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Dozens of automotive models—from manufacturers that include boutique supercar makers in Europe and mass producers in China and India—may never roll down U.S. streets.
Once the unquestioned destination car market, the U.S. is no longer even the world's biggest. Last year, China became the top consumer of motor vehicles. Our list this year includes two cars we'd like to see here: the world's fastest pickup truck and a two-seat roadster with a roof that retracts in just 12 seconds. Nevertheless, you won't see these vehicles in a showroom any time soon.
HSV MalooR8
Available: Australia
Price: AU$59,900 ($58,879)*
The Guinness World Records book clocked the Maloo at 169 mph in 2006, making it the world's fastest pickup truck. Since the early 1990s it has been built by Holden Special Vehicles, the high performance group of General Motor's Australian subsidiary Holden.
Lancia Ypsillon Elle
Available: Europe
Price: €10,990 ($15,334)
Available only in European markets, this limited-edition vehicle was conceived in collaboration with Elle magazine. Based on Lancia's Ypsilon supermini, this diminutive hatchback is designed to appeal to female buyers. At the 2010 Paris auto show Fiat Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne stated that the company would delay the launch of the third-generation Ypsilon until 2012 because of weak conditions in the European market.
Wiesmann Roadster MF3
Available: Europe, Asia
Price: €60,000 ($83,718)
Manufactured by hand in Dulmen, Germany, the retro-looking MF3 resembles a classic British roadster with guts that are pure Teuton. That's because under the hood is the same straight-six that BMW uses in its M3 performance cars. Wiesmann had been considering bringing it over to the States but so far hasn't wished to jump the twin hurdles of import duties and the engineering tweaks required to conform to U.S. safety
Citroën
Available: South America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia
Price: €28,983 ($40,440)
Designed to compete with the Mini and Audi A1, the DS3 was launched in 2009 as the first in the premium series of customizable cars by the French automaker Citroën.
Chery A5
Available: Asia, Africa, Russia
Price: RMB 74,800 ($11,216)
Some might snicker at the Chery A5 sedan, shaking their heads at the notion that such a car could ever find a market in the U.S. They might say it's too small and too inexpensively priced and that it lacks many of the luxuries—not to mention basics—of cars sold in U.S. showrooms. People laughed at Toyota in the 1970s.
Renault Wind
Available: Europe
Price: €17,388 ($24,261)
Made by French automaker Renault, the Wind is a two-seat roadster with a one-piece retractable roof that Renault claims takes just 12 seconds to fold away.
Tata Indigo
Available: India
Price: Rs. 460,583 ($10,356)
With revenues of $20 billion last year and 5.9 million of its vehicles operating on Indian roads, Tata is one of the top three producers of passenger cars in India. The compact four-door Indigo has been a market mainstay since it was introduced in 2002.
Abarth Punto Evo
Available: Europe
Price: €18,523 ($25,864)
A high-performance car based on the Fiat 500, but produced by Abarth—the Italian rally-car maker—the Abarth Punto Evo has a high top speed and respectable 0-to-100 km/h (62 mph) performance of 7.9 seconds.
Fiat Qubo
Available: Europe
Price: €9,988 ($13,946)
While the first supermini Fiat 500s are arriving in the U.S. this year, there are no plans so far to release the boxy Qubo. That may not disappoint many American drivers because it takes about 16 seconds to get from 0 to 62. In fact, as Jeremy Clarkson of Britain's popular Top Gear car show wrote in the Sunday Times of London last year: "The Qubo is so slow that if you climbed into one this morning in Hunstanton and attempted to drive south as fast as possible, coastal erosion would swallow you up by Wednesday evening."
Opel Ampera
Available: Europe
Price: €27,980 ($39,069)
General Motors launched this cool-looking version of the Chevy Volt as the car's Opel-branded European version.
Once the unquestioned destination car market, the U.S. is no longer even the world's biggest. Last year, China became the top consumer of motor vehicles. Our list this year includes two cars we'd like to see here: the world's fastest pickup truck and a two-seat roadster with a roof that retracts in just 12 seconds. Nevertheless, you won't see these vehicles in a showroom any time soon.
HSV MalooR8
Available: Australia
Price: AU$59,900 ($58,879)*
The Guinness World Records book clocked the Maloo at 169 mph in 2006, making it the world's fastest pickup truck. Since the early 1990s it has been built by Holden Special Vehicles, the high performance group of General Motor's Australian subsidiary Holden.
Lancia Ypsillon Elle
Available: Europe
Price: €10,990 ($15,334)
Available only in European markets, this limited-edition vehicle was conceived in collaboration with Elle magazine. Based on Lancia's Ypsilon supermini, this diminutive hatchback is designed to appeal to female buyers. At the 2010 Paris auto show Fiat Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne stated that the company would delay the launch of the third-generation Ypsilon until 2012 because of weak conditions in the European market.
Wiesmann Roadster MF3
Available: Europe, Asia
Price: €60,000 ($83,718)
Manufactured by hand in Dulmen, Germany, the retro-looking MF3 resembles a classic British roadster with guts that are pure Teuton. That's because under the hood is the same straight-six that BMW uses in its M3 performance cars. Wiesmann had been considering bringing it over to the States but so far hasn't wished to jump the twin hurdles of import duties and the engineering tweaks required to conform to U.S. safety
Citroën
Available: South America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia
Price: €28,983 ($40,440)
Designed to compete with the Mini and Audi A1, the DS3 was launched in 2009 as the first in the premium series of customizable cars by the French automaker Citroën.
Chery A5
Available: Asia, Africa, Russia
Price: RMB 74,800 ($11,216)
Some might snicker at the Chery A5 sedan, shaking their heads at the notion that such a car could ever find a market in the U.S. They might say it's too small and too inexpensively priced and that it lacks many of the luxuries—not to mention basics—of cars sold in U.S. showrooms. People laughed at Toyota in the 1970s.
Renault Wind
Available: Europe
Price: €17,388 ($24,261)
Made by French automaker Renault, the Wind is a two-seat roadster with a one-piece retractable roof that Renault claims takes just 12 seconds to fold away.
Tata Indigo
Available: India
Price: Rs. 460,583 ($10,356)
With revenues of $20 billion last year and 5.9 million of its vehicles operating on Indian roads, Tata is one of the top three producers of passenger cars in India. The compact four-door Indigo has been a market mainstay since it was introduced in 2002.
Abarth Punto Evo
Available: Europe
Price: €18,523 ($25,864)
A high-performance car based on the Fiat 500, but produced by Abarth—the Italian rally-car maker—the Abarth Punto Evo has a high top speed and respectable 0-to-100 km/h (62 mph) performance of 7.9 seconds.
Fiat Qubo
Available: Europe
Price: €9,988 ($13,946)
While the first supermini Fiat 500s are arriving in the U.S. this year, there are no plans so far to release the boxy Qubo. That may not disappoint many American drivers because it takes about 16 seconds to get from 0 to 62. In fact, as Jeremy Clarkson of Britain's popular Top Gear car show wrote in the Sunday Times of London last year: "The Qubo is so slow that if you climbed into one this morning in Hunstanton and attempted to drive south as fast as possible, coastal erosion would swallow you up by Wednesday evening."
Opel Ampera
Available: Europe
Price: €27,980 ($39,069)
General Motors launched this cool-looking version of the Chevy Volt as the car's Opel-branded European version.
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