Skip the treadmills and smoothie bowls this January, as we’ve got a much better plan to help you look and feel great in 2025. It involves importing one of the many vehicles to the US that Americans weren’t able to buy when new because they were too “unsafe” or “dirty” for Uncle Sam’s liking?
As soon as a car hits 25 years old, none of that red tape stuff matters, and because the 25-year rule rolls over, the arrival of 2025 means we’ve got another collection of cars to consider. A quick note about dates: we’ve based our list on when we believe cars were in full production and widely available to buy, which is what matters when trying to import one, though in some case they might have debuted at auto shows in 1999.
Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon: More Style, Less Space
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Prioritizing pizazz over practicality, Alfa Romeo‘s 156 Sportwagon wasn’t that roomy, but it did look sensational next to its straight-laced German rivals. You’ll have to wait until 2027 to import the GTA, but the 2.5 V6 you can access now still sounds the part and could even be optioned with a weird fake-manual Q-System transmission. Alfa’s pretty Golf fighter, the 147, is also eligible for a green card in 2025.
Audi RS4 Avant: Muscles with a Hatch
Cute as the aluminum A2 is, it’s not the car from this era US Audi fans have been waiting to get their hands on. That would be the first ever RS4 Avant, a muscle-bound, 375 hp (381 PS) version of the 261 hp (265 PS) S4 the US did get, and a worthy successor to the Porsche-tuned RS2 Avant from six years earlier.
HSV VX Clubsport: Australia’s M5, but Angrier
Australia’s answer to the BMW M5 is actually more of a four-door Pontiac GTO because the reborn muscle car was based on the Holden Monaro, the coupe version of the Commodore sedan that Holden Special Vehicles tuned to create Australia’s GTS and Clubsport. New features for 2000’s VX Clubbie versus the older VT Series II version included a 7 hp (7 PS) bump to 342 hp (347 PS) for its 5.7 liter GM LS1 V8.
Lotus Exige S1 and the Madness of the 340R
America did get the Lotus Exige, but not until 2006, meaning it missed out on the frog-eyed S1 and its highly-strung 177 hp (179 PS) Rover K-Series motor, which went on sale at the turn of the millennium. But even the Exige looked tame next to the 340R, which was essentially an Exige minus most of the bodywork. It still looks nuts 25 years later.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI Tommi Makinen Edition
Yes, the Tommi Makinen did get a different turbo and steering rack to the regular EVO VI, but it’s that iconic livery that makes all the difference, though technically it was optional and you’ll see cars for sale without it. The TME entered production in December 1999, but the likelihood is that most cars you see for sale won’t be eligible for importation until 2025.
Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II: Just a Little Extra
R34 Skyline GT-Rs have been coming in to the US for a year or so now, but there might be a few GT-R obsessives excited about unlocking access to the V-Spec II that launched in October 2000. Key treats included stiffer suspension, uprated brakes, new upholstery and a carbon hood featuring a teeny little NACA duct.
Opel Speedster: A Mellow Lotus Elise
If you had to build a Lotus Elise in Minecraft it might come out something like the Opel Speedster (and its Vauxhall VX220 twin), which was based on the Lotus chassis and built at the same Hethel factory. The Speedster is slightly mellower than the Elise thanks to its longer wheelbase, lower sills, less spiky handling and torquier 2.2-liter, 145 hp (147 PS) GM Ecotec engine, but it’s still great fun.
Subaru Legacy B4 Blitzen: A Porsche-Approved Subaru
Audi’s B5 RS4 isn’t the only rapid, all-wheel drive weapon from the dawn of the century that’s been off-limits until now. The JDM Legacy B4 Blizten was the result of a collaboration between Subaru and Porsche Design, the German company providing the bodykit and 17-inch alloys, while Subaru sorted the 276 hp (280 PS) 2.0-liter boxer motor and added a four-speed auto option with steering-wheel shift buttons.
Toyota Origin: Retro, but Make It Weird
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A 25-year list wouldn’t be complete without a loony JDM retro car, and this year we’ve got two, including this homage to the 1950s Toyopet Crown. Called the Origin, it featured suicide rear doors and a 2JZ inline six under the hood that could be fun to tune up with some Supra goodies.
Toyota WiLL Vi: Quirky Meets Questionable
Part of Toyota’s attempt to capture the youth market in Japan circa 2000, this droopy micro sedan was actually based on an early Yaris. But with that 1960s-style Citroen Ami-like reverse window and a much funkier interior, the DNA was hard to spot. A bunch of non-automotive brands sold everything from air fresheners to microwaves under the WiLL name before it was killed off 20 year ago.
TVR Tuscan: As Wild as Swordfish
A three-minute Tuscan car chase was one of two memorable scenes in John Travolta’s 2001 action movie Swordfish, and back then, a movie theater was as close as Americans got to arguably the best-looking TVR of all time. But now they’re ready to be legally used on US roads and most previous European owners will have already had the lusty but unreliable 360 hp (365 PS) six-cylinder engines rebuilt.
VW Lupo GTI: Small but Mighty
Best-looking GTI ever? Controversial, I know, but the Lupo GTI which launched at the tail end of 2000 is right up there. Check out its two central upswept tailpipes and gorgeous 15-inch Bathurst wheels tucked under wider fenders fashioned, like the doors and hood, from aluminum. That kept the weight to just 2,160 lbs (978 kg), so even with only 123 hp (125 PS), the 1.6 GTI can still get to 60 mph (96 km/h) in less than 8 seconds, making it faster than a Golf GTI of the period.