Fortunately, the demand for the Nissan Skyline is so high that many of them can be found for sale on American soil, and dealerships have sprung up all over the place that specialize in JDM imports. Once they have gone through the importation process, these cars can be purchased and sold in the same manner as any other domestic U.S. vehicle. However, there are a few extra requirements to meet if you wish to bring your own GT-R.
The process is substantially simplified because so many businesses that specialize in JDM are willing to handle the import snafu for you. One of the top importers in the United States at the moment is TopRank Importers, based in Cypress, California. Typically, shipping costs are fixed plus an additional import charge. Where things can become complicated is with this import tariff, as TopRank notes. As the import market for automobiles continues to heat up, the existing import duty rate of 2.5 percent may change.
There is a flat $5,500 price for export from Japan and import into the United States, said Sean Morris, owner of TopRank. Additionally, transportation to their California dealership is included in this set price.
In This Article...
Can a Nissan Skyline be imported into the US?
The NHTSA gave import automobiles older than 25 years of age amnesty in 1998. So even though it doesn’t comply with requirements, you can now import any Nissan Skyline that was manufactured in 1995 or earlier. Only in California are you at risk of problems.
Can you import a skyline legally?
Federal legislation states that these vehicles cannot be imported until they are 25 years old, and this restriction includes the month of manufacturing. Some do manage to get through the cracks and enter the nation, but owners who break the laws run a serious risk of having their vehicles impounded.
What is the price of importing an R32?
Following the lab tests, a number of further payments are ready to take money from your pocket. A tariff tax to the federal government, customs fees, port fees, and the Terminal Handling Charge (THD) that you pay at the arriving port for unloading a container are some of these expenses. You also need to pay processing, filing, and bail fees, so it’s not over yet. If you don’t want the car to end up at the pier covered in dust and spiderwebs, you should hire a customs broker.
Notably, you can also purchase the R32 Nissan GT-R through importers like Toprank Importers, but doing so would cost you over $10,000 (via Donut Media), which may seem excessive for a vehicle that is nearly 25 years old. Federal laws also permit the importation of automobiles that are less than 25 years old, but only if they will be used for show purposes solely and not for actual driving. This may be a simpler option if you only want to acquire a car for your collection.
Can you import an R34 legally?
You’re now posing the proper queries! It turns out that is not just acceptable but also fairly typical. For automobiles intended for track use or for exhibition and storage solely, there has long been a gray area.
Before 2024, an R34 may be brought into the country legally for use on the racetrack only; it cannot be registered or used on public roads, in accordance with NHTSA regulations. To do so, you’ll need the NHTSA’s formal consent and the car’s conversion to track-only use before importing. Once the vehicle reaches the age of 25 it can be modified and registered for use on the road.
Nevertheless, R34s are still driven on American roads today. It has between 280 and 500 horsepower and is capable of 1,000 BHP, which means it can travel at speeds of up to over 200 mph on the highway. Some rebellious drivers in Los Angeles, Miami, and rural Texas regularly drive at these speeds while feigning to be in Mexico.
What is the price of an R34 Skyline?
The Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R example with the chassis number BNR34-006741 is a base model, but it still has all the GT-R features, such as the RB26 DETT, ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive, and more. This is not a V Spec or a M Spec, which begin around $180,000 for a low-mileage model and can reach as high as $500,000 in some cases.
With 103,250 kilometers (64 156 miles) on the clock, this Nissan R34 GT-R is painted in white (paint color QM1). The timing belt, water pump, and spark plugs were replaced as part of a major service performed on the vehicle on March 23, 2017, at a certified Nissan dealer. The vehicle’s odometer read 100,340 kilometers (62,348 miles) at the time.
The automobile has a few nice improvements but is otherwise mainly stock. A full NISMO aero kit, featuring a front aero bumper, side skirts, rear under-spoiler set, carbon pillar garnish, and GT shift knob, is one of the numerous NISMO goodies that are included. A lightweight flywheel, a sports clutch, a clutch cover, and other NISMO components are also available.
In the US, is Skyline R34 legal?
10 Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 V-Spec II is still illegal Unless it’s an import from MotoRex, Gran Turismo and Fast and Furious fans will have to wait until 2024 to legally import the R34 Skyline to the United States because this model is still under the age of 25.
In the US, what skyline is acceptable?
As you can probably tell, we at Drifted are HUGE fans of the Nissan Skyline.
Numerous Skyline guides have already been released, and we’ve seen that there is a lot of misunderstanding regarding their present legal standing in America.
Our supporters have constantly questioned us about the situation, seeking the truth and explanation.
We’ve chosen to produce a comprehensive guide explaining all the fascinating details and responding to the all-too-common query, “Why are Nissan Skylines illegal in the US?” as a result.
Since the F&F brand surely contributed to the Skyline’s rise to become a cult icon in the US, we first brought up the matter and provided some clarity in our Paul Walker Skyline article.
The Fast and the Furious star was without a doubt one of the biggest R34 GT-R aficionados in the US and was also fortunate to have owned and driven several of them in Japan, including the illustrious Mine’s R34 GT-R.
But what if you don’t want to travel to Japan to satisfy your Godzilla craving? What’s holding you back from bringing your own in and becoming a renowned figure in your community on the track or in the streets?
We have some happy news for you! Any vehicle older than 25 years can avoid the absurd US legal system.
This implies that, except for California, where there are some additional obstacles, it is totally legal to import and own a Nissan Skyline R31 or R32 GT-R in the US at the moment.
You can also lawfully import any Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R that was registered before 1995 as of the time this page went online.
However, you’ll have to wait a bit longer if you want to import a Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R, as we’ll discuss in more detail below.
What is the price of shipping a r34 Skyline from Japan?
The price to export and import to the US is $5,500. Transport to our facilities in Cypress, California, is included in this pricing, which is all-inclusive. We cannot guarantee that the current import tariff of 2.5% will remain the same when the car is imported because import tariffs are subject to change.
What does an R32 cost in Japan?
ADVANCED: January 24 On Yahoo! Japan, the R32 GT-R sold for JPY35,471,000, or about AU$434,000.
The sales figure is the winning bid alone, without taking taxes and premiums into account.
The story to here
The R32 GT-R that Skaife drove to victory in the Guia classic support race at the 1991 Macau Grand Prix was constructed by Taisan, according to V8 Sleuth.
While the car currently has the same livery as its 1991 JTCC campaign, its Watson-sponsored outfit for Skaife’s drive in Macau used a completely different white, green, and yellow color scheme.
The R32 driving the Watson’s livery at the 1991 Macau Grand Prix was Skaife.
The contrasts between the Japanese and Australian-built Group A Gibson R32 GT-Rs have been extensively chronicled, primarily because the Gibson vehicles were thought to be faster and far more robust.
“It demonstrated how superior our car was in comparison. The Japanese automobile just wasn’t on the same level, and the difference was significant.
Skaife’s GT-R experienced a mechanical problem on lap 10 of the 30-lap support race in Macau, preventing him from finishing.
The GT-R is one of only two remaining Taisan Group A R32 race vehicles, the other being housed in the Nissan Heritage Collection in Yokohama. The GT-R is still in Japan.
Currently, the Skyline is being auctioned off by the Japanese firm BINGO in collaboration with Yahoo! Japan and the Tokyo Auto Salon, where the vehicle is on exhibit.
Although it currently uses a newer N1-spec RB26DETT in place of the original race engine, the is claimed to still be mainly in original Group A specification from when it raced in 1991.
The GT-R was sold for the highest price of JPY22,728,273, or AU$277,473, and the auction ended on January 23 at 8.30 p.m. (AEDT).
What is the price of importing an R32 GTR from Japan?
The price of a 1989 R32 GT-R in good condition (with mileage that can range from 50k to 180k) is between $15,000 and $20,000, and that’s before importer/broker fees and the several thousand dollars in shipping expenses from an international freight forwarder.
What does a 1999 R34 Skyline cost?
Approximately US$1600 (AU$2000) higher than the previous record, a 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec (R34) sold for US$315,187 (AU$415,000).
The new record-setter was painted “Midnight Purple II” and put up for auction on the Bring A Trailer auto auction website, which is situated in the US.
Because it can only go up to “2500 miles per year” under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) “Show or Display” regulations, this vehicle’s ability to be road registered in the United States of America helped to increase its worth (4000km).
As a result of this decision, only two Nissan R34 Skyline GT-R models are permitted to be registered and driven in the US: any of the 285 M-Spec Nr models or any of the 282 Midnight Purple II versions.
The car that set the record belonged to the first category and was said to be in “original condition” with only 64,000 kilometers on the clock.
A Nissan R34 Skyline GT-R was put up for sale in October of last year with an asking price of US$485,000, or AU$675,000. It seems that the car is still for sale.
In the US, how many R34 Skylines are there?
However, any car that had already received a legalization certificate (despite the fact that Motorex hadn’t bothered with the changes for a while) may still be driven on public roads.
This explains why there are just a few sought-after “Motorex R34 GTRs” in the country. The government was gracious enough to acknowledge that owners had bought these vehicles in good faith and should not be prevented from using them even if they never should have achieved compliance (simply that future imports would be blocked). There are thought to be between 14 and 16 Motorex R34 GTRs in total in the United States, according to the GTR Registry’s list of known examples.