Image via Complex Original
Honestly, as American car buyers we have it pretty good. We get cool stuff like muscle cars and Corvettes that aren't available elsewhere, and our car prices are way, way lower than car prices in other countries.
That's all good, but the forbidden fruit is always the most appetizing, and the world's car industry is a bountiful orchard of delicious looking forbidden fruit. Juicy and sweet, there are tons of cool cars that aren't worth homologating for the US market. These are The 10 Coolest New Cars Not Available in the USA.
Volkswagen Scirocco R
We've written at length about how the Scirocco is one of the best things VW has going for it, purely on account of its sex appeal, and we'd love to be able to get our hands on one in the states. It's such a perfect middle ground between sexy coupe and practical hatchback.
Lotus Exige
Here's the saddest one on the list. The Lotus Elise and Exige used to be available in the States, but the DOT refused to renew Lotus' airbag exemption, thus kicking both cars out of the country. We miss them.
Ford Falcon Ute
We don't pine for the Holden Commodore half as much as we used to now that Chevrolet is selling the SS, which is basically just a Commodore that has been somewhat reconfigured into a Chevy. Now we want Ford to make the Falcon, especially the ute, into a global car, rather than throwing this baby out with the Australian manufacturing bathwater.
Fiat Punto Evo
Fiat is doing fairly well in the states with only the 500, its variants, and the awkward 500L, but it could use a few more cars in the showroom. We'll give an honorabl mention to the Panda, since the Panda is great, but the foreign Fiat we really want to try out is the Fiat Punto Evo, which is not unlike a more practical 500 Abarth... and we really like the Abarth.
Peugeot 208 GTI
We love a good hot hatch, and the Pug 208 GTI is decended from one of the all-time great hot hatchbacks: the Peugeot 205 GTI. 197 hp cango a long way in such a tiny little car, and it does indeed in the 208 GTI. We'd love to be able to comparison test one of these to a Fiesta ST, but c'est la vie, non?
Ford Ranger
Why does for have to tease us like this? Ford dropped the new Ranger and people all over the world who needed a truck but didn't want one the size of a decent apartment rejoiced... except in the USA. You see, Ford, one of America's oldest and most successful companies, sells its award-winning small truck in all of its markets except this one.
Spyker C8
Here at Complex we have an unhealthy infatuation with Spyker. The C8 is a very capable supercar that sets itself apart by being styled unlike anything else in the world. The interior in particular is spectacular, but the exterior makes it's own brilliant, WWI-inspired statement.
Audi RS4 Avant
Who wants a 430 hp, AWD luxury wagon? Yes, to us that's just about the perfect all-round car. The RS4 Avant can handle everything from track days to Ikea runs, and for that we love it.
Noble M600
Most crazy supercars are sold around the world, but there are still a few that are denied to us, and the berzerk Noble M600 is one of them. It's a hand-built British supercar capable of 225 mph. What's not to like?
Lotus Evora GTE
The Lotus Evora GTE is quite literally the Lotus GTE-class race car that has been modified just enough to be road legal in other countries. That's bloody brilliant, and we really, really wish the GTE was road legal in this country.
