10 Cars That Need to Be in the US

Foreign auto markets get the best stuff. Our strict regulations keep some of the best cars from being offered in the US.

Whether we have to wait the prescribed 25 years or it’s a vehicle that simply can’t be driven on American roads, these cars frustrate us. Some come from brands that aren’t sold in the United States while others are simply cars that aren’t offered because the automaker doesn’t make a version that adheres to our strict regulations. Let’s take a look at ten cars we wish we could have but can’t.

Volkswagen Scirocco

The VW Scirocco was originally part of the US market, but when the new Corrado came to be in 1988, the Scirocco was gone. This meant we no longer had this stylish hatchback, unless it was one that had been purchased previously. This car still has a place in Europe and continues to be one of the top VW models that we can’t have. It might not be a high-performance machine, but the Scirocco is a car we wish was still part of our market.

Peugeot RCZ

The Peugeot brand is rumored to be coming to the North America market, but that doesn’t mean we’ll see the sportiness of the RCZ. Our obsession with SUVs means there might not be any coupes or sedans from this French brand when it arrives. This car won 2010 Coupe of the Year from Top Gear. This is one of the most stylish cars that we can’t have in the US right now. Maybe we’ll see a version of it when Peugeot arrives, but don’t hold your breath.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta

This little hatchback could be the perfect Italian compact in the United States, if we liked this type of car any longer. To make matters worse, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta uses a 2.0-liter diesel engine to produce plenty of power and offer impressive fuel mileage. Unfortunately, we don’t like hatchback and we don’t like small diesel engines in America. Its not likely we’ll ever see this little Alfa, but thankfully we are getting the new SUVs from this brand. If you want a high-end luxury feeling from a brand that offers significant style, you’ll have to go to Europe to drive the Giulietta.

Toyota Hilux

Do we need the Toyota Hilux or are we being greedy? Even though the Hilux is one of the cars we can’t have in the US, we have plenty of vehicles like it. The Hilux is similar to the Tacoma and that means we’ve already got a version that should do the trick. We won’t see the Hilux and we certainly shouldn’t. This is one case where our market isn’t missing out on something offered in foreign markets.

Jaguar XFR-S

The Jaguar XFR-S is powerful, sporty, fast, and impressive on any road. This car brings 550 horsepower from a supercharged V8 engine to give you some bragging rights. What’s the problem with this Jaguar coming to America? It’s a station wagon. For some reason, we don’t like wagons in the United States and won’t buy them. It would be nice if our country would get over that because there are tons of amazing European wagons that would be a lot of fun to drive.

Lotus 340R

This is probably one of the lightest Lotus cars in the world. The doors and roof are missing and it might not be a street-legal car in the United States if it was allowed to be here. This is one of the cars that we can’t have in the US, but there has to be a few people that want this vehicle in their garage. The 340R has a 4-cylinder Rover K-Series engine that offers 177 horsepower. That’s not much, but the lightweight build of this car means it can hit 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, which is lightning quick.

Toyota Sera

Here’s a unique car that has butterfly doors, which makes it stand out in any crowd. This is something you don’t expect from Toyota, but here it is. The Sera is a 3-door 2+2 hatchback that has a glass roof. These features make it a car we wish we could have, but it will never be here. Toyota restricts this car for only the Japanese domestic market. They’ve got to keep a little something for themselves don’t they?

Porsche Carrera 964

This car was almost exactly the same as the 911 RS, but it wasn’t. This car was shared in the America market as the RS America that came to the market in 1993 and 1994, but the original Porsche 964 was never offered here. In fact, it was restricted to the European market and banned from American import. This is one of the most impressive cars we certainly want in the US but can’t have. Driving this car is a true test of sports car driving with the lack of features in the cabin.

Aston Martin Virage

The Aston Martin Virage is one of the few cars from this brand that was never made for the United States. The lack of passenger airbags meant this car wouldn’t make it into America at all. Too bad, this stunner brings an amazing style, a 5.9-liter V12 engine and the quality only Aston Martin seems to offer. Leaving out the American market might have been a mistake for this car, but Aston Martin has certainly survived.

Bentley Azure Mark II

The Bentley Azure Mark II could have easily been one of the cars in the US market, but Bentley chose to restrict sales to Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. This car was placed on the NHTSA’s nonconforming vehicles list and we’ve never had it in our market. The Mark II delivers a turbocharged V8 engine that has 450 horsepower to make it one of the most powerful cars of its time. The style was pure luxury, as you would expect from Bentley. Too bad we were left out of this party.