Mind if hijack your comment to clarify a doubt I have?

In the early 2000's I had an acquantaice move to the US, somewhere in California.

After driving a typical american car for about six months, that person came to Europe, bought a hot hatchback, bolted on it every aftermarket part available for the car, had all the mods approved by the manufacturer and imported it, which awarded them a very high power/low consumption vehicle when compared with the standard american market, and I was told all the money spent was recouped in a few years.

Would this still be valid today?