10 Foreign Cars With Massive V8 Power You Can’t Drive Here

Some of the world’s most powerful V8 machines never made it to U.S. roads. From forbidden muscle sedans to exotic supercars, these 10 foreign beasts deliver raw performance but remain out of reach for American drivers.

De Tomaso Pantera

Okay, the Pantera is like this cool Italian-American lovechild. It’s a 1970s Italian exotic but under the hood, bam, a big ol’ American V8, a roaring Ford 351 Windsor. Pretty rare, and you’d be lucky to find one now without hunting the ends of the earth. The wild thing? It has this timeless wedge shape that’ll turn heads. Back then, it was about $25K new, which sounds wild now. It’s that muscle-luxury mix that you don’t see here, sadly.

TVR Cerbera

Now TVR is a bit of a cult British brand, and the Cerbera had a massive V8 jammed inside, sometimes a 4.5 or even a 7.7-liter! These cars are raw, no electronic babysitters, just pure, wild driving. They never made it to the US officially, so driving one here would be like smuggling in a rockstar. Prices? Back in the day, about $80K, but these are collectible now, so expect to pay way more if you find one.

Bristol Fighter

This one’s nuts, a British supercar with these insane gullwing doors and it runs on a Chrysler V10, but it also had versions with massive V8s. Only a handful made, like nine cars total. Talk about exclusivity! The thing looks like a fighter jet on wheels. Pricing was around $600K, so for the price of a mansion, you could have something nobody else has in the States.

Alpina B10 V8

Now this is for the BMW lovers who want something more exclusive. Alpina tuned the B10 with a V8 that had more power and polish than your usual 5 Series. Sharp European handling, super luxe inside, but Alpina has never really pushed hard into the US market, making this one elusive. It hung somewhere around $50-60K back in its prime.

Mercedes-Benz 500 E (W124)

This is like the OG sleeper. Officially a German sedan but with a monstrous 5.0-liter V8 from the muscle world stuffed inside. It was co-developed with Porsche, so it’s got this perfect blend of luxury and brute power. The US got some versions but not all trims or years, so some models are basically unicorns here. It was priced in the $80K range new, which was pretty steep for a 90s sedan.

Lotus Carlton

Ah, the Lotus Carlton, or as some call it, the stealth super-saloon. It has a 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged straight-six, so not technically a V8, but the sort-of European equivalent of V8 power back then, mad quick. It was banned in the UK for a bit because of how fast it was, but it never crossed over to the US. Could never drive one legally here, and it’s pretty iconic if you want that underground street cred.

TVR Griffith

Another TVR masterpiece, the Griffith is all about a monstrous American V8 under that British classic styling. Raw power, light body, no fancy electronics, just a 400+ horsepower beast that’s hard to tame. Not sold stateside officially, but you’ll see serious collectors drooling. A used one might go for like $60K to $80K these days.

Jensen Interceptor

This one is old-school glamour with a huge American V8 under the hood, Chrysler’s 6.3 or 7.2 liters. These cars were posh British GTs with American muscle hugs, uh, muscle hugs? Like, muscle engines! It’s got that vintage vibe but good luck finding one legally in the US without importing and paperwork hassle. Back in the 60s, they cost around $15K, which now feels like a bargain for something this cool.

DeLorean DMC 12 V8 (Prototype)

Okay, technically, DeLoreans came with a V6, but there was a V8 prototype that never hit production. So imagine the stainless steel time machine with serious V8 growl, glorious, right? Sadly, never made it past prototypes and testing, so you can’t drive it here. But it’s fun to dream!

Maserati Quattroporte V8 (European Spec)

The early Quattroportes came with thundering V8s in Europe, with this classic Italian flair combined with muscle-car power. These versions never made it to the US in the same specs due to strict regulations. It cost about $90K new and had this suave vibe of serious power with impeccable style.