+ driving mode this car becomes an aggressive sports car. There is an eight-speed manual gearbox with very close gears so it can be annoying to change it so frequently. Alpina B4 is a great GT car and it is a shame it is only offered in Europa.
Honda Civic Type R
Honda Civic is another great hot hatch on our list. Civic has a hard task in competing against Subaru, Golf or Focus. Honda took turbocharged 2.0-liter from Accord model. This engine delivers a class-competitive performance of 306 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. You can control this power with the six-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential. Honda Civic speeds up from zero to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, to a quarter mile in 14 seconds. Handling is great; you can have a smooth ride around the town or go fast and aggressive on the highway. Honda Civic is also very comfortable. Although there are sport seats up front, they are more comfortable than in any street car. The Type R has a great fuel economy and competitive price.
TVR Tuscan Mk2
This second-generation Tuscan presents TVR's new approach to building cars. Most important changes are steering rack assistance, new suspension geometry, spring and damper rates. Tuscan is powered by 4-litre straight-six engine that delivers 350 horsepower at 7200 rpm and 290lb ft at 5500 rpm. Tuscan will accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, to 100 mph in less than 10 seconds. Driving is more composed, you don't have to fight power and aggression of Tuscan so much anymore. Still, this is a car that has none of the modern electrical assistance. Therefore, you can't relax completely. Interior now has more oddments and even high tech. In any previous TVR, a cup holder was a luxury. In addition, some old design eccentricities stayed like strange interior door release mechanic.
Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake
The XFR-S Sportbrake presents Jaguar's first entry into a superestate market. This is not a huge surprise; this car presents Jaguar's natural progression from XFR and XFR-S saloons. Like saloon, a supercharged 5-liter V8 engine also powers the Sportbrake. This engine delivers 542 horsepower at 6500 rpm and 502 lb-ft at 5500rpm. This power is controlled by fantastic ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox. There is a manual paddleshift override and limited-slip differential controlled electronically. XFR-S Sportbrake speeds up from zero to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds with a top speed of top speed 186 mph. Sportbrake poses great stability at high speed and typical Jaguar smoothness. You probably won't enjoy driving XFR-S like you will BMW M5 or have the luxury like in E63 AMG. Nevertheless, Sportbrake is seriously good superestate and it’s a shame Americans won't enjoy it.
Subaru Forester
Forester started his life as a four-wheel-drive estate back in 1997. He went true three renewals before in 2012 Forester becomes an SUV we know today. Despite Subaru's great rally heritage, not everything they made is going to be fun to drive. Soft suspension is good for the bumpy road but Forester’s body will bounce around over most surfaces. Of course, off-road is a different story. Out there, Subaru Forester is simply brilliant. Subaru offers a 2.0-litre petrol engine with 148 horsepower and 2.0-litre diesel with 1145 horsepower. There is also a special turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine that delivers 247 horsepower. Interior design may not be inspiring but it has more than enough comfort and modern gadgets. Where Forester also excels is safety, it got maximum five stars from Euro NCAP.
Pictures taken from: blogspot.com, bauercdn.com, motortrend.com, forcegt.com, paultan.org, caradvice.com, conceptcarz.com, omniauto.it and autotribute.com