Feds crush a Land Rover Defender to scare illegal importers

On the edges of the car trade live those who try to sneak in vehicles forbidden from these shores due to a lack of safety equipment, emissions controls or both. In years past, this game's biggest target were sports cars like the Nissan Skyline, the predecessor to the GT-R. Under federal rules, any car newer than 25 years old must meet the U.S. standards from its year of birth — or it's contraband.

According to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, dozens of importers have tried to flout those rules in recent months — so much so that the agency held a public crushing of a Land Rover Defender earlier this month to emphasize its crackdown.