As 2015 inches closer, a whole new gang of foreign cars will become eligible for importation. The rolling 25-year NHTSA exemption for otherwise non-conforming vehicles gives fans of imports something to look forward to each new year. While each January is another a cruel reminder of just how great Canada has it with their similar, but shorter-duration 15-year rule for private imports, it's important to remember that our own rule has recently made cars like the Nissan Pao, BMW Z1, Nissan Be-1, and the BMW E30 3-series wagons potential daily-drivers.

The year 1990 has some funky, newly eligible cars here to surprise your neighbors, your spouse or even yourself with -- especially if you're into eBay bidding wars that stretch into the wee hours of the morning.

Here are the coolest 25-year-old cars that you'll be able to import to the U.S. in 2015, in no particular order.

The Eunos Cosmo, built by Mazda, boasted a triple-rotor engine -- a first for a production passenger car. Mazda

The Wankel engine may have made its debut in Mazdas back in the 1960s, but it wasn't until 1990 that Eunos, Mazda's luxury brand, produced a rotary to out-rotate them all in the form of the Eunos Cosmo. A large luxury coupe, the Cosmo used a triple-rotor engine offered in two flavors: 13B-RE or 20B-REW. That second alphanumeric jumble is what everyone's after, as it yielded 300 hp and 300 lb-ft from just 2.0 liters of displacement (though that displacement figure doesn't quite represent an apples-to-apples comparison with conventional internal combustion engines). All that power was channeled to the pavement via a four-speed automatic transmission. The Eunos also offered a touchscreen infotainment system (yes, in 1990) with GPS navigation. That is indeed as scary-advanced as it sounds, though it's not going to work in North America in 2015.

Why is it cool? Do you even have to ask? It's the only triple-rotor engine Mazda ever made, and it has turbos! And the whole thing is attached to a Eunos badge.

Where to find one: Japan.

What to pay: $5,000-$15,000

Will people notice it? Yes, but they'll think its a Skyline and promptly call U.S. Customs to have it crushed. But it won't be crushed because it's legal and it's not a Skyline. (Note: it may take some time to convince Customs that it's not a Skyline and not a Nissan.)

Downsides to owning one: Do you know anyone who's worked on a triple-rotor engine?

Interior smell: Cigarettes.

CDs found inside: Madonna, Phil Collins, Duran Duran.

The Lotus Carlton will, at last, be ready for importation. But not that many examples were made. Matt/Flickr

The Lotus Carlton started out in life as a Open/Vauxhall Omega, but by the time Lotus engineering was done with it, the Carlton could outrun the Ferrari Testarossa. Lotus bored out the inline-six engine to 3.6 liters and added twin Garrett T25 turbochargers and an intercooler, giving the sedan a 0 to 60 sprint time of just 5.2 seconds and an output of 377 hp and 419 lb-ft of torque. All that power was channeled to the pavement through a six-speed ZF manual gearbox out of the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. That made it an occassional favorite of UK's criminals, who we imagine had melodious Cockney accents just like Guy Ritchie films tell us they do.

Why is it cool? The Carlton held the title of the fastest production sedan for several years.

Where to find one: U.K.

What to pay: $40,000-$55,000 for a clean RHD example. Excellent examples come to market infrequently, but there should be a few to chose from at any given moment.

Will people notice it? They might notice it's an RHD car, but it'll take a serious car person to recognize it from afar in the U.S.

Downsides to owning one: None whatsoever.

Interior smell: Guinness.

CDs found inside: New Order, OceanLab, Fragma.

The Nissan President was a rebadged version of the Infiniti Q45, but with a longer wheelbase. Nissan

If you've always wanted a long-wheelbase version of the Infiniti Q45, now's your chance. El Presidente, a nameplate that goes back decades, was offered by Nissan in Japan with distinctive front and rear fascias as well as extra room in the back. This generation of the President was a respose to the debut of the Lexus LS, and it replaced a model that dated back to the 1960s. The long wheelbase finally gave the interior the room it always needed, with this luxobarge using the same 4.5-liter V8 underhood. As these are reworked versions of the Infiniti Q45, a lot of parts are interchangeable, which is no small bonus when it comes to owning an RHD sedan. These are popular in the VIP tuning scene in Japan right now, but there should still be some tidy examples from the first year of manufacture to be found despite Japan's dislike of keeping old cars in the country.

Why is it cool? 1990s VIP chic in a stealthy package.

Where to find one: Just Japan, really.

What to pay: $4,000-$8,000 for a clean example.

Will people notice it? They'll notice it, but only because of the right-hand drive layout. Japanese car fanboys will be ecstatic to see it though.

Downsides to owning one: Right-hand drive.

Interior smell: Suntory.

CDs found inside: Shania Twain, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley: Greatest Hits Vol. I.

The Clio replaced the popular Renault 5, and went on to be just as successful. Renault

The Renault Clio arrived on the scene in 1990 to pick up where the Renault 5 had left off, and it did so with modern '90s styling and a vast selection of gas and diesel engines ranging in displacement from 1.1 liters to 1.9 liters. Power in the Clio ranged from 53 hp to 145 hp in the Williams version, which arrived in 1993 (and is thus un-importable for the moment), but the engines proved themselves to be reliable and thrifty. At launch, the 1.2-, 1.4- and 1.8-liter engines were available, so those are the ones that are on the menu for importation. Finding a tidy example from the first year of production may prove to be a challenge, even though these were made in incredible numbers.

Why is it cool? It's the newest importable French hatch and most will return fuel economy figures in the mid-40s, if you're into that sort of thing.

Where to find one: Germany, France, Netherlands.

What to pay: $2,000-$4,000.

Will people notice it? They'll notice the Renault badge and think "Shouldn't all of these be gone by now?"

Downsides to owning one: It's small and it's French. But there's a support group for Renaults.

Interior smell: Motor oil.

CDs found inside: Alizee, Mylene Farmer, Gigi D'Agostino.

The B10 BiTurbo was actually more powerful than the M5 model from this generation. Need we say more? Jay Ramey

Even though it's still possible to find tidy BMW M5s from the E34 generation, the Alpina B10 BiTurbo made a mockery of the M5 back in the day by offering 355 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque. The B10 was based on the 535i and featured a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six and a Getrag five-speed manual gearbox channelling all that power to the rear wheels. The B10 also featured a thoroughly reworked suspension in addition to interior goodies like Recaro seats and a Momo steering wheel. Just over 500 were built, and a number of them have been making their way into Canada via Japan, where they were bought new. Potentially you won't even have to search for one overseas -- though Canadians will not let them go cheaply.

Why is it cool? The B10 BiTurbo was more powerful than the M5 of the same generation.

Where to find one: Germany, Japan.

What to pay: $20,000-$30,000.

Will people notice it? Only those who know what it is. Otherwise it's just an old 5-series with wheels and stickers to the uninitiated.

Downsides to owning one: Constantly being pestered by offers to buy it.

Interior smell: Success.

CDs found inside: ATB, Paul Oakenfold, Armin van Buuren, Markus Schulz.

Toyota took a small round hatch and made it stand out. Toyota

The Japanese asset bubble of the 1980s, which fueled the production of so many memorable cars, couldn’t last forever. The crash began in 1990; by August of that year, the Nikkei 225 index had cratered to half its peak. Perhaps predicting this massive downturn, Japanese automakers cut back on the number of bonkers (and therefore, desirable) cars flowing out of their factories -- leaving our list of truly weird 1990 classics very sparse indeed.

One that seems to have slipped is the Toyota Sera. The JDM-only Sera -- French for “will be” (think “Que sera, sera”) -- is basically a Tercel topped with a glass bubble instead of a metal roof. That’s weird enough as-is, but it gets even more outrageous when you open up the doors -- they tilt forward and up like those on a LaFerrari or BMW i8.

Despite the hypercar cues, performance for this front-driver can’t have been spectacular; all cars got 1.5-liter inline-four and either a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual. Antilock disc brakes were optional; front discs and rear drums were standard.

Still, the car has a connection to one of the most legendary supercars ever constructed: the McLaren F1. Designer Gordon Murray claims the F1’s upswept doors were cribbed from a Sera that used to park near his house…so the little Toyota has that going for it, at least. Couple that with the fact that you’re about as likely to see one at a cars and coffee as you are an old McLaren, and it will make for a very unusual conversation starter indeed.

Why is it cool? Just look at those doors.

Where to find one: Japan.

What to pay: $3,000-$5,000.

Will people notice it? Not until you open those doors.

Downsides to owning one: Having to tell people five times a day that it's not a new Toyota.

Interior smell: 25-year-old Japanese car interior.

CDs found inside: Faithless, Autechre, KLF.

VW offered an off-road version of the Golf... to just 3,000 lucky buyers. Wikimedia Commons

At the dusk of the MkII Golf era, Volkswagen threw out some crowd pleasers to appease the Norse gods and the fans, one of which happened to be a Vermont truck package applied to a hatchback. It was called the Golf Country, and it offered a jacked-up suspension (to use a technical term) and four-wheel drive along with macho bumpers, a skidplate, and wheel arch trim front and back. Just around 3,000 examples were made. The availability of Subarus of all kinds now make the practical application of the Golf Country to our nation's untamed wilderness a bit moot, but the Volkswagen faithful have thrown their weight behind far more dubious machinery in the past. If any are imported after they become legal, we probably won't see them on the trails in Colorado or Vermont, as they'll be collectors items, but it would still be nice to see a few of these brought in.

Why is it cool? It's a cult classic in Europe.

Where to find one: Germany, Austria, Belgium.

What to pay: $3,000-$8,000.

Will people notice it? Yes, but they'll think it's a conversion done in a garage.

Downsides to owning one: Being mobbed by Volkswagen fanboys and fangirls.

Interior smell: Spilled energy drinks.

CDs found inside: Jean-Michel Jarre, BT, Gabriel & Dresden.

The Forman offered an extra boxy wagon body for the already-boxy Skoda Favorit. Skoda

The Skoda Favorit debuted in 1987 as a boxy but nonetheless important milestone for the storied Czech automaker, featuring exterior styling close to that of the VAZ 2108/2109 and replacing the ancient Estelle as volume seller. Powered by 1.1-liter and 1.3-liter inline-four engines, the Favorit was designed by Bertone and was initially available as a four-door hatch only. But an equally boxy station wagon called the Forman would arrive in 1990, going on sale a year later in the U.K., where Skoda was already a popular marque -- something that the remains of the Rover Group should be embarrassed about to this day.

Why is it cool? It's the last Skoda pre-Volkswagen developed by the Czechoslovakian automaker, and you're guaranteed to have the only one in the country if you import one.

Where to find one: Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia.

What to pay: $1,500-$4,000 should yield a very clean example.

Will people notice it: Only the people who've lived in Eastern Europe.

Downsides to owning one: Being asked if it's a Lada.

Interior smell: Unfiltered Russian cigarettes.

CDs found inside: Oleg Gazmanov, Nikolay Baskov, Leonid Utyosov.

The Caprice was like some American car from a parallel universe. Holden

Full-size sedans were on their way out in the U.S. by the start of the 1990s, but Australia didn't get the memo. In 1990, General Motors' down under Holden division unleashed a new generation of the Holden Statesman and Holden Caprice models onto the roads, as the country had plenty of room to spare. The results were a duo of large sedans with funky wraparound rear windows that made them look like huge Mercury Sables, but in top spec they were powered by a very American (at least in concept) 5.0-liter V8-connected to a four-speed automatic transmission. That V8 produced 221 hp, which was about on par with what other GM engines in U.S.-market cars were squeezing out. The car featured a vast and supremely comfortable interior and all the modern goodies that full-size American sedans were enjoying at this time, like cruise control, a trip computer, and keyless entry. With gas prices headed down under at this moment in time, this duo offers big Aussie V8s just about anyone can afford to feed. The Caprice is the more cushy one; it offers more interior options and leather upholstery.

Why is it cool? It's a V8-powered American luxobarge from a parallel universe.

Where to find one: Just Australia and New Zealand really. They'll be glad you'll be picking one up.

What to pay: $3,000 should get a clean example.

Will people notice it? Yes, but they'll think it's some American barge from the early 1990s, like a Chevrolet Caprice.

Downsides to owning one: None. You'll be a Statesman without even having to take the Foreign Service Exam.

Interior smell: Sun-blasted velour.

CDs found inside: Roxette, Jon Bon Jovi, Gloria Estefan.

The Calibra combined a sleek aerodynamic body with efficient engines. Opel

Created to battle imports from Japan and styled accordingly, the front-wheel drive Opel Calibra arrived in Europe in late 1989 and featured a sleek exterior and an affordable price. Offered with 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter inline-four engines and a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes, the Calibra quickly became one the best sellers in its class. The styling stayed fresh well past the time of its debut, and production numbers for these were on the high side throughout its life.

Why is it cool? It still looks stylish, if not really contemporary.

Where to find one: Germany or U.K., badged as a Vauxhall, if you have to have an RHD example for some reason.

What to pay: $1,500-$5,000.

Will people notice it? Yes, and they'll think it's some kind of Nissan from the mid-1990s.

Downsides to owning one: Opel build quality and rust issues -- these were not expensive cars at the time.

Interior smell: Plastic.

CDs found inside: Ace of Base, 2 Unlimited, Michael Bolton.

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