Here’s Why the R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R Turning 25 Is So Exciting
The R34 Nissan Skyline GT–R, long beloved by car enthusiasts for its sleek looks and stellar engine, is about to hit the quarter-century mark — meaning the R34 is finally old enough to be legally imported to the United States. Many 90s kids remember the R34 from such Y2K–era cultural touchstones as the Fast and the Furious films and the Gran Turismo video game franchise. It's become a dream car staple since making its debut in 1999.
The R34 Has the Kind of Engine Car Enthusiast Dreams Are Made Of
Sporting an RB26DETT engine, this masterfully engineered 2.6–liter twin–turbocharged inline–six generated over 300 horsepower in dyno tests. However, Nissan claimed more modest numbers, 276 horsepower and 260 pound–feet of torque, to discourage street racing.
One aspect of the R34's engine that sparks passion in car lovers is its tuning ability. RB26 engines don't require any internal changes to generate serious tire screeching power. If there's a Mount Rushmore of tuner cars, this baby is on it!
Sporting killer agility with its all-wheel drive and six-speed manual transmission, the R34 can handle corners so smoothly it makes driving purists salivate (and an esteemed automaker fudge their numbers.)
How To Get an R34 GT–R in North America for the First Time
In short, the easiest way to import an R34 into North America is by using established channels (professional importers) like The Import Guys or Japanese Classics LLC. Otherwise, as The Drive points out, one has to sort out everything themselves.
If companies can operate at a profit from handling all the paperwork, shipping, registration, and fees — you know that means they're good at it. And while those services may be expensive, they offer a hassle and headache-free way to get your dream car. Anyone who sees the truckload of legal paperwork that comes with importing a car will be thankful (or wish) that they hired professional importers to handle it all for them.
An important caveat is that import eligibility begins 25 years after each vehicle's date of manufacture, so only some R34 GT–Rs will be legally eligible to import in January. For example, an R34 with a manufacture date of January 1, 1999, will be eligible to import on January 1, 2024; however, an R34 with a manufacture date of June 12, 1999, won't be eligible to import until June 12, 2024.
Anyone looking to procure an R34 GT–R better have a pretty penny to spend because they are expensive vehicles. Their price tags are well over six figures. And then there are all the fees for importing it as well. So, getting a R34 GT–R imported into North America will cost at least hundreds of thousands of dollars. But for anyone looking to live out their Fast and the Furious fantasies, a couple hundred grand is a small price compared to the $1.3 million that late actor Paul Walker's R34 GT–R sold for at auction last May.
