The best of British applies to dozens of awesome cars: sports cars, luxury rides, and iconic off-roaders. Greats if you can buy them, but not so great if you’re a US gearhead, in which case these are off-limits.It seems crazy for carmakers to go to extreme lengths and spend millions of dollars on testing and development only to exclude US buyers. In truth, there are other reasons at play. A lack of required safety features is a surefire way to get banned from sale. Any number of TVRs fall fowl of the NHTSA, along with a handful of hypercars. The mighty McLaren F1 as fast as it was, also got itself banned.However, bans are one thing. But excluding the US market through choice is as unthinkable as marketing ideas come. After all, cars and gearheads are the backbone of American society, a bond any carmaker would be wise to heed.
10/10 McLaren Speedtail
A car like no other? While that might be an accurate statement in engineering it’s not entirely true. Like the 1992 McLaren F1 hypercar, the Speedtail is not set for importation to the states.
Which is a pity. The Speedtail has a three-seat cockpit letting gearheads plus two buddies blast along at 250 mph. This time McLaren merged its 4-liter turbo engine with a hybrid system cranking out 1040 hp.
9/10 Caparo T1
All too briefly, the Caparo T1 gave gearheads a taste of Formula 1 thrills for the road. But just as fast as the 205 mph two-seater carbon missile appeared, a spate of failures killed the project.
Production quirks aside the Caparo T1 was a gasoline-powered thrill ride like no other. Out back a Nissan/Reynard 3.5-liter Indycar engine cranked out 700 hp running on methanol.
8/10 TVR Sagaris
TVR’s best effort to date is also on the no-go list for US gearheads. In part, the carmaker skipped safety measures that would have the NHTSA running for the hills. Yet, poor financials are as much to blame.
By the time TVR got around to building the Sagaris using a Lee Noble tweaked chassis, handling was a reality. It was still a bonkers supercar with a Speed six engine under the hood, but it at least has a hint of usability about it.
7/10 Gordon Murray Automotive T50
Another three-seater? No surprises for guessing the T50 is a distant relative of the McLaren F1. After all, both are the result of Gordon Murray’s creative thinking. And, it’s another supercar that it’s not road-legal in the US.
Clever seating aside the biggest loss to US gearheads is the engine. Unlike the majority of modern supercars, GMA opted for a high-revving V12. Admittedly, there is some EV trickery at play with an electric motor driving a rear fan. But for the most part, it’s the gasoline that powers the T50 to its v-max of 217 mph.
6/10 Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake
Fast, loud, and a little obnoxious – what’s not to like? Sadly Jaguar saw fit not to bring the XFR-S Sportbrake to US shores for a misguided notion it wouldn’t sell. The fools.
Despite wearing an extended wagon body the XFR-S loses none of its performance. Under the hood, Jaguar’s supercharged V8 pumps out 550 hp, matching the sedan’s 186-mph top speed.
5/10 MG XPower SVR
We don’t blame you if MG branding and this muscle-bound monster looks out of place. Built to salvage MG Rover from its inevitable end, the XPower SVR is at odds with its maker’s image. Despite the best efforts of Rover, Qvale, and a dose of US V8 grunt the project came too late.
In part due to a complex logistical production process MG only built 82 cars of which 42 are SVR spec. Performance-wise, the SVR showed a lot of potential topping out at 175 mph. Needless to say, none made it to use shores.
4/10 Lotus Elise GT1
The first generation Elise was a no-go for US gearheads on safety grounds. Yet, the pocket rocket has nothing on its bigger and madder brother the Elise GT1. Think Elise on steroids, and you’ll be in the right ballpark.
Built as a track racer with a sole road legal example the Elise GT1 is a no holds barred lightweight special. But extensive use of carbon fiber isn’t the headline grabber here. Under the rear deck in place of Lotus engines, the GT1 sports a Chevrolet LT5 motor cranking out 607 hp.
3/10 Ariel Atom 500 V8
Buying an Ariel Atom is a thrilling prospect many US gearheads find irresistible. But despite the switch to turbocharged power, it’s not the Ultimate Atom. That honor goes to the insanely powerful Atom 500 V8 produced briefly in 2008.
The bad news is Ariel limited production to 25 units, all of which sold out in an instant. Powered by a 3-liter V8 Frankenstein motorcycle engine built in the US, the Atom 500 V8 stormed to 60 mph in 2.2 seconds.
2/10 Lagonda Taraf
Bold ambitions of finding 200 wealthy buyers for the Lagonda Taraf proved a step too far. In the end, parent company Aston Martin pulled the plug at 120 sales.
Despite its lackluster sales performance, the Taraf is a rare ride that pulls off luxury and speed in one. On the onside at cruising speeds, you’d never guess the Taraf was a 540 hp, 195 mph supercar in disguise.
1/10 Noble M600
Rounding out the best of British gearheads in the US missed out on is the Noble M600. Built in a shed, the M600 still packs enough horses to put established supercar makers on notice.
An all carbon-fiber build kept weight down to 2760 lbs and helped Noble to join the elite 200+ mph club. Unlike earlier Nobles, the M600 used a Yamaha-designed 4.4-liter engine with variable boost for up to 650 hp.