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  • The EK9 Honda Civic Type R is finally legal to import
  • More Nissan GT-R and Audi RS2 units are importable as well
  • 2022 kicks off with the end of the 25-year rule for more Euro and JDM heroes

2020-two is here, and let’s hope it’s off to a better start than 2020. In the world of cars, it is. There’s a brand-new 2023 Honda Civic Type R on the way, and Formula 1 has never been so interesting (and controversial). For those of us that pine for the Euro and JDM-derived nostalgia of the ’90s, 2020-two is also set to be a great year. Supposing Bring A Trailer doesn’t have its way with legends like the EK9 Honda Civic Type R, which is finally legal for import.

How much is a JDM EK9 Honda Civic Type R

A black JDM 1997 EK9 Honda Civic Type R shot from the front 3/4
The EK9 Honda Civic Type R is the JDM Holy Grail | Honda

Personally, I give it about a week before the first of these JDM legends crosses the auction block on BAT. Likely, it’ll have no miles, Championship White paint, and red Recaro seats. And this hypothetical EK9 Honda Civic Type R will probably sell for ten times what it’s worth. But the EK9 Type R is worth a good bit of change. Pre-import models easily top $25,000.

That’s because, not only is the JDM FWD God legal for import, it’s also deserving of the aforementioned title. Production ran for only three years, starting in 1997, exactly 25 years ago. Hell, the first-gen Honda Civic Type R probably takes as many years to get to 60 mph (it actually takes around 6 seconds). But this is the car that defined the current Honda Civic Type R. It’s light, agile, and built to be driven at the limit. At all times. It’s an experience that isn’t available today in 99% of cars, and we hope no one else figures that out.

Only 44 Nissan GT-R Nismo 400Rs were ever made

A black 1995 Nissan GT-R R33 shot from the front 3/4 in a photo studio
Both base R33 GT-Rs and the Nismo 400R are legal to import | Nissan

Now for a car that everyone already knows is great: the R33 Nissan Skyline GT-R. As another year passes, more units of the R33 generation of Nissan GT-R can be brought stateside. Hopefully, this will also mean a slight drop in Skyline prices. They’ve got a bit bonkers of late. However, it’s easy to see why. With four-wheel steering, AWD, a manual transmission, and 276+ hp, the Skyline is every bit the JDM legend people think it is.

However, there’s another, far more rare Nissan GT-R that’s legal to import in 2022. The Nismo 400R. Comprising of only 44 units, its bored and stroked RB26DETT engine pushed out more power with less weight. The Lotus-like recipe, of course, made the Nismo 400R absurdly fast, capable of a rapid (for the time) four-second 0-60 sprint. A time the current Honda Civic Type R can’t even manage.

A Nogaro Blue 1995 Audi RS2 Avant, a Euro-only wagon, shot from the front 3/4 in a photo studio
The RS2 has been legal for two years, but we can’t leave it off the list | National Motor Museum via Getty Images

Finally, like the Nissan GT-R, fresh, new Audi RS2 Avant units are ready for import in 2022. The RS2 is Euro car royalty, and it’s easy to see why. With AWD, a 311 hp turbocharged 5-cylinder, and Porsche influence, the Audi RS2 Avant may just be the best daily driver this side of, well, just about everything. If these Euro and JDM idols are any indication, 2022 is off to a great start.

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Chase Bierenkoven

Chase Bierenkoven has been obsessed with cars his whole life and now finds joy in sharing what he’s learned from his own daily drivers. Chase earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology with a focus on legal studies from the Metropolitan State University of Denver and quickly became an automotive journalist. When he isn’t writing, Chase is either driving his passion project, a 2004 BMW M3 in Carbon Schwartz Metallic, or playing around Colorado’s terrain, mainly mountain biking and skiing.