While the majority of Americans look for their next vehicle at their local car dealership or online, there are some who spend countless hours to hunt down and import foreign cars that were never sold here in the states, at least legally. Typically these cars were never intended for the American market and as a result didn’t meet our restrictive safety and emissions standards. Some of these hungry customers abide by the law; others attempt to circumvent or outright defy federal regulations to get their hands on their holy grail of autodom.
One of those grails just might finally be legally accessible to enthusiasts and collectors here in the U.S. for the first time in, well, ever. It’s the Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R, the car that birthed the current Nissan GT-R supercar. The R32 has a big cult following not just in Japan but all over the world because of its power, handling, sleek design and, of course, exclusivity. So, if you’re in the market for something that will make Porsche 911 owners green with envy, you’ll want to read on.
First, a bit about the actual car. The current GT-R is, of course, bonkers in all the right ways. But it owes its name and its a legacy of performance to the R32. Nissan brought the Skyline GT-R back in 1989 after a sixteen year hiatus from racing. It was this third-generation car, the R32, that earned the nickname “Godzilla” because of its incredible power and performance. The R32 GT-R’s impressive 2.6-liter twin-turbo, inline-six engine was good for 276 hp and and 266 lb-ft of torque driven to all four wheels. Plus, it had the advantage of four-wheel steering, making it more nimble and tractable.
To give you but a small indication of how good it was, the R32 Skyline GT-R took an astounding 29 straight victories in the Japanese Touring Car Championship. Plus, it just looked damn fine. The long hood, bulging fenders, big spoiler and quad circular taillights provided just enough automotive ferocity while maintaining clean Japanese lines. For all of the aforementioned reasons, it became an icon, coveted just about everywhere.
2014 officially marks the first year you can import the 1989 R32 GT-R and not end up with an empty garage and a pair of cuffs on your wrists.
But the 1989 Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R never met US FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) as regulated by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and DOT (Department of Transportation). Some intrepid R32 GT-R devotees have attempted to circumvent the import restrictions by having the Skyline GT-R (and other banned cars) imported as parts, then reassembled and registered as show cars and driven like every day commuters. These are the nuts who can’t contain their passions, like cigar freaks who clandestinely import shipment after shipment of unbanded Cuban cigars since the legal stuff just won’t cut it. Uncle Sam doesn’t like this, so the violation of import laws is policed pretty heavily — with boy racer dreams coming to an ignominious end by way of confiscation, steep fines and possibly time in the pokey. If only they had waited.