The United States has been lucky to get a wide selection of automobiles, ranging from some fantastic muscle cars to reliable and safe daily drivers. Yet, frustratingly, some models never make their way to North America and are out of bounds.
This list contains 13 of the coolest cars the United States has never had. The list will include many vehicles ranging from fast-performance cars to the ideal daily drivers for you and your family.
Alpine A110
While it is currently unavailable in the USA, do not fear. Because the Alpine A110 will soon appear on American soil as the Alpine brand enters the US market. This unique vehicle, reintroduced in 2017, has steadily improved yearly, earning plenty of plaudits in reviews. Stay tuned for its arrival and discover its exceptional features. While the United States does get the Toyota, there’s a unique variant, the Toyota GR Yaris, that’s yet to make its way to the American market. This high-performance compact car is a true gem for car enthusiasts.
At the top of the range is the A110R, with a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder under the hood producing 296 hp and 251 lb-ft of torque. The base A110 provides just as much fun, however, and offers excellent value for money for sports cars. Alpine’s expansion into the United States will add an amazing sports car to the roster.
Toyota GR Yaris
While the United States does get the Toyota GR Corolla, it doesn’t get its hands on the Toyota GR Yaris. This incredible hot hatchback is a homologation special, built before the World Rally Championship changed the rules and adopted hybrid power.
However, Toyota pushed on with the car and created the GR Yaris, with a four-wheel drive system, carbon fiber roof, and a 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine under the hood. The engine produces 257 hp, which is such a small and lightweight car that it must provide one of the best driving experiences of the 2020s. The GR Yaris is also proof that you don’t need a lot of power to have a lot of fun.
Renault Sport Spider
Beyond the Alpine A110, Renault’s parent company has recently produced few sports cars. One exception, though, is the Renault Sport Spider, a convertible sports car the French manufacturer built for just three years, from 1996 to 1999. Under the hood sits a 1.9-liter F7R 16-valve inline-four engine, producing 148 hp.
That is plenty of power for a car that weighs just over 2,100 lbs. The chassis was made of aluminum, making it low in weight without compromising on strength. Alpine built the Renault Sport Spider, the first car ever badged as a Renault Sport. The Renault Sport Spider is like a French version of the Lotus Elise, and importing one into the USA is now legal.
Pagani Zonda
While the Pagani Huayra is available in North America, remarkably, its predecessor, the Pagani Zonda, was never homologated for US roads. Thankfully, the 25-year import rule will expire in 2024, allowing Zondas to enter the United States finally.
Pagani launched the original Zonda in 1999, which would evolve into a full-production version shortly after. Pagani turned to Mercedes-Benz for power for their new supercar, and Mercedes provided its 6.0-liter M120 V12 engine. This produced one of the best soundtracks of any supercar, and it packed 402 hp and up to 472 lb-ft of torque. For the full production version, the Zonda C12-S, power increased to 542 hp thanks to the 7.0-liter V12.
Dacia Duster
It might not be the most exciting or awe-inspiring car on the planet. But there is something to love about the plucky Dacia Duster. Dacia has produced the Duster in various forms since 2010, and while it has grown over the years, it has become a trendy, budget-friendly mid-size vehicle.
For its third generation, the Duster has evolved into an SUV, with slick new styling and a few more features yet retaining its utilitarian appeal and affordability. Adding hybrid power makes it an even more attractive proposition heading into an electric future.
BMW M3 Touring
As if not getting the BMW M5 Touring wasn’t enough, BMW isn’t bringing the M3 Touring to the United States either. BMW cited homologation reasons for this, saying it would have cost too much to homologize the M3 Touring. This is because when BMW decided to produce the M3 Touring, it had already decided it would not bring the regular 3 Series wagon to North America.
It is super disappointing because the BMW M3 Touring is one of the most exciting cars BMW has produced in recent years. It has all the space you would expect from a station wagon, but under the hood, it is packed with power thanks to its 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight-six engine, which produces 510 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque in stock form.
Honda S660
Japan’s Kei cars are some of the best on the planet, and it’s a shame they are not widely available outside the country. The S660 is the spiritual successor to the Honda Beat, and the Japanese manufacturer produced the S660 from 2015 to 2022.
Under the hood of the S660 is an S07A turbocharged-inline three-engine producing 63 hp. It continues the line of Kei sports cars started by the Beat, the Mazda Autozam AZ-1, and the Suzuki Cappuccino. Honda discontinuing the S660 was a sad occasion, so let’s hope the Japanese manufacturer introduces a successor in a few years.
TVR Sagaris
British manufacturer TVR was famed for its strange, quirky, and sometimes wild performance cars. Yet there was something weirdly unique about TVR’s cars, and the insane Sagaris is no exception. If you want to see how crazy it is, watch the YouTube Top Gear segment showing the dashboard springing to life like a spaceship or the door release button on the center console.
The Sagaris’s 0-60 mph time is staggering at 3.8 seconds, and its top speed is 195 mph. Yet it has a few more practical positives, too. It’s a comfortable car to sit in, with plenty of visibility, and the interior hasn’t become dated; it’s aged very well. Despite the madness behind it, there is a lot to like about the Sagaris.
TVR Typhoon
Another car from TVR, and possibly the most outrageous production vehicle the company ever produced. The TVR Typhoon was initially designed to race at Le Mans, but that plan never came to fruition. Thanks to its massive supercharged 4.0-liter T440 engine or a 4.2-liter inline-six, the Typhoon became the fastest TVR ever with a top speed of 199 mph.
Thanks to Vortech supercharging, the Typhoon could produce up to 600 hp, but the regular straight-six versions could still produce between 400 and 440 hp. Sadly for TVR, the cost of the Typhoon was way beyond what the company had anticipated, and after 2004, TVR halted its production, with just three Typhoons built.
Lotus Elise S1
One of the greatest cars to never come to the United States is the iconic Lotus Elise S1. It is a car that single-handedly saved the cash-strapped company from oblivion. It paved the way for Lotus to become the sports car great we know today.
The speed, right-hand drive nature, and lack of a roof and windows meant the NHTSA never approved the Elise S1 officially in the USA, although it is now possible to legally import one into the United States with the passing of the 25-year rule. Under the hood of the Elise S1 is a small but punchy 118 hp 1.8-liter Rover K-Series motor, which, in a car weighing just 1,598 lbs, provided all the power needed.
Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution
It might not look much from the outside, but the Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution is a performance underdog and very usable off-road. Mitsubishi built the Pajero Evolution as a homologation special for its Dakar Rally assaults in the 1990s, and in the end, the Japanese company produced just 2,500 of them.
Under the hood of the Pajero Evolution is a 3.5-liter iron-block V6 that produces 276 hp. The engine also runs on Mitsubishi’s MIVEC variable valve-timing-and-lift system and their gasoline direct injection. You can now import the Pajero Evolution into the USA, but thanks to their rarity, you will need help finding one you can import.
Honda e
Although it might no longer be in production, the Honda e is still one of the coolest EVs of recent years despite its high price tag. Honda took a lot of inspiration from the original Civic for the e’s design, and it shows. However, the interior made the Honda E a real winner.
Honda gave the dashboard a gorgeous wood-effect finish, and its party piece was the digital display that stretched right across the dashboard. Not only were there plenty of button controls, too, but a virtual aquarium was built into the screens for no reason other than Honda could. All that let the Honda e down was its high asking price for just 130 miles or so of range.
Honda Accord Type R
While Honda, under the Acura name, has launched Type Rs in the United States, the Accord Type R never made its way into North America. It didn’t produce many units, but that didn’t stop it from being a very competent sports saloon.
Under the hood is a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine derived from the Prelude, complete with VTEC, producing 209 hp and 158 lb-ft of torque. One of the bonuses was that the lower torque and power peaks than an Integra Type R, which means the power delivery is smoother and less volatile than other Honda Type Rs.
