You're wrong, period.

 

Lol ok.

http://jalopnik.com/here-are-the-fou...uni-1682067632

 

There are a handful (like 3-5) completely legal LHD Evo 7's in the US. They do exist. Just very rare.

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ev...rs-ii-lhd.html
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sa...evo-7-rs2.html

 

So under what pretense were these handful of Evo VIIs allowed to be imported into the US? Yeah sure they were registered within a state, but that does not make it federally legal. If these did not fall under any of those categories listed in the link I posted, then these VIIs are illegal and could be taken away should the feds choose to take action. Just because an illegally imported car is in your possession does not make it legal to own.

 

Evo 7 or any non-US specifically made models are not legal, by letter of the law: no exception here.
However there are few "early"/non-US-specific Evo models "legally" registered.

This "legal" registration spans from using US model VIN, from another vehicle, to at some point registered in some state of US that has had relaxed requirements for any ownership/Vin verification and smog conformance, to other creative solutions.

A 9-Digit JDM VIN is certainly extremely challenging to register or maintain in California, likely elsewhere, which covers RHD cars from Asia.

EU has been using 17 digit VIN like USA, making a LHD - EU bound Evo 5 and on (only handful of pre E5s made for EU with 17 digit vin) at least seemingly confirming to US VIN convention: this makes it less of an issue for a "legally" registered car, even in California, to visit DMV, smog check stations, insure, and more.
With 9 digit VIN getting smogged or insured in California must be an "interesting" experience.

I like the look of E7 front end, but we all know E9 was best CT9A off the showroom floor.
So just to be ever so slightly different an E7 in LHD is special challenge for few.