07-07-2025
10 Japanese cars that just became legal to import to the US in 2025
As of now, cars produced from the beginning of 2000 are becoming legal for import into the United States, month by month. The 25-year import rule includes the month the vehicle was built, so with each month a great number additional of vehicles can be imported. As the years have ticked by, the rule has moved past the greatest 1990s JDM legends and a few lesser-known (cheaper!) options to boot. Here we'll look at some of the best freshly legal Japanese domestic market automobiles, in addition to some of the coolest JDM cars overall.
Toyota Caldina GT-T (T210)
A station wagon with an all-wheel-drive system like the rally homologation Celica GT-Four, and an upgraded version of the engine from the MR2 Turbo, the Caldina GT-T packs a punch for being relatively unknown. At the top of the Caldina range, the GT-T often comes with a four-speed slushbox but can be found with a five-speed manual. In any case, this 256-horsepower Japanese wagon comes with enough boost to still make it both worth your while and a worthy and interesting alternative to stateside WRX wagons. Prices vary from roughly $10,000 to $15,000 for good examples.
Suzuki Alto Works RS/Z (HA22/HA12)
While the previous HA11 generation of this adorable little Kei-hatch is the most sought after, the Works version of the fifth-generation Alto often comes in at half the price of its trendier forebearer. Like other cars of its era that followed Japanese Kei car regulations, it makes roughly 63 horsepower and weighs next to nothing, with the turbo AWD manual versions maxing out at 1,630 pounds soaking wet. Unlike other generations, the HA22sand HA12s come with a five-door body style, at least in theory making the little vehicles more practical. HA12s came with the turbocharged F6A engine, with 59 quoted horsepower, while the HA22 was the same car with the much torquier K6A. Capable of over 50 mpg and often going for well under $10,000 before import costs, the later Alto would certainly make an interesting runabout.
Subaru WRX Type STi (GC8)
We import cars from Japan to get forbidden fruit, and a factory-turbocharged first-generation Impreza was historically not for us. While the following Bugeye would eventually be offered here in the States as a turbocharged WRX, the GC8 generation got the full STi setup in Japan. In addition to having less insectoid looks compared to the following generation, the WRX STi boasts extra boost and plenty of gadgets depending on the specific version. Some came with intercooler sprayers, while selectable Driver's Control Center Differential (DCCD) offered an extra degree of fine-tuning for the AWD system's dynamics. Prices hover around the $15,000 range, which doesn't seem crazy considering what modern STis often list for.
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Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI
Import cars from Japan rarely get better than this 4G63T-equipped rally legend. Powerful, lightweight and bursting with character, this is the kind of vehicle that makes a modern Evo X feel like a minivan. Beyond being a much more hardcore rendition of the Evos that were exported to the States (starting with the VIII), the Evolution VI carries the cool factor of a full homologation racecar. Unfortunately, all this earned clout renders the Evo VI out of reach of many, with prices pre-import often ranging from $30,000 to above $50,000.
Honda Accord Wagon SiR (CL2/CH9)
All-wheel-drive Honda wagons are increasingly common in the aftermarket scene, but if you go JDM you can get a much sleeker one from Honda itself. Built in relatively small numbers right after the turn of the century, this surprisingly classy wagon is only just beginning to be available for import. Unlike many import cars from Japan, the CL2 Wagon can still be had for under $5,000 before import. Granted, this is a vehicle better suited to cruising than destroying competition (at least in stock form), but its H23A engine stands atop the pile of Honda four-cylinders from the factory.
Toyota Century G50
Sitting above any Lexus, the Toyota Century has long been the vehicle of choice for the most elite Japanese dignitaries, with luxury quite literally fit for an emperor — the Century Royal serves as the official state car. Imperial halo effect aside, these understated cars are comically inexpensive for their Rolls-rivalling plushness and buttery-smooth V-12 engine. Late-model G50 generation examples, produced from 1997 to 2017, can frequently be had for under $20,000. In many ways the Century is the top of the JDM luxury automobile ladder, and yet few in the U.S. will recognize one when it drives by.
Nissan Silvia Spec-R (S15)
Last in the line of legendary S-Chassis drift machines, the S15 generation of Silvia is still very much a 180SX/240SX underneath. Still equipped with either a naturally aspirated or turbocharged SR20 engine, the S15 is a poster car for JDM nerds the world over, with sub-communities springing up for the myriads of builds and use cases it commonly falls into. Whether pursing greatness in grip, drift or anything else, someone has done it in an S15. Unfortunately, all that clout, and street drifters' propensity to leave them at the bottom of ravines, means prices are often high. Expect to pay $20,000 and up for decent examples of the Spec-R turbocharged models.
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Nissan Skyline R34
While the Silvia is a poster car, the R34 generation of the Nissan Skyline remains the ultimate JDM poster car. This is especially true in top-spec GT-R form, where the R34 continued the Skyline's main character-esque racing dominance on circuits around the world, in addition to childhood-defining roles in media including Gran Turismo and 2 Fast 2 Furious. Similar to the biggest and baddest factory versions of classic American cars like the 'Cuda and Chevelle, the R34 GT-Rs commonly auction for dream-destroying rates. That said, for those more inclined to drive their Skyline than just trailer it to car shows, lower-trim R34s can easily be had for $25,000 or less before import. These include coupes and sedans with and without all-wheel drive, and with smaller but tunable engines, all of which can be built up to GT-R spec or beyond in the aftermarket. Now the full breadth of the Skyline GT-R history is available for import into the U.S., as the GT-R became its own model for the R35 generation.
Toyota Chaser 2500T X100
A critically underrated and generally underrepresented JDM tuner icon, the Chaser and its fancier Cresta sibling are dad-mobiles frequently turned into street demons. Often equipped with the 1JZ engine from the factory and a chassis that makes maleficent driving easy, Chasers are respectable cars near-universally used for hoodrat activities. Ever since Daigo Saito soared sideways at an Ebisu drift competition, the Chasers and their platform-mates have been used by Japanese grassroots drivers for just about every type of competition. Blasting down the Bayshore Route, sliding through the mountains, and even notching times on the circuit are common examples. All from a comfortable sedan with a reputation for reliability and a common asking price way under $10,000 before import.
Autozam AZ-1
Mid-engined, turbocharged, composite body-paneled and equipped with gullwing doors … these are not attributes you'd expect in a sub-$30,000 car. The catch is that with the Autozam AZ-1, there's just not that much car to go around. Powered by an engine that looks like something you'd find in a snowmobile, displacing barely two-thirds of a liter, this vehicle is about two-thirds the size of a Miata. Drivers a few inches under 6 feet will fit fine, but expect to stack elbows with your passenger. By far the most exotic and expensive of the 1990s 'ABC' Kei sports cars (AZ-1, Honda Beat, Suzuki Cappuccino), the little car's renown has unfortunately doubled along with its prices over the past few years. But with handling similar to an SW20 MR2 on steroids and easily upgraded power, it's hard to say no to such a cute JDM face.
Photos by MotorTrend staff, manufacturer, Bring A Trailer
