--- title: "The R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R Is Finally Legal for U.S. Import in January" description: "The first R34 Skyline GT-Rs rolled off the production line in January 1999. That means they can start being imported to the U.S. next month." date: "2023-12-07" modified: "2023-12-07" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/brace-yourselves-r34-nissan-skyline-gt-rs-become-legal-to-import-next-year" categories: - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Nissan News" --- # The R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R Is Finally Legal for U.S. Import in January ![]() *Nissan* The magic number for many Japanese and European car enthusiasts in the United States is 25. That's the age cars need to be in order to [legally import]() them to the States. And there's one car in particular that's on many enthusiasts' lists, which is about to turn 25 in just a month—the [R34 Skyline GT-R](). There are few cars in history with as much fanfare as the R34 Skyline GT-R and for good reason. It's a brilliant car. It looks incredible, has a sensational engine, out-handled most sports cars of its time, and was made world-famous by the *Fast and Furious* franchise and most Y2K-era racing video games. The R34 GT-R is one of the most desirable cars in the world and, since it was released in 1999, it will begin its import eligibility next year. ![]() *Nissan* Aside from being the car every single '90s kid wanted in *Gran Turismo*, what makes the R34 Skyline GT-R so special? Perhaps its biggest selling point was its engine. The RB26DETT 2.6-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six was considered a masterpiece at the time, and still is. In 1999, Nissan claimed it made 276 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. Of course, there was a well-documented "gentleman's agreement" among Japanese automakers back then to officially advertise their power figures at no more than 276 hp, to promote safety and discourage street racing. Famously, all GT-R's, even the older [R32 generation](), made well over 300 hp when dyno tested. What made the GT-R's brilliant twin-turbo I6 so special, though, was its tuning capability. Owners have made gobs of power from RB26 engines without changing any internals, making it one of the most capable tuner cars of all time. Even without tuning, though, the R34 GT-R was special right off the production line. Its straight-six engine was paired to a six-speed manual, which drove all four wheels. It also came with Nissan's HICAS four-wheel steering system, which made it even sharper and more nimble through corners. ![]() *If getting your hands on any of the roughly 11,500 R34 GT-Rs will be tough, nabbing one of the 199 Midnight Purple III cars should be nigh impossible. Nissan* Unfortunately for most of the world, the Nissan Skyline GT-R was only sold in a few select markets, such as Japan, the UK, Hong Kong, and Australia, making it unobtanium for North American fans. Next year, the floodgates are sure to open. Countless collectors and enthusiasts are going spend big bucks importing GT-Rs. How do you import one? There are a few different methods of importing a Japanese car to the U.S. The easiest of which is to have a credible, experienced import company do it all for you, such as [Japanese Classics LLC]() or [The Import Guys](). They handle everything, from the fees, registration, shipping, and all of the paperwork necessary to get it all done. Of course, you pay for that, but it's much easier than handling it yourself. If you decided to want to DIY your GT-R import, you're going to have to find one—whether it's through a dealer, auction, exporter, or private seller—then hire a custom's broker to handle the mountain of legal paperwork. It's an arduous process than many enthusiasts find unnecessarily difficult, so it's probably best to just use an experienced import company and have them handle it all. ![]() *Nissan* Another important note: not *all* R34 GT-Rs will be legal to import on January 1, 2024. Instead, each individual car's import eligibility begins when its manufacture date reaches 25 years. So if the specific 1999 GT-R you're looking at was built in March, you have to wait until March 2024 to import it. R34 GT-R production began in January of '99, though, so in just a few weeks we'll begin to see the very earliest examples trickle over. Expect to pay top-dollar, too. According to *[Classic.com]()*, the average price for an R34 GT-R is $201,480 and that's right now, before U.S. demand goes through the roof starting next year. Then add the additional import fees. Importing an R34 Skyline GT-R isn't going to be cheap, it isn't going to be easy, and it's going to take some time. But those with the means will surely take on those hurdles to own one of the most legendary performance cars of all time. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()