There’s something irresistibly cool about a car you can’t have. Whether it’s a JDM off-roader, a weird Euro wagon, or a V12-powered super-luxury sedan from Japan, the global car scene is packed with machines that would turn heads in America—but were never sold here. These are the forbidden fruit cars we dream about, Google obsessively, and—if we’re lucky—import after waiting 25 long years.
Here are ten of the coolest, quirkiest, most desperately wanted cars not sold in the U.S., all from the year 2000 and up, sorted by price, from attainable to outrageous.
Specifications are courtesy of the manufacturer or trusted sources, including Hagerty and Classic.com.
1
2019 Suzuki Jimny
Converted To USD MSRP: $20,000
Imagine a tiny, boxy off-roader that looks like a shrunken G-Wagon and performs like a budget Land Rover Defender. That’s the Suzuki Jimny—a compact 4×4 that’s been charming the world since 1970, just not Americans.
With a ladder-frame chassis, low-range 4WD, and old-school charm, the Jimny punches well above its weight off-road. It’s rugged, quirky, and ridiculously fun. But thanks to U.S. crash regulations and emissions standards, we’re stuck watching the rest of the world have all the fun.
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2
Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
Converted To USD MSRP: $25,000
Before the Giulia Quadrifoglio wowed Americans, Alfa was stuffing its fan-favorite 3.2-liter Busso V6 into a compact hatchback called the 147 GTA. It revved to the heavens, sounded like a Ferrari’s little brother, and looked like nothing else on the road. Not only was this a sweet hot hatch, but it is also quite the rarity today. While the regular Alfa 147 is common, Alfa only made just over 5,000 examples of the GTA model.
Handling wasn’t perfect, and torque steer was real, but who cares when a car sounds and looks this good? It’s one of Alfa’s last truly analog hot hatches, and we missed it entirely. Just wait for the import deadline to pass.
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3
2025 Toyota Hilux
Converted To USD MSRP: $27,000
Top Gear famously tried—and failed—to kill a Toyota Hilux with the legendary 22RE engine. These trucks are renowned for their exceptional durability, with global availability spanning from Australia to the Middle East. These trucks have been used for literally anything you can imagine the world over. Just not here.
Despite being Toyota’s toughest pickup, the Hilux has never been officially sold in the U.S., largely due to emissions and crash certification hurdles. Instead, we get the Tacoma, which is solid, but doesn’t quite have the Hilux’s indestructible rep or diesel options.
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4
Mitsuoka Buddy
Converted To USD MSRP: $31,845.89
What happens when you cross a Toyota RAV4 with a vintage Chevy Blazer? You get the Mitsuoka Buddy—one of the most gloriously weird SUVs ever built. I’m not willing to say that the Buddy looks good, per se, but it is certainly interesting, and I might even like it.
It’s all retro styling—square headlights, big chrome grille, all wrapped around the guts of a modern, reliable crossover. Mitsuoka only sells them in Japan, and even there, they’re rare. We’d love to see one parked between a Bronco and a Wrangler at Cars & Coffee.
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5
2016 Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo
Estimated MSRP: $32,100
Australia’s answer to the Charger came with rear-wheel drive and a turbocharged inline-six making serious power. The Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo was a sedan that looked like a rental car, but could rip zrero-to-60 in under five seconds.
Tuners loved it. Families loved it. But we never got it, because Ford Australia shut down before U.S. homologation was ever on the table. A true modern muscle sedan we never had the chance to tame.
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6
Škoda Octavia vRS Wagon (Mk3)
Estimated MSRP: $37,063
If the idea of a Golf GTI with more cargo space sounds appealing, you’ll love the Škoda Octavia vRS wagon. Built on the same MQB platform as other VW Group hits, it delivers hot hatch performance in a family-friendly package.
The vRS wagon was never sold here, largely because Škoda hasn’t operated in the U.S. since the ’60s. But it’s a sleeper hit in Europe—and it’d be a cult classic here, if only we could get one.
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7
Volkswagen Amarok
Converted To USD MSRP: $55,990
VW built a serious competitor to the Tacoma and Ranger with the Amarok, a midsize pickup that’s actually… good. With a beefy V6 TDI diesel and available 4Motion AWD, the Amarok combines utility with Euro refinement.
In Australia and Europe, it’s a favorite among tradespeople and weekend warriors alike. But despite Americans loving trucks, Volkswagen never brought this one over. VW fans are still left wondering: what gives?
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8
Renault Clio V6
Converted To USD MSRP: $35,990 (WAY More Now)
The Renault Clio V6 is one of the greatest automotive oddballs ever made, and we never got it in the United States. That absence still stings. Born from rally and touring car fever dreams, the Clio V6 took the humble front-wheel-drive economy hatch and turned it into a mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive monster with serious attitude. Renault Sport ripped out the back seats and shoved a 3.0-liter V6 where groceries used to go, creating a short-wheelbase rocket that looked like a Clio on steroids and handled like a wild terrier on espresso. It wasn’t just quirky—it was genuinely fast, genuinely dangerous, and gloriously overengineered.
The Clio V6 remains forbidden fruit that represents a time when automakers weren’t afraid to be completely unhinged. It’s not just that we missed out on a cool car—we missed out on an entire philosophy of performance: compact, raw, and completely impractical. It didn’t make sense, and that’s exactly why we love it.
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9
2025 Alpine A110
Converted To USD MSRP: $71,000
The Alpine A110 is what happens when someone finally builds a Porsche Cayman competitor that’s actually lighter. It’s a featherweight French sports car with a turbocharged 1.8-liter mid-mounted engine and razor-sharp handling.
It’s won over critics worldwide, but Renault doesn’t sell the Alpine brand in the U.S., and crash standards would make importing it tough. That’s a shame, because this car is one of the purest driver’s machines of the modern era.
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10
2024 Toyota Century
Converted To USD MSRP: $220,000
What if Lexus built a limo for the Yakuza, and Gazoo Racing gave it the once-over? That’s the Toyota Century, a high-performance version of Japan’s most exclusive luxury car.
It’s powered by a 5.0-liter V8 hybrid and tuned for sharper handling, but it still retains the quiet dignity of a car meant to be driven by a chauffeur. It’s the ultimate boss car, and the coolest Toyota we’ll never be allowed to buy.
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