The year is almost over, which means it’s time for import car enthusiasts to get excited for what’s on the horizon in 2027. Many enthusiasts will look to Japan for what’s coming next, and while Japanese cars are fantastic, we’re going elsewhere today. Here are the coolest cars that an American car enthusiast can import next year that don’t come from Japan.
Japan tends to get a lot of attention in the import scene, and there are a lot of great reasons for it. If you, like me, played a lot of video games and watched a lot of car movies as a kid, you were exposed to all kinds of Japanese cars that America was deemed too uncool to have. So, the fanbase is already there. Then, there’s the fact that Japan has a robust industry designed entirely around sending old cars to other places. Buying an old Japanese car is as easy as buying a collectible on eBay.
If you can stomach being on the losing end of exchange rates, are willing to pay tariffs, and can work with an importer or otherwise fly across an ocean, other countries have lots of weird and fun cars that America wasn’t cool enough to get. The American federal government bans the importation of most cars and motorcycles until they reach the ripe age of 25 years old. That’s by manufacturing month, not just year. So, with a new crop of cars turning 25 in the next year, it’s time to look at what sweet metal you can bring home.
Smart Roadster
I’m going to come right out of the gate with my favorite car of the bunch. I fell in love with Smart back when I was only 15 years old. Alright, that wasn’t too long ago; it was only 2008. That’s when I fell in love with the Smart Fortwo, the Smart Forfour, and the Smart Roadster. Unfortunately, my adoration was immediately stomped out by the fact that the Roadster was still 19 years too young to come to America. It’s sometimes hard for me to believe, but that ticker is finally about to hit zero.
Here’s some history on the Roadster, from a previous story:
In the early days, Smart believed it had something special. Smart’s engineers began realizing that they had a scalable platform on their hands. See, the entirety of a Smart’s drivetrain is bolted to a cradle positioned under what would normally be the car’s trunk. So long as the body could fit the cradle, the rest of the car could really be anything the engineers dreamed up.
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It’s sort of amazing what Smart’s designers pulled off. The Roadster looked like nothing else on the road, yet the designers also made it distinctly Smart. The Roadster rocked the trendy plastic panels and the striking safety cell before tying it in with still hotly-desired three-spoke wheels. The Roadster also had some tricks up its sleeve. The base roof was a panel that you were able to remove to make the Roadster an open-air vehicle. If you paid more, that roof became a fabric arrangement that with a touch of a button retracted into a holder behind the seats. Then you just popped off the rails for a full convertible experience.
The goal of the Roadster was to build a modern interpretation of the classic British roadster; a car that wasn’t fast in a straight line, but a lot of fun in the curves. Power came from a 700cc Mercedes-Benz M160 Suprex turbocharged triple. Lower-spec early Roadsters made 61 HP, with higher models getting 82 HP. Acceleration times to 60 mph were about 10.9 seconds and 10.7 seconds, respectively.
One of the problems that doomed the Roadster was water leaks. Specifically, they loved to leak water in the most unfortunate places, like on top of a computer module. When they weren’t getting killed by leaks, their turbos and engines had a knack for gobbling themselves up. A Roadster that’s still operational today should be sorted, but be careful.
The Roadster entered production in August 2002 for the 2003 model year. I found one 2002 for sale for the equivalent of $8,342.
Audi RS 6 Avant
Here is a car that America technically did get, but only for a single year in 2003. Our version was also solely a sedan. So, if you like your roofs long, you’ll have to look to Europe for satisfaction. Audi describes what led to the RS 6:
In 2002, no other Audi had more power.
The objective was to add an eight cylinder to the basic design of the A8, series D2. The engine was already on the job in the S6, giving it 340 PS without charging. Nonetheless, it needed a lot of detail work: a powerful engine that from then on was double-turbocharged and had 4.2 liters of displacement did not fit in the body of the A6 at first. As a result, quattro GmbH extended the front end and gave the V8 four centimeters (1.6 in) more installation space. The engine that drove the first RS 6 was not fine-tuned in Ingolstadt or Neckarsulm, but in England. Together with quattro GmbH, British engine manufacturer Cosworth, which was a subsidiary of AUDI AG until 2004, was also responsible for the impressive 450 PS output and 560 Nm of torque. That put it at the top of the segment. The V8 in the RS 6 sent a real message to the competition. As a comparison, at the time, the DTM Audi from the ABT team, which Laurent Aïello used to bring home the 2002 title, also had 450 PS.
Audi continues by noting that the RS 6 proved that automatic transmissions were faster than manuals, and so it didn’t even come with the option to shift your own gears. Acceleration to 62 mph took around 4.7 seconds. The power was backed by Dynamic Ride Control, which consisted of steel springs with two diagonally opposite hydraulic shock absorbers to reduce roll and pitch.
The RS 6 was produced between July 2002 and September 2004, with a total output of around 8,081 units. America saw only about 1,435 units of the total lot. A quick search at RS 6 Avants for sale in Europe suggests that you’ll be spending $25,000 or more for a decent one.
Ford Falcon XR6T
Australia’s first Ford Falcon was essentially the North American Falcon, but in right-hand drive. But Australia was quick to tweak the car to deal with the harsh roads of their nation. The Australian Falcon would continue as its own thing decades after it died here in the United States. The one we’re looking at today is the Falcon XR6T, which was built from the Falcon BA, which is a member of the sixth generation of the Falcon. The big thing about the XR6T is that, unlike typical Australian muscle, this car did not have a V8.
Why would Ford build a muscle sedan without a V8? Let the mastermind of the XR6, then Ford Australia SVO program manager Gordon Barfield, explain:
If we wanted to have a reasonable performance increase over the 182 engine we weren’t going to get it by conventional means. The only way we were ever going to improve this engine in a fairly quantum fashion was to go to forced induction. Turbocharging I think – and the market seems to be backing me up in that – is seen as the more modern method of improving the performance. It’s very much in keeping with a lot of the young guys and what they are doing with their cars. The six-cylinder market is still emerging and the industry still hasn’t given it something to crow about. I think there is still a lot more to be had out of that market by virtue of providing something that is an alternative for those who don’t want to own a V8.
At the heart of the XR6 was the Barra straight-six, a powerplant with roots going back to the Thriftpower and Falcon six of 1960. The Barra launched in 2002 and was available only in Australia. The mill in the XR6 is called the Barra 240T, and the 4.0-liter turbocharged beast was good for 322 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque, or right there in V8 territory. Those who wanted even more power out of the 240T found ways to tune it to burn even more rubber. Oh, and the Falcon XR6T was available as a ute, if you don’t care about having four doors.
The oldest Falcon XR6Ts were built in September 2002, so you still have a wait that’s nearly a year long. Finding comps was difficult, but it looks like you could get one for around $10,500 or more before importation fees.
Opel Zafira OPC
One of the most versatile vehicles is the minivan. It’s a car that can haul lumber, kids, and your junkyard haul all in the same day. How do you make a van better? Make it fast, of course! The Opel Zafira made its debut in 1999, and Stellantis says it was a big deal:
In the spring of 1999, production of a model that would make history began: the first examples of the new Opel Zafira rolled off the production line. The 4.32 metre long, 1.74 metre wide and 1.68 metre high compact van was designed for lightweight construction. The first generation weighed just 1,390 kilogrammes when it was launched. Efficiency was as important to Opel then as it is today. With a drag coefficient of 0.33, the Zafira offered top aerodynamic performance in its class. With its clear design and long wheelbase, it combined elegance with functionality. The vehicle’s low centre of gravity and the ultra-modern DSA (Dynamic SAfety) chassis ensured driving stability and the best possible safety.
But the Zafira made headlines 25 years ago for another reason: it was the first compact van to offer flexible space for up to seven people without the need to laboriously remove heavy seats. This was made possible by the intelligent, patented Flex7 seating system. With this unique mechanism, Opel set new standards for fully integrated onboard flexibility in the interior. In just around 15 seconds, the compact van could be transformed from a seven-seater into a two-seater with up to 1,700 litres of luggage volume. After unlocking and retracting the headrests, the seats in the third row could be easily folded up and stowed in appropriately shaped recesses in the vehicle floor, creating a completely flat loading area. The annoying removal from the vehicle and storage of temporarily unused seats were now a thing of the past.
In 2001, the mad engineers of Opel decided to answer the age-old question: “Can a compact van have sporty driving characteristics?” Their response was the OPC, which had a 192 HP 2.0-liter turbo four and 184 lb-ft of torque. The van was available only with a five-speed manual transaxle, which spun the front wheels. The 62 mph sprint happened in 8.2 seconds, and the van went on to a top speed of 137 mph. When the OPC launched in October 2001, it was the fastest van in Europe.
It looks like you should be able to get one of these for under $5,000, which is great!
MG TF
Last year, I imported an MG F from Japan. I love the little car because it reminds me of my Mazda MX-5 Miata ND and my Saturn Sky, but it’s so delightfully weird and British. I love its cushy leather seats, soft Hydragas suspension, and rear-mid engine layout. But that Hydragas suspension was also expensive and complex. In 2002, the MG F was updated into the MG TF, which featured several updates, from Classics World:
The MGF itself had been created on a tight budget, making extensive use of parts from the Rover group – including Metro subframes. These dictated the use of Hydragas suspension, which provided a supple and entertaining ride but was costly and not particularly sporting. Once Metro production ended, the price of the limited number of Hydragas units MG Rover required became prohibitively high, prompting the decision to develop a steel-sprung replacement. This car would become the TF.
Sharper styling, more power and firmer suspension gave the TF a noticeably more sporting character than its predecessor, and it proved a sales success. Some critics, however, remarked that it looked rather too similar to the MGF. Today, that similarity is an advantage, as it improves the availability of interchangeable parts for those keen to keep their TFs on the road.
The line-up was straightforward: the entry-level TF115 with a 1.6-litre K-series producing 116bhp, plus two 1.8-litre options. These were the TF135 and the TF160 VVC, developing 135 and 157bhp respectively. An unusual variant was the TF Stepspeed, powered by a 120bhp Rover 75-spec 1.8 paired with a CVT gearbox. Rare from the outset and now rarer still, poor upkeep has made them less reliable and less sought-after than manual cars – though that does mean bargains can sometimes be found.
The TF featured a 20 percent stiffer structure to go with the new suspension and the new body. Here’s Fifth Gear‘s review of the roadster:
MG TF production began in February, so this is the car on this list that you can buy the soonest. As it turns out, these cars can get pretty worthless, too. You’ll spend less than $2,000 on the low end, and still under $10,000 on the high end.
Have Fun!
All of the prices I’ve quoted are before ocean shipping, ground transportation tariffs, and fees for the specialists that you’ll hire to get the job done. A car that’s just $2,500 can cost you $10,000 or more by the time it reaches your door. If you’re looking for help importing a car from Europe, Orchid Euro, Inbound Motorsports, and Dutch Munich are all highly rated. I’m currently working with Orchid Euro right now as I search for an Audi A2 to import. Also, click here to read what is involved in importing a car from Europe and to see roughly how much it’ll cost you.
Another year, another list of fun cars to import. I didn’t even get all of them. The beautiful Alfa Romeo 156 got a facelift in 2002, and the Volkswagen Touran also debuted that year. The legendary Smart Crossblade was another product of 2002.
Next month, I plan to do this article again, but for cars from Japan. This year, I think I’ll also see what might be found in places like Brazil or Mexico. But for now, let your search engine rip and find what your favorite car might be!
Top graphic image: Opel
