9 Cars To Import To The USA In 2025 | Feature

Almost 25 years ago to the day, we were getting ready for a big ol’ party to celebrate the beginning of not just a new year, or decade, or even century, but a new millennium. Well, I wasn’t. I was nine months old. But you get the point.

One thing that every new year brings for car enthusiasts in the US is a whole bunch of cars that were previously never sold in the States become available to import under the infamous 25-year rule, and since Y2K fashion is a whole thing now, it seems appropriate to top off the look with an automotive Y2K statement piece.

2000, as a cursory Google reveals, was a relatively quiet year for new metal. Perhaps everyone was nursing millennium-sized hangovers or breathing a sigh of relief that all the computers in the world hadn’t stopped working after all. Nevertheless, some interesting new stuff did squeak through, and these are our picks of the best cars from the year 2000 that are about to become available in the US for the first time.

Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon

Alfa Romeo pulled out of the US in 1995 and didn’t return properly until 2014. Everything it made in that 19-year gap (with the exception of the mega-rare 8C) has been forbidden fruit for Americans. That includes the 156 Sportwagon, a stylish estate version of the already very pretty 156 saloon.

Launched in 2000, let’s ignore the fact that it was barely any more practical than the saloon that’s already been importable for a couple of years. It’s a forbidden fruit Euro estate car – sorry, station wagon – which we know will already have a certain kind of US gearhead salivating. Combine that with the lusty 2.5-litre, 187bhp ‘Busso’ V6, and you’re laughing (although you’ll need to wait until 2027 to bring over the full-fat, 3.2-litre GTA version. Ignore the fact that it’s the only one we could find a good picture of).

HSV VX Clubsport

The big, muscular V8-powered saloon may be something America holds dear, but it’s far from the only country to play with the formula. If you like the recipe, but wish it was a massive inconvenience at toll booths and drive-throughs, Australia has your back.

General Motors’ Australian division, Holden (RIP), introduced the VX generation of its long-running Commodore saloon in 2000, including the hot Clubsport version from its HSV performance division. It was equipped with a 5.7-litre, 342bhp LS1 V8. That, obviously, is an American engine, which brings the added bonus of making parts likely far, far easier to source than some other cars on this list.

Lotus Exige S1

It would take until the second series, and the replacement of the old Rover K-Series mill with a US-friendly Toyota motor, for the Lotus Elise to officially go on sale in the States, but the S1 car has been eligible for import for a few years now.

It was joined in 2025 by its hardcore hardtop cousin, the S1 Exige. Powered by the 1.8-litre K-Series in 117bhp guise, that relatively meagre power figure was more than compensated for by the Exige’s tiny 780kg kerbweight. A rare thing, but about as pure a driving experience as one can get.

Image: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0

Lotus 340R

Lotus had a surprisingly busy 2000, also launching the 340R. Also Elise-based, it previewed the Series 2’s styling with a wild open-wheel, roofless body that looked like a concept car had accidentally been put into production. Also powered by the 177bhp K-Series, just 340 were made, so it’s an even rarer beast than the Exige, and best sought out by those in sunny states.

Nissan Silvia Varietta

2024 saw early examples of the hallowed final generation of the Nissan Silvia, the S15, becoming eligible for import. Diehard fans of JDM curios, though, will have been waiting for this – the Varietta.

Effectively a Silvia with a deeply early noughties folding metal convertible roof, just over 1000 of these rarities were made. They only came with the naturally aspirated 163bhp version of the 2.0-litre SR20, but that’s nothing some aftermarket fettling can’t solve.

Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 V-Spec II

Undoubtedly the biggest freshly-eligible car of 2024 was the R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R, a car Americans had been clamouring for pretty much as soon as it launched. There are no such massively significant new models this year, but October will see one of the more sought-after versions of the R34 become eligible.

That’s the V-Spec II, which packed a more aggressive suspension setup, a carbon fibre bonnet and beefed-up brakes. Plus more letters and numbers affixed to the model name, which as we all know, is only good news for a Japanese performance car.

Opel Speedster/Vauxhall VX220

If you like the sound of those Lotuses from before, but you’re worried about sourcing parts for a long-dead Rover engine, or have a massive and inexplicable prejudice against car companies founded by people named Colin, there is a solution.

The Opel Speedster/Vauxhall VX220 twins were largely successful attempts to spice up the images of GM’s mass-market European brands with a mid-engined sports car based on the Lotus Elise and built on the same production line in Norfolk. As well as rebodying it, GM dropped in one of its own engines, the 2.2-litre Ecotec that also saw use in a whole host of very boring US-market cars from Chevrolet, Saturn, Pontiac and Oldsmobile. That, again, should make getting hold of parts a lot easier. Americans will be better served hunting down the Opel version because, y’know, left-hand drive.

Toyota Origin

Tell your car geek friends you’re importing a JDM Toyota with a 2JZ under the hood, and they’ll likely assume you’ve tracked down a mint-condition Supra. Little do they know…

The Origin was a limited-production, retro-styled saloon with a design recalling the original Toyota Crown from 1955. It was rear-wheel drive, and powered by the 3.0-litre 2JZ in naturally aspirated, 212bhp form. It also had a four-speed auto, but again, some fettling could make this into a completely unexpected drift build. Just make sure you properly secure those rear-hinged back doors. Barely 1000 of these oddities were built, so you may have to pour some time into scouring Japanese auction sites. We can think of worse ways of spending a day.

Volkswagen Lupo GTI

The traditional American aversion to tiny cars means the dinky VW Lupo city car was never sold there. Those who were keen on importing a basic one for whatever reason have been able to do so for a couple of years now, but in 2025, the best version – the GTI – becomes eligible.

Packing 123bhp from a 1.6-litre four-pot, it weighed barely a tonne. A proper hoot to drive, it would hit 62mph in 8.2 seconds and a 127mph top speed. It was pretty much a Mk1 Golf GTI reincarnate, and we reckon it’d look right at home nipping around America’s bigger cities or twistier backroads in 2025.