Wanting something you can’t have can be really frustrating.
As we’ve seen the past few weeks, there are quite a few vehicles that don’t make it to the entire world.
That might not mean too much to the average consumer, but for those who used to play Gran Turismo as a kid and for those who can’t get enough of their automotive hobbies, it might matter just a bit.
Don’t think that the vehicles we can’t get in the U.S. are just a bunch of high performance racecars, though. Some are better than you’d think, some are seriously practical, and some are just cool.
Now, the R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R is the ultimate off-limits vehicle here in the United States. We had to mention it because this list wouldn’t be complete without it.
But, if you don’t know what in the world I’m talking about, I will be covering that car and its 1990’s Japanese cousins that helped me and so many other people see just how cool cars could be.
This is why I will be excluding that car from the list below.
Instead, we are going to focus on some non-1990s Japanese cars that we can’t get here in the United States as well as some cars we don’t share with the rest of the world.
Audi RS4 Avant:
You may have heard of the RS4 before, but you may not know that “Avant” is the station wagon version. The sedan was only available between 2006 and 2012 in the States, but the Avant was never offered for sale here.
Car buffs love this thing. It’s a practical, all-wheel drive, 450 horsepower monster that you think everyone else would love too. But, for some reason, America just doesn’t like wagons.
I think it’s about time to get over the grudges we have from the uninspiring Ford, Buick, and Chevy wagons of the 1980’s and 90’s. Let’s show Audi that we need it here! Who’s with me?!?! Anybody…!?
Ok, well… I tried.
At any rate, several thousand car enthusiasts weep on a daily basis because of the inability to buy one of these in the States. Most likely, this is the most widely discussed, most yearned-for vehicles that we can’t get in the U.S. apart from something that is Japanese from the 1990’s.
Audi S1:
Yes, it’s another Audi that doesn’t like to get its feet wet crossing the Atlantic.
The S1 is the epitome of the term “pocket rocket”.
Unless you get the sportback version, it only comes with two doors and a hatch, but it also has all-wheel drive and almost 230 horsepower, which is healthy to say the least.
0-60 miles per hour happens in under 6 seconds. Think of it as a Ford Fiesta ST, but better in just about every way except the price.
Is that possible? It sure is!
Ford Raptor:
The United States gets back at other world markets with the Ford Raptor. It’s only sold here in the States.
Being one of the best vehicles on the market today, that’s a shame, but it also makes sense, much like many other vehicles on this list. The Raptor is big, bold, and very large. The personality and size of the truck just wouldn’t fit very well outside of the states.
But, wait…
The European market does have a trick up its sleeve.
The Ford Ranger Raptor will be sold in Europe starting in 2019.
We hope that won’t be the only place it’s sold. The F150 Raptor does so well in the U.S., it would be a bit foolish not to offer the Ranger Raptor as well.
So, both the U.S. and European market have at least one Raptor a piece… for now.
Lotus Elise/Exige:
Lotus is in a class of their own.
Their focus isn’t on horsepower, but rather being light and handling better than anything else on the road. But, it’s all the weight savings that have not allowed them to cross the pond and sell the Elise and Exige in the U.S.
The Elise is usually what most people think of, along with the Espirit, as the quintessential Lotus car. The Exige is the successor to the Elise, but both the Elise and Exige have the same focus.
The Mazda MX-5 Miata or Subaru BRZ would probably the closest comparisons we can make here. The only difference is that the Lotus siblings are a few hundred pounds less than the Miata and BRZ. And, the Elise and Exige are both mid-engined, adding a level of balance completely unrivaled in the world of cars.
You do see these every once in a while, but quite rarely. If you do see one, you will understand how they might be dangerous without any advanced safety equipment. They are tiny and low to the ground, with the Elise’s roof only being 45 inches off the ground!
None of that means we don’t want them here. To the contrary, it makes us want to be able to buy one even more.
Toyota Century:
The Toyota Century wouldn’t be everybody’s cup of tea, but it would be pretty cool to get it in the U.S. for those who might be able to afford it.
The Century is the result of an affordable, reliable, and practical auto manufacturer seeking to build their own version of a Bentley, Rolls Royce, or Maybach.
Like the Rolls Royce and many other full size luxury cars, it was offered with a V12 engine until last year. The price is a relative bargain at a little under $200,000. Of course, that’s a lot, but it isn’t nearly as much as some other comparable vehicles.
That’s very Toyota-ish if you ask me.
I wouldn’t want one of these, but it would be a great alternative to some of the vehicles in which the rich and famous wouldn’t mind being chauffeured.
Seat León Cupra R:
Did you know that Spain made cars? You do now.
Seat is a Spanish auto manufacturer, though now, it’s owned by Volkswagen – like so many others.
The León Cupra is one of the better-known models in their lineup with the Cupra R being the trim with the greatest sporting credentials. It’s essentially a Golf GTI-like hatchback that looks a little better and puts some more power to the ground. Neither of those are bad things.
For most people, the Seat León would be just another hatchback alternative in the United States where hatchbacks just don’t do all that well.
For the enthusiasts, the Cupra R is the León on steroids and a different hot hatch in a world where there can never be too many hot hactchbacks.
HSV Maloo/Holden Ute:
The Chevrolet El Camino has become an iconic and very recognizable piece of automotive history.
Despite not having wild success, it’s a name that rivals that of the Corvette, Mustang, and Challenger in its notoriety, not to mention its cult following.
The Holden Ute and its performance-minded sibling, the HSV Maloo, are modern versions of the now classic Chevy El Camino. Of course, we don’t get either in the U.S.
Holden – HSV is like AMG to Mercedes or SRT to Dodge – is a General Motors subsidiary in Australia, and what more fitting place to sell a “truck car” with a V8 engine and a personality that’s just as loud.
The last generation Pontiac GTO and G8 were Holden Commodores from Australia that were Americanized for the market here. The Ute is based off the Commodore platform, making it and the GTO distant cousins.
It seems a little odd that vehicle like the Ute, with its performance and quirkiness, wouldn’t be sold in the U.S. given their repeated attempts to sell a muscle car with a truck bed.
The difference between the Ute and vehicles like the Subaru Baja and Chevy SSR is that the Ute is, well… actually different. But, in a good way.
All that to say, being a truck and a car is hard to do. The Ute isn’t really meant to be a truck, but rather a car that is supposed to be different.
Cadillac CTS-V:
The United States takes another turn and denies the Cadillac CTS-V to other markets.
Europe and the rest of the world might not really care too much about a Corvette engine inside of a Cadillac, but we do.
Even though Cadillac sought to reform their image to market to a younger generation, it’s hard to break perception.
Despite this, Cadillac tried and succeeded with the CTS-V and all 640 horses its engine makes.
It’s one of the best vehicles you can buy if not one of the most unique and surprising. It’s a hoot to drive, and so unexpected that you can’t help but smile when you think of it.
It was recently announced, to not many people’s surprise, that the CTS-V would soon be no longer. Just like all good things, the Cadillac CTS-V must come to an end, but boy, it was great while it lasted.
Suzuki Jimny:
If you remember the Suzuki Samurai from years past, you just need to picture a modernized version of that to get the Suzuki Jimny.
If you can’t or don’t remember the Samurai, just think of a smaller Jeep Wrangler. Sounds great doesn’t it?
Well, if you like old school, serious off road capability, you might very well like the Jimny. If, however, you like also being a small SUV that’s capable of driving slightly faster than you can walk, you might be disappointed.
One of the reasons the Jimny isn’t coming across the pond is that it’s just not suited to life in the United States. The Jimny only sports 100 horsepower and 95 pound/feet of torque.
Now that’s not far off from cars like the Toyota Yaris and Nissan Versa, but putting that in a taller, more cumbersome package just won’t cut it.
Despite this, the Jimny is super cool, and if it just had a little more pep, we bet it would be a fantastic alternative to the Wrangler. Sadly, we won’t be able to see if it would be anyway.
BMW M3 CSL:
Everyone already knows that the M3 is a fantastic car. It has historical significance, avgreat racing pedigree, and a resume that would put just about every other car to shame.
But wait… The M3, and now also the M4, is already sold in the United States. Yes, that’s true… But, the M3 CSL was never sold here.
The CSL was and still is one of the best versions of the car ever made.
In a classic case of not being satisfied with what we have, we wish so badly that the CSL made it over here.
The best version of one of the best cars ever has made us envious of those who were able to experience its greatness.
Volkswagen Polo:
In and of itself, the Polo isn’t anything super interesting.
It’s been around for a while, it has some cool performance variants, and it perfectly fits the needs and wants of many other world markets, especially Europe.
We still think it would be a great alternative to the Yaris, Versa, and even the Honda Fit, especially since Volkswagen doesn’t have a subcompact to offer us here.
Dodge Charger/Challenger:
Another offering that is only afforded to this side of the Atlantic, the Demons, Hellcats, and SRT 8s of the world just wouldn’t fit the M.O. of other overseas markets.
There are people from all over the world who want a certain vehicle they don’t get in their market. There may not be many, but there will always be some who would buy the Charger and Challenger if it were available, much like some of the other vehicles here that we can’t get in the states.
I would still venture to say that most other people wouldn’t really care to have one of these American monsters in their garage.
The Challenger and Charger are both quintessentially American, and not everyone likes that. And, we aren’t even going to mention the insurance and gas costs that would come with either.
Volkswagen Scirocco:
If you like the Volkswagen Golf, chances are you would like the Scirocco just a little bit less or a little bit more depending on who you are.
The Scirocco is essentially a Golf with two doors that looks a lot better. It’s gorgeous! They even made a Scirocco R that produced about 275 horsepower in its most recent iteration.
Now, we used to get the Scirocco when it was first introduced in the 1970’s and 80’s, but it was discontinued, brought back in 2008, and it’s then that we lost out on getting it back.
Unfortunately, it was recently discontinued again… altogether.
Hopefully though, it will make another comeback, and maybe we will be lucky enough to get in on a piece of the future action.
Dacia Sandero Stepway:
The Dacia Sandero has been the butt of many jokes, courtesy of the Top Gear team when they were with the BBC. That’s the only reason many people know about it.
It’s a small Romanian car that would probably do really well here in the States, especially right now.
The Stepway is just a more capable version of the base car which is actually pretty underwhelming.
With the craze for small SUVs right now, the Sandero Stepway would be a great addition to the segment. It is small, but it has some features that would really make it stand out, including some actual off-road ruggedness.
Most of what we said about the Suzuki Jimny can be loosely applied to the Sandero Stepway, and sadly, that’s not really a good thing.
If it did come to the states, the measley 90 horsepower engine output would have to be improved to keep up with the rest of the pack.
As far as everything else goes, it would be like the second coming of the Suzuki SX4 Crossover, another SUV-ish car that would also do well in the market today were it not discontinued several years ago.
Alfa Romeo Guilietta:
Also Romeo has been hitting it out of the park recently, especially with its re-entry into the United States market.
First, with its 4C, a true sports car that was beautiful, simplistic, and a joy to drive.
After that, the Motor Trend car of the year for 2018: the Alfa Romeo Guilia. Another fantastic car that arrived with much well-deserved hype.
The most recent arrival to the states is the Stelvio, an SUV version of the Guilia. Why? Because of course you need an SUV version of just about everything today.
So, why do we want the Guilietta? Because we know it would be good.
It is another hatchback, which we know most don’t prefer, but what sets it apart is that it’s an Alfa Romeo hatchback.
That’s enough for us to want it just a little more than we probably should.
They aren’t known for their reliability, and never have been, but we all know that doesn’t matter. Owning an Alfa Romeo, as it’s been said, is kind of a prerequisite to being a “petrol head” in Europe.
For us though, we just have to continue to settle for something else because we’re still being deprived of at least some of the Italian automaker’s best wares.
A comprehensive list of all the vehicles that not every market receives would be hundreds of pages long, and we just can’t cover that much.
Despite each of these vehicle’s most favorable characteristics, notoriety, and hype, there is ultimately a good reason that each isn’t sold in some market across the world, be it here in the United States, or somewhere else.
Regulatory bodies, cultural leaning, and infrastructure all have some say as to whether or not a car or truck will do well in a certain market.
We get it and can’t complain too much with what we have. But somewhere in the back of our minds and in the deepest part of our hearts, we would love to see at least some of these make their way to us sooner rather than later.
