10 of the Coolest Cars You Can Import in 2023

Why limit yourself to the ordinary? Explore a world of automotive possibilities.

Brett Berk | 

Aug 7, 2023 | 4 min read

Mercedes-Benz

QuickTakes:

• Mercedes-Benz G500 Cabriolet
• Fiat Barchetta
• Honda Z Turbo
• Ford Puma
• Land Rover Defender 2.8i
• Alfa Romeo GTV
• Subaru Impreza WRX
• Renault Clio Sport
• Toyota J90 Land Cruiser Prado 3-Door
• Volkswagen Polo Harlequin

To some folks, driving a 25-year-old car might seem risky. What if it breaks down? Did they even have airbags in 1998?

To others, certain 25-year-old cars have a particular allure. Twenty-five is the age at which a car can be more easily imported. Younger cars can require expensive modifications to comply with U.S. crash, lighting, and environmental regulations. But once a car is a quarter-century old, it can be brought stateside without suffering these penalties or difficulties.

In the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's words, any vehicle at least 25 years old can "be lawfully imported into the U.S. without regard to whether it complies with all applicable FMVSS [Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards]."

Thanks to the unstoppable nature of time, fresh vehicles become available for import under this rule every year. Here are 10 of the coolest cars it's possible in 2023 to bring into the U.S. 

1998 Mercedes-Benz G500 Cabriolet

While Mercedes-Benz began importing a G-Wagen to the U.S. in 2002, it never brought over what some enthusiasts argue is the best version: the Cabriolet. Two doors and no roof. The G-Cab answered the question: What if Mercedes-Benz made a V8 Wrangler? Hip-hop royalty grabbed these in the 1990s through a small independent importer, but these days even regular folks have a chance at getting one.

Fiat

1998 Fiat Barchetta

Sure, many people see the various incarnations of the Mazda MX-5 Miata as perfect. But is that vehicle an iconoclast? Enter the Fiat Barchetta. This "little boat," as the word translates from Italian to English, is front-wheel drive but offers an Italian twin-cam engine and distinctive styling by Andreas Zapatinas, who went on to work at BMW and Subaru.

1998 Honda Z Turbo

The Honda Z Turbo is an adorable micro-SUV that shares something with the Lamborghini Diablo VT: a mid-engine, all-wheel-drive drivetrain. Beyond that, acrylic headlights, a turbocharged three-cylinder engine, and Saab-like three-spoke alloys make the Z a stubby, stylish runabout you can use year-round.

Ford

1998 Ford Puma

Like the Aston Martin Vanquish and Jaguar XK, the Ford Puma is a swoopy design penned by Ian Callum. Though the Puma does without its brethren's fiery V12 or V8 engines — the largest available Puma powerplant was a 1.7-liter four-cylinder — it was known for stellar handling and a fun driving experience, winning accolades in Europe upon its 1997 debut.

1998 Land Rover Defender 2.8i

In 1997, Americans could buy a Land Rover Defender with a 4.0-liter V8. But some of the cognoscenti believe that the finest Defender versions ever produced were in a batch of BMW inline-six-equipped trucks sold in South Africa that are said by certain enthusiasts to better the V8 in nearly every metric.

Alfa Romero

1998 Alfa Romeo GTV

Alfa Romeo temporarily left the U.S. market in 1995 (although it's since returned), hauling its winsome-if-troubled sports sedans back to the European continent. While 1990s Alfas were generally seen as lacking the speed and build quality of contemporary BMWs, no Bimmer offers the visual drama of the Alfa Romeo GTV, a rakish coupe with a Pininfarina-designed wedge body. The '98 combines the 3.0-liter V6 with a six-speed manual.

1998 Subaru Impreza WRX

Although it's a popular poster car gracing the walls of Japanese domestic market (JDM) vehicle aficionados, the first-generation WRX never made it to the U.S. This is a pity, as it is among the lightest and prettiest examples of a model line that got increasingly baroque with age. While STi and 22B special-edition prices have risen into the stratosphere, base WRX examples pack a 217-hp turbo punch and scrappy handling for a more reasonable figure. Classic-car search engine Classic.com lists this WRX's benchmark price as less than $15,000.

Renault

1998 Renault Clio Sport

The ultimate iteration of the Clio nameplate was a rear-drive V6 hatchback now selling for up to six figures. But before that, the name was connected with a car that sported similar handling in a much more reasonable package: the Renault Clio Sport, with a 172-hp 2.0-liter engine driving the front wheels.

1998 Toyota J90 Land Cruiser Prado 3-Door

While later Prado models would arrive in the U.S. wearing Lexus badges, the second-gen J90 never made it to U.S. shores. This Toyota J90 Prado Land Cruiser got a refined suspension, a choice of a gasoline or turbo-diesel engine, and classic Land Cruiser looks. Go for one with fender-mounted mirrors for the full JDM experience.

Volkswagen AG

1998 Volkswagen Polo Harlequin

In the age of the consumer-facing 9,000-pound Hummer pickup, who will stand up for the small vehicle? Perhaps you would in a 1998 Volkswagen Polo Harlequin. Its startling patchwork-quilt appearance and tidy handling could help keep you from beneath the wheels of the freeway's lumbering behemoths.

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