These 11 cars are now legal to import in America thanks to the 25-year rule

Having seen the 25-year clock tick down into its final moments, these 11 cars are now legal to import in America, and it’s a good time to be a JDM fan.

Not every car made is allowed to be driven in every country. Take the Cybertruck, for example, which continues to be banned in Europe.

But for the US, there’s a 25-year rule that some foreign vehicles have to adhere to before embarking on its soil.

Slated as the class of 2001, the next wave of once-forbidden vehicles is now able to drive into the US without being knocked back.

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What is the 25-year import rule?

When it comes to importing vehicles, the US has some of the strictest laws in the world, ruling out some wild supercars like the Lamborghini Murciélago LP670 SV due to not meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

But there is a 25-year rule that allows older cars to slip through the net and allows them into the country.

Recognizing this time frame as long enough consider older vehicles as ‘classics’ rather than ‘everyday transportation’, the cars will be allowed to be imported when they pass the 25-year barrier.

There are some workarounds, such as this gold-plated Nissan Skyline found out, but for the most part, it’s water-tight.

Surpassing this time frame usually prevents the imports from being subjected to Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards, too.

Most recently, the Subaru Kei minivan surpassed this time frame, although it might not be the most popular car.

Before that, the more popular Lotus Exige S1 finally became viable for American roads.

However, as 2026 rolls on, there are 11 cool cars that are now legal to import to the US, and it’s a good time to have a taste for Japanese and French vehicles.

These 11 cars are now legal to import to the US

Throughout the year, all of these dream machines will turn 25-years-old, meaning the cars are now legal to import into the US.

• Nissan Skyline GT-R M-Spec R34
• Subaru Impreza WRX STI
• Honda Integra Type R
• Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII
• MG ZR / ZS
• Renault Clio V-6
• Toyota Verossa
• Renault Avantime
• Mazda RX-7 Bathurst R
• Honda Civic Type R
• Toyota Will VS

Dominated by JDM cars, this follows a predictable pattern of Japanese vehicles drifting into the US 25 years after they first burnt rubber in Tokyo’s underground meets.

While it will be quite some time before this trend changes, what this list will look like in another 25 years could be completely different thanks to the emergence of electric sports cars in China.

Knowing the tariffs on importing Chinese vehicles, it might even just be the only way these cars will end up on US roads.

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