21 Cars You Can't Drive in the U.S. (international makes not sold here)

Yahoo (Businessweek) ^ | 9/27/09 | Damien Joseph

[DemforBush]

Not Coming to America

From the boons of Ford's (F) assembly line and Eisenhower's interstate highway system to the banes of suburban sprawl and oil dependence, U.S. history is closely tied to the automobile. But that doesn't mean Americans are privy to any ride they want. Carmakers like BMW (BMWG.F), Ford, and Volkswagen (VOWG.DE) design and manufacture all kinds of vehicles for consumers in different countries with separate needs and budgets. Here, gaze on 21 internationally released cars you're unlikely to see in U.S. showrooms any time soon...

[DemforBush]

Nice little slideshow of some Europe/Asia/Etc. only cars. Some I could definitely do without - the Honda Life comes to mind. But that Wiesmann GT would look awfully purty in my garage. :-)

[DemforBush]

Wiesmann GT MF5

Santa, I've been awfully *good* this year...

[struggle]

SIGH...

[DemforBush]

Very nice!

[GeronL]

Did you see that thread about the Chinese knock-offs of other countries cars?

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

In 2005, I rode from Belfast to Derry in a VW bus sort of thing...could carry 7-8 and baggage. Diesel. I peeked at the computer readout on the dash and we were getting 43 MPG....

I want one.

[Drew68]

VW Scirocco:

VW brought back the Scirocco? I remember when high school parking lots were filled with these from the 70s, often tricked-out into sporty little cars.

Don't much care for this new styling.

[NonValueAdded]

Not even Charlie Babbitt could import them?

[Squantos]

Weren’t those imperial gallons ?......:o)

[newfreep]

From Italy, the Limited Edition carbon body Pagani - at US$1 million only 15 are sold each year. Outperforms the other Italian supercars including Ferrari. About 2 years ago, i visited the Pagani "factory located on a country road in northern Italy. Awesome.

[RangerM]

Possibly, but you’d only get to drive them slow on the driveway.....definitely.....definitely the driveway.

[bvw]

A rolling coffin.

[Gay State Conservative]

In 2005, I rode from Belfast to Derry in a VW bus sort of thing...could carry 7-8 and baggage. Diesel. I peeked at the computer readout on the dash and we were getting 43 MPG....

I just bought a German diesel.Very nice car.....a **beast** off the line (although I'm too old to be hot-rodding) .....and gets 37 mpg in mixed driving (44 mpg on the highway).

[underthestreetlite]

Fastest Car: SSC Ultimate Aero: 257 mph, 0-60 in 2.7 sec. Twin-Turbo V8 Engine with 1183 hp

http://carsandcars.vndv.com/fastest_cars.htm

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Imperial gallons are in Canada, AFAIK.....

They sell petrol in the UK by the litre.....

But, the speed limit signs in NI are in MPH and the onboard computers read in MPG....

[Domandred]

Yea. I want one too. Buddy of mine had one when he was living in Okinawa.

[RayChuang88]

Volkswagen decided against the new Scirocco for the US market because the Golf-based GTI hatchback models already do the same thing. (Indeed, tne new Scirocco is essentially the current GTI hatchback in a different body design.)

[OneWingedShark]

Why is it that the US seems so anti-Diesel?
You'd think that the "green" movement would jump at this 60 to 80 mpg [Diesel] car:

...unless the green movement is not about the environment so much as it is about infringing on others's rights.

[bvw]

I’ve always thought that highway laws and auto regulation inherit the most validity in common law from the laws of harbors, harbormasters and harbor pilots. A harbormaster may ban a ship he feels is unsafe in his harbor, and a harbor association may establish equipage requirements for all ships operating in it. So too may a government set rules for passage on the highways and public roads, and also demand that vehicles meet certain standards to be operated on them.

[buccaneer81]

It's all about market share and demand by the consumer. Living in Massachusetts 25 years ago, I could point you to the local Alfa Romeo, Peugeout, and Renault dealerships.

Times change.