5 Japanese Cars You Can Finally Import To The US In 2025

There are a lot of JDM or Japanese Domestic Market cars that were forbidden on American soil until now. The 25-year import rule allows you to import your dream Japanese car to America under federal vehicle-import laws and in 2025, Americans can import cars from the year 2000, which is considered one of the golden years for Japanese market cars. These imports don't have to pass the federal safety standards, but they do need to comply with your state's emission laws still.

There are a lot of options to choose from and there are the obvious suspects like the Nissan Skyline GTR R34 and the very popular Kei trucks. However, there are some very rare cars which will also ask big money, and fun Japanese which shouldn't break the bank. We have combined a list of six Japanese cars that you can finally import in the year 2025. This includes the very rare Japan-only specimens as well as some unique cars which should make your garage interesting.

Like others on the list, this special edition Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was banned in the U.S. market due to its specs. And while there have been a few of them which have already been imported by enthusiasts, the Evolution VI Tommi Mäkinen Edition was the ultimate version of the Evo VI. Named after the rally legend, the Tommi Mäkinen Edition or fondly known as the TME came with a unique body kit and a livery inspired by the rally legend's original race car. 

It had optional graphics and nothing screams more rally than a set of 17-inch Enkei wheels which were painted in white. It also got a quicker steering rack, a different turbo which was able to spool quicker, lowered suspension and lots of additional bracing. Other changes include some badges, a momo steering wheel and a shift knob, and black and red Recaro seats which had the Tommi Mäkinen Edition stitched onto them.

The total number of TME's produced is a dicey subject, while some say that there were only 2,500 units produced. However, counting the registry, there were around 4,092 units of the Tommi Mäkinen Edition produced counting all the different models and variants since there were around seven of them. It was launched in December 1999 which means that they are now legal to import in the United States. These cars might cross six-digits once you start importing these into the states, but they are truly special cars.

The Subaru Impreza STI is another rally legend, but there was a very special one as well, which called the WRX STi 201. This was one of the craziest looking Impreza that was ever sold to the public and was based on the GC8 chassis. It was not just a body kit either, there was a new intake and exhaust system and the ECU was tuned to produce nearly 300 bhp. Subaru had also stiffened the chassis and lowered the suspension. There was a front helical LSD and a RAYS wheels.

The body kit was a spectacle in itself. It got larger vents and scoops, side skirts, a rear bumper which had a diffuser and a double-wing spoiler. The car was only limited to 300 units, which makes it even rarer than some supercars. Finding one will be quite difficult on its own and these would cost a lot of money, but they were only produced for the year 2000 which means that this piece of history is legal to import to the U.S.

The Nissan Skyline GT-R is a dream car for many over the years, but the R34 is the holy grail for many JDM car enthusiasts. The R34 was the hero car in the Fast and Furious franchise and has always been the one forbidden fruit that everyone wants to get their hands on. The R34 was produced from 1999 and many of them have started to show up in the USA, but 2000 was the year when the V-Spec II was launched, and it was much more sought after than the original V-Spec.

The original V-Spec was a more hard core version of the R34 GTR, meant for the track. It got stiffer suspension, a more aggressive wing, and an active limited slip differential. The V-Spec II got an even stiffer suspension, larger brakes, and a very cool feature for the time was the carbon fiber hood with a NACA duct. 

Other additions included aluminum pedals, black upholstery for the seats and white colored turn signals. A total of 1,855 V-Spec II were built for the Japanese market. The market has gone crazy for the R34 GTR, and they have sort of become a collector's item at this point, shooting up their value to extreme levels.

The Suzuki Alto is a legend in its own right. It is a Kei car, which means that it has to comply with certain limitations, mostly on the basis of overall dimensions and also engine size. While the regular Alto can pass as a mundane commuter car, the 1999-2000 Alto Works RS/Z is the one to look for. This is the hot version, and it has everything that you would expect from a performance trim. It gets a different body kit, there is quite a huge and funky looking spoiler, a hood scoop and special wheels as well.

Sporting a 658cc turbocharged engine, it was either front-wheel-drive when paired to the automatic or you could also get the 5-speed manual, which could also be optioned with 4wd. It produced an earth-shattering (not really) 63 bhp and 108 Nm of torque. This generation of the Alto Works goes underappreciated, and Suzuki discontinued the Works variant after this, making the Alto a strict commuter car. The Works variant only made a comeback 15 years later. They might be difficult to find, especially in the manual 4WD form, but they are dirt cheap and quite unique as well in terms of all the imports that land in the U.S.

The Toyota Crown was not a synonymous name in the U.S. until very recently, but it was really popular in the Japanese market for someone looking for luxury. In September 1999, Toyota launched the 11th generation of the Crown. This was what Japanese luxury was in that period of time. It came in two versions, the Royal and the Athlete, with the former one being the luxury version while the latter one was the sportier one. This is the perfect vehicle to live your VIP dreams in, and this generation of the Crown was definitely a looker.

All engines for the 11th gen were inline six units ranging from 2.5L to 3.0L. The most sought after of these Crowns would be the Athlete versions, which featured the legendary 1JZ-GTE turbocharged motor. This engine was also put into the Supra, and the best thing about this generation of the Crown is that there was a wagon version available as well. Depending on the variant and the condition, these cars can be easily had for under $10,000.