5 Legendary Supercars that were Banned in the United States

I’m sure deep down your dream car is actually one that you can’t legally drive where you live, but what is it about an illegal car that fascinates us so much? Is it the thrill that comes along with it that we imagine we will experience while driving? Or is it simply because we were told no so now we want to be defiant and get it anyways? Could it be we are bored of the everyday life and are seeking (desperately) to find a new adventure? Well thanks to psychology and the people who study it, we have the answer – many different ones at that. 

Most simply put, let’s do a mini exploration into something called the Forbidden Fruit Effect. Essentially this can be described as the heightened desire for something that is either unattainable or unavailable. It is something that is seen through various aspects of our lives like parenting and relationships but it can go even further to marketing and how ads are created. In this sense, the creation of feelings like exclusivity and desirability are at the forefront. 

So now that I’ve taught you all a little something, let’s get into this week’s blog post on the 5 legendary supercars that were banned in the United States – yes, even though I don’t live there I still find this quite fascinating. We will also get into the reason(s) why the cars were banned as well, but my outcome here is to really highlight the difference between how Canada and the United States handles things like this. I did publish an article a while ago on cars that can finally be imported into Canada (as of 2022), so why not check that out here when you’re done reading this post!

Lamborghini Sesto Elemento 

Imagine having the opportunity to sit behind the wheel of a car that has the capability of reaching 570 horsepower. Would you be nervous to drive it? I know I would be but also a little excited too. Lamborghini designed this car with a track-focused mentality – and actually never intended to have these created to be street legal believe it or not. But this is quite obvious from the omission of certain features such as seat belts, ABS, and stability control (which is why it is illegal on the streets in the United States) all under the intention of keeping the overall weight of the car at a low number. The entire outer structure was also designed with this in mind, hence the construction consisting of strictly carbon fibre. 

The Sesto Elemento gets its power from a 5.2L V10 engine that helps to get it from 0-60 MPH in just 2.5 seconds. When it comes to the interior, it gives luxury a whole new definition. Take the inner construction of this car as an example. Lamborghini made the decision to completely eliminate the non-essentials and left the carbon fibre exposed throughout the cabin, even choosing to not include an infotainment system. I mean why would you need one of those when you can’t take this beauty off of the racetrack? Even sound insulation wasn’t included just to be able to meet the strict overall weight of 2202 lbs. 

But the comfortability level from the seats might be where this car is lacking. The seats are made from simple foam pads attached directly to the carbon tub with minimal adjustment. I guess they figured people would be so excited to drive one of these they wouldn’t care what they sat on. For the few that actually get to experience driving one of these, they will surely tell you there is nothing else quite like this especially when it comes to the speed. 

Lamborghini Strosek Diablo

Lamborghini is the type of car company that likes to tell stories through their cars and the Diablo is no exception. From the custom stitching patterns to the personalized look just the way the driver wants it, it’s not hard to see that the company strives for individualism with their cars. 

In the Strosek version, the standard steering wheel was replaced with a smaller more aggressive unit that helps this car improve in areas like visibility and tactile feedback when driving at a higher speed. Custom gauges that include distinguished lighting help with night time visibility while adding to the dramatic look. 

Now some might come back with comments like “But isn’t the Diablo a street legal car?” Well yes, the standard version was street legal, however, this modified version crosses lines that takes this characterization to a whole new level. It might even surprise you to learn that it actually isn’t the speed that makes this car illegal, it’s the aftermarket modifications made to the headlights, mirrors, and other safety equipment that made this non-compliant in the eyes of the United States government when it comes to importing them from overseas. It does however have a (completely legal) very distinctive “arrow” outer body that helps this car aerodynamically to reach max speeds of 202 MPH.  

TVR Sagaris

Not to worry if you don’t know this car company because they don’t have cars sold in Canada or the United States for that matter. Actually, if you wanted a TVR [Electric Vehicles Limited] branded car the only way to get one would be to import them. Started in 1946, this British manufacturer of sports cars was actually considered to be the 3rd largest specialized sports car manufacturer in the world that offered different types of vehicles such as coupes and convertibles. The inspiration behind the name came from the owner’s name (Trevor Wilkinson) and his first garage sporting these 3 letters. The company has had 5 owners over the years with Trevor choosing to leave the position only 16 years after its inception. 

Importing laws in the United States are a little different when compared to those of Canada. For instance, to legally import a car into the United States, the car needs to be at least 25 years old. Plus for cars that are manufactured after September 1, 1978 they must meet the bumper standard and vehicles beginning with the model year 1987 must meet the theft prevention standard. To read more please visit the website linked here. 

Okay now, back to this car – the reason we took that mini dive into all of that information. This beast is able to produce 400 horsepower but this is actually not the reason that it is illegal in the United States. In order for the car to be able to do this, TVR emitted certain electronic driving aids and stability systems, basically rejecting the technology that most manufacturers would consider essential. It was never sold in the United States either but even if it were to be, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would never have allowed it anyways. In fact, due to the lack of modern day equipment, they deemed this car ineligible. 

If you are able to get your hands on one, you’ll notice the inside of the car is really interesting too. It gives off an old British vibe paired with racing functionality through the minimalist seats that place the driver in a race inspired position for optimal control. The seats feature hand-crafted leather covers and even the dashboard has positioned the switches and controls in the most unconventional arrangement that somehow allow for quick access once you are familiar with the setup. A signature starter button sits hidden under a flip cover making every drive a dramatic one right from the beginning.  

Jaguar XJ220S

The really interesting part about this supercar is that one of the biggest racing competitions in the world was what inspired its creation – Le Mans. For this same reason, Jaguar designed this car to be able to reach speeds of 212 MPH in a breeze. Now for obvious reasons, important features had to be excluded from this vehicle to reach these speeds and so everything that didn’t have to do with velocity including safety features required by modern regulations had to go. 

But lets take a step back and highlight the fact that this car was one of those special ones that saw limited production quantities. Only 6 cars were ever produced. It was never considered a special edition for general production but more of a specialized track machine and the reason it was illegal in the United States was because of the lacking certifications it needed. For the people that collect these rare gems, it showcases not only history but truly what raw capabilities can do. 

Surprisingly enough the interior of the car doesn’t scream race car vibes so this might be where some people could get it confused. Yes Jaguar did replace the standard XJ22S’s already souped up interior with competition spec components throughout the cabin and added racing bucket seats with multi point harnesses (replacing the conventional belts) which helps to provide superior support during high gauge turning. But the dashboard, although simplified, is where the racing vibe mixes with modern day technology featuring only essential information with auxiliary gauges monitoring critical engine parameters. There is also a small diameter racing steering wheel without power assistance that helps to deliver that raw feedback I mentioned earlier. 

Nissan Skyline GT-R R34

Now it should be no shock to anyone that this car is on the list but then again, with the R35 version being street legal it is quite rare to meet anyone that has actually gotten the chance to drive one of these. The all wheel drive system and twin turbocharged engine well outdid itself when it came to the performance evaluation but surprisingly enough, it wasn’t banned in the United States for this reason. It was actually banned because it couldn’t meet the strict crash safety and emissions standards of its era. 

Some would argue the R34 GT-R is by far one of the most influential Japanese sports cars of its era, capturing the hearts of fans alike with so many Americans (and Canadians) eager to get their hands on one of these. But with the importing laws as mentioned previously limiting the enthusiasts to have to wait 25 years in order to legally import them into the country it makes this dream a far fetched one at times. They do say though, good things come to those who wait and if you ever meet someone that has gotten the chance to drive one of these, they will tell you the wait is worth it. 

Actually thanks to Paul Walker’s car in the 2 Fast 2 Furious movie, people wanted to get their hands on one of these, even to say they were able to touch the exterior. But the interior is just as nice as the exterior – if not nicer. It is common knowledge that Japanese cars look backwards in North America with the driver seat and steering wheel on the right side of the car, but the R34 sticks true to its origins with this feature. 

It also has a multifunction display with a screen that provides real time performance metrics including turbo boost pressure, oil temperature, and g-forces long before they became common findings in a production car. To add to the race car vibe that it gives off already, the R34 comes with heavily bolstered seats upholstered in a distinctive blue-grey fabric that helps to hold occupants firmly in place during aggressive driving and a three-spoke MOMO steering wheel that became iconic to enthusiasts for its well designed overview. Another thing that makes this car unique? Unlike the other contemporary performance cars, the GT-R was able to keep its rear seats for unmatched practicality.  

Final Thoughts

Have a car we didn’t mention on this list? Let us know in the comments with the reasoning why it’s illegal in your state/country. And since you made it this far, why not check out the blog post we released a little while ago on one of F1’s most legendary racers, Charles LeClerc linked here.