Americans Can Now Import These JDM Legends Thanks To 25-Year Rule

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📝 usncan Note: Americans Can Now Import These JDM Legends Thanks To 25-Year Rule

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Japan Domestic Market cars, or JDMs, have been popular pretty much since the Fast and Furious franchise shone a spotlight on these great cars back in the 2000s. And yes, we are talking about special Japan-only versions of the Nissan Skyline GT-R, Mazda RX-7, Honda NSX, Toyota Supra, Subaru WRX STI and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution among others.

The 25-year rule changed everything

But it was the game-changing 25-year rule in the U.S. which changed everything for these specialty cars, many of which had never previously been seen outside off Japan.

Enacted in 1988, this rule was set up for importing vehicles into the U.S. under the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act. This act allowed vehicles 25 years or older to be exempt from U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safety and emissions standards, making the import of classic vehicles significantly easier.

Cars that have just become importable, having been produced in 1999 or 2000, include some of the biggest names in Japan’s sportscar world.

Nissan Skyline GT-R Nismo Z-Tune

Nismo Z-Tune

Photo courtesy of Nissan

At the top of the list must be the 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 Nismo Z-Tune. While stock versions of the R34 GT-R employed a 280-hp 2.8-liter twin-turbo inline 6, the Z-Tune came in for significant modifications, boosting power to 500-hp. As it turned out, only 19 Z-Tunes were built from donor R34s with under 18,641 miles. Values have risen 200% since 2020. This is Nismo’s final R34 variant and it represents the pinnacle of Japanese tuner engineering, which is why it fetched $1.1 million at auction in March 2025.

Mazda RX-7 Spirit R

Photo courtesy of Mazda

What JDM fan doesn’t love the Mazda RX-7? The next classic car here is the 2000 RX-7 FD3S Spirit R which was powered by a 276-hp 1.3-liter twin-rotor rotary engine married to a 6-speed stick shift and boasting Brembo brakes and Recaro seats. The reason this model is considered so rare is because only 15% of this final RX-7 variant survives in stock condition pushing the price to somewhere between $120,000 to $180,000. Prices for this particular spec doubled in 2025 after its U.S. eligibility which saw one 1999 prototype sell for $210,000 at the USS auction in Tokyo.

Honda NSX Type S

The NSX influenced European supercar makers.

Photo by Honda

And who can ignore the legendary Honda NSX, the car that was so revolutionary—with its all-aluminum body, V-TEC variable valve timing, electric power steering and 4-channel anti-lock braking—it made Ferrari stand up and pay attention. Although it first debuted in 1990, the NSX Type S surfaced in 2000, meaning that it became U.S. eligible in 2025. Boasting a mid-engined layout, the Type S was powered by a 290-hp 3.2-liter V6 with 6-speed manual. The car’s development incorporated technology and components from the NSX GT3 Evo race car and featured enhancements for superior road performance, including an aero kit inspired by the GT3 car—which is one reason why it sells at auction for between $350,000 and $450,000.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Tommi Makinen Edition

Tommi Makinen with his special edition Evo

Photo by Mitsubishi

Other JDM legends from that era include the 1999 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Tommi Makinen Edition, a car which celebrated Makinen’s four World Rally Championship titles and pumped out 280-hp from a turbocharged 2.0-liter. Even though only 1,200 were actually exported, mainly to Europe pre-2025, examples landing in the U.S. have been valued at $85,000 by Classic.com. Meanwhile the 2000 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Version 6 Type RA—which also developed 280-hp but from a turbocharged flat-4 engine, sells for up to $95,000 in the U.S. from 2025.