Why are Nissan Skylines illegal in the United States?

Nissan has not imported this car to the U.S. and it is not certified for sale here. First off it is right hand drive. It also does not meet the DOT emissions controls test. It also has not been crash tested and certified by the DOT. Nissan does not import the Skyline although the current Japanese Skyline two-door is the car known as the Infiniti G35 Coupe in America. Parts for this car are non-existent in the U.S. There are a few importers that can sell a legal Skyline in the U.S. but they are very expensive. right hand drive doesn't mean a thing. lots of silvias (S13s) are in the US. same with *some other imports. like a wrx, some rx7s.

Nissan Skyline's are illegal in parts of the USA as for number of reasons 1. The power out of a Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R Nismo is 280 Bhp on the Standard GT-R to 500 Bhp standard on the top of the Range GT-R. not only that they can get a BHP of round and over 1000 BHP 2. Most of the USA police forces cars are unable to keep up with the cars as their cars are mostly rear wheel drive where skylines are four wheel drive. 3. when you have an empty road a nissan skyline will gladly eat the roads with speeds from 155 mph to 200 MPH. pending what you have done to the cars My mate who has moved to america has a Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R Nismo Z-tune and is pushing 900 bhp with a top speed of round 194 mph he has Nos connected but not yet used it as hes never had to use it.

oh and also why the hell would you modify a z-tune which is a 500bhp car fully modfied perfectly for track ? that doesnt make any sense if you knew what you were talking about or if he did then he is ignorant.

I went to russia bought one and i am legally driving it in the U.S.A only because the engine is different and i made some other modifications to it cost me 10 grand but im driving it legally

what do you mean by "the engine is different" and "i made some other modifications to it cost me 10 grand but im driving it legally", because im trying to bring a gtr or gtt to canada and want to know what exactly i need to mod. thnx

i will have to ask my mechanic he did most of the modifications do you have a facebook ???????/

The reasons are gas tank placemnt emissions, and other dot stuff, same reasons why some super exotics are not us allowed ..... porsche 959!

my skyline is legal so :P

OK guys I have I friend named Justin Chirico look him up on YouTube and great has a supra pushing 1300 how and is hoping to get it to 1600 and it's top speed is 234 and it is street legal he drives it all the time to work...

Stupid spell check...lol

im think if u have one you can make it a showcar and get all that stuff and can drive it around legall

I thought infiniti was nissan

Just so you know the GT-R are legal now, and the skyline name is no longer. They dropped it when they released this Generation though its weird to just say GT-R. Go to Nissan USA ( http://www.nissanusa.com/buildyournissan/modelLine/build/2013/GTR ) and you can either order it or you can check availability. So Ya... The afore mentioned comments are outdated.... you will also note there is NO skyline name Anywhere on their site

I think your right as the infiniti is labelled G35 I believe without the skyline anywhere. Kinda sad they dropped the skyline heritage as it doesn't immediately describe the quality and history of your car if your in the US

because they dont stand up to the crash standierds of the us but the gt-s and gtr's made from jan 1st of 1996 to march something of 1998 can be imported from japan to the united states unless the car is 25 and older with no modifications to make it us legal.... im in japan now for 2 years going to bring on back to the states and ive seen so many skylines since iv been here

i was going to get a skyline for my first car but ive found out that its illegal to have one but i think if you modified the body with carbon fiber body front and rear bumber it could pass crash test and if you do fuel injection to move gas tank under car with a little muffler work to make space for it cause it uses 15 gallon tank it would cost alot but maybe could pass carbon fiber is strong so it would pass crash test install newer airbags in passanger driver and back it would run about 7k for the carbon and air bag for the gas tank that that a little time just dont go to any car shop go to a pro who does race cars or custom engine work to get gas tank moved because the tank is connected with fuel injector and fuel regulater i think thats how the r34 is set up that runs about 4k because its not installing performance parts or repairing

i think nissan drop skyline from gtr in the new gtr r35 to make it legal i think

By 2015 or 2020 i forget which year but the R34 will become legal in the US because it will then be a classic car. I was reading up on it and if it becomes a classic car then DOT has no say weather it is legal or not.

The reason a Skyline is illegal is because of NHTSA, DOT, and EPA regulations. There are a few R32's and R34's that were made compliant by MOTOR-EX in the late 90's early 2000's, but the company was shut down for not performing the necessary modifications on the cars. They were also expensive. After they were shut down, the US government banned all importation of the Skyline. Then later they amended this when a company petitioned for the reinstatement of the import doing the needed crash test to find out what modifications were needed. They were given a confidentiality agreement and the only skylines allowed for import are the R33's manufactured between 06/1996 and 07/1998. The only company that can modify these cars is JK TECHNOLOGIES. Another RI (registered importer) can attempt the modifications but with no access to the results from the a fore mentioned company they have to show that the work is up to the standards set by the US.

lol after reading all of these "answers" i saw only about 2 that were really right on with what they were talking about .. i own an r33gtr you want the real scoop on why ??? here it goes ... motorex was a company based out of california .. they imported a handful of r33 gts gts-t's and gtr's and began doing crash tests on them .. they showed the results to the feds and showed them what they were going to modify on the cars to bring them up to safety , and emission standards . and the feds approved their plans .. now with that being said ... motorex started bringing in r32's r33's and r34's and began selling cars to the public for a fat price tag ... the thing is .. is that motorex never brought in and crash tested r32's and r34's .. they used the results of the 33's they crash tested for the 32's and 34's and the fed's found out they were different generations from the r33 they shut down motorex for bringing in and selling cars that had no crash test results .. all r32's and 34's that were already sold were grandfathered in .. the fed's kept 33's eligible for import between march 96 - july 98 .. and are still available to import now.. it has NOTHING to do with how fast they are or any of that .. its strictly because japan has different emission standards and safety standards than the U.S does .. now if you were to buy an r33 between those years .. 1.you would pay for the car and taxes in japan .. 2.pay for the container and freight to have it shipped to your local port .. 3. pay the U.S government 1/3 of the cars value for buying outside of the U.S 4. pay a registered importer to bring the car up to the specs of nhtsa . dot . epa and federal regulations within 120 days of it hitting u.s soil ... parts , labor blah blah blah 5. pay to have the car bonded by both the state you reside in and by the federal government .. 6. after the car is brought up to specs by the R.I you have it inspected by the fed's and they have to sign off and give you the stamp of approval .. 7. then find a company to insure it so you can legally drive on the roads .. and after you spent alllll that money to get it here and get it legal and legit you gonna put just liability on it ? HELL NO but the thing is they cant just go source another federally legal skyline without doing all the steps i just said again.. so there for .. full coverage is somewhere around 1000/month depending on your age and driving record .. 32's and 34's are illegal because no acceptable crash test info was provided ..

Bo, ur right on every point except one, when the feds found out about motorex, they outlawed the importation of ALL skylines the R33 included. it is illegal to bring in ANY Skyline of ANY sort into the US, there is a specific clause regarding them on the feds importation site. So it wouldnt be possible to bring in R33s anymore, even if they were made "US legal"

http://www.nhtsa.gov/search? q=vehicles+eligible+for+import&x=0&y=0 check the first link ... shows all non conforming vehicles that ARE eligible for import .. list was updated march 2011 if you look it shows nissan skyline r33 gts and gtr models .. i own an r33 gtr buddy.. i did my research

okay my link will take you to the search bar .. type in "vehicles eligible for import" .. click the first link and download the pdf file .. scroll down to nissan and see for your self

interestingly it seems you're right....and it seems to be possible to grab R32s and R34s for "show or display" purposes as well according to that manifest. however I would caution that each and every time I have seen a skyline of any model get unloaded at the docks in Ca it has been seized and crushed, and it happens decently often. On the other hand it seems only an RI is eligible to import them, which may have something to do with it

yeah you can grab a 34 or 32 for show/race only purposes .. but if you do that someone will come check your odometer to make sure it doesnt do over like 5,000 miles a year or some figure like that . and yes only R.I's can bring them in but if you go to the NHTSA or whatever's page of listed registered importers there arent any that bring in cars just parts ..

all sorts of retarded.... its like the US has a personal vendetta against skylines....its not like we dont have a ton of other cars coming from places like europe or even other japanese cars that come in, yet for some reason the skyline is so much worse. So I guess if there are no RIs to import cars/trucks....well then it makes sense why all the skylines I see get impounded as soon as they get off the docks. on the other hand in....I think 2014 the 1989 R32s will be considered collectors items and should be able to be brought in without too many problems and without getting totally redone, that is, if the US NHTSA or whatever doesnt put some law into effect to stop it.

oh also on an interesting note, I have a few friends who have skylines, either state titled and they are military (Ca doesnt do state titles so they are state titled in other states) or badged/vinned as nissan 240sx (very illegal). thought it was kinda funny, I have now had 2 friends who have received letters from some branch of the govt. telling them the govt. had been made aware that they owns a skyline (gtst 32 and an gtr34) and to bring it to a state run place of some sort so it can be seized and destroyed and if they dont comply the govt. (dont remember the name of the branch) will be coming to their house to forcefully seize it. as you can guess, they both hid their skylines at a shop...they've had em there for like a bit over 2 years for the first and about a year for the second and neither almost ever take em out. it really shows the lengths that the govt. goes to to get rid of these things. There apparently seems to be some govt. agency in charge of getting rid of these cars....I couldnt believe the govt. would even bother spending money on this but there it is....

What are RIs? and thank you for the info. guys, it's been very informative. i still will do my best to import an R34 I don't care if I have to hide it. I just got to own that car.

by the way Bo, awsome car!

Nissan doesn't make the skyline, (IF YOU WERE GOING TO BUY ONE-atleast the older models, 01 and such), to not interfere with the government YOU CAN GET AN R-34 (WE HAVE ONE), we as in uncle, you have to purchase it from NissanI is the name of the sub-division, as a Kit car, and assemble it here, the motor one, body one, and transmission one, once you do, good luck with insurance

I have a hard on

RI stands for registered importer. There are several to choose from but only one I know of that can bring them in. As far as the guy who said Nissan doesn't make the skyline I don't know what your smoking but your wrong it is a Nissan product. You can purchase a kit car but it will either be a replica or a true skyline that was dismantled and shipped in which is fine unless the government finds out then they will seize the car and crush it. You can currently buy a 6/96-7/98 skyline R-32 and have it shipped in. The company you want to use as an RI is JK Technologies they currently are the only company that has a structural plan on file with the government to do the modifications required. They quoted me $30,000 for the work as long as it passed emissions. You still have to pay for the car plus shipping and all dock fees. Hope this helps.

dude my uncle has one, say what u want, WE imported it, and drive it, R-34....not A replica, and it is known as a Nissan, but on ALL LEGAL DOCUMENTS IT IS A NISSANI, A SUBDIVISION of Nissan, I assure you

Bo is right, JUST PARTS, YOU ASSEMBLE IT YOURSELF: motor in one container, the transmission in one, and shell/body in a third,

The question is is it true Nissan parts or replica parts because every title I've seen ( ill admit that it's not many and are from true full car imports) say Nissan as stated on the car. If so would like the ph# or web address where I can find out cost of import don't mind doing the mechanical work.

yes authentic Nissani is on the paper work, Nissan logos,(just like TRD is a division) trying to figure out how to post the pics for you guys to prove authenticity now

That I know of Nissan is the mother company with infiniti as a luxury brand owned by Nissan which was once Datsun. Also, the motorsports division of Nissan is Nismo. So, it's a bit confusing never heard of Nissani and I am diehard fan of Nissan. I might just do the break down plan and wait until it becomes a classic or just look for an "RI" that's quite cheap which I doubt it. One thing is for sure, if people have them here already im going own one too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNE8wkSN3qs a crappy video someone posted of my uncles (he owns porter and chester) in Branford, Ct. I can find more, i am sure, i drove it before also, left hand manual is different

I belive Nissani is how they pronounce it in japan; however, is you have a link or somehow to contact that company i would appreciate it. So far JK Technologies looks legit.

WAW!!! That's a lot of info; I just sat here and read this whole thread, old, but lots of info. I'm also fascinated with Skylines, particularly the R34s. Reading this makes me realize that it's practically impossible for me to own one right now, unless I invest all my money into it. As Cyril said, it would seem the US has some personal vendetta against it. I mean c'mon, impounding and crushing it!? :-(( I would cry if i witnessed that. Maybe one day i'll transfer to Japan where I can finally own one with no worries (military). But until then, I've got my baby, an 04 G35 Coupe that I like very much. Don't have a skyline yet, but I'm riding her cousin ;-) in the mean while.

Hey guys, I am in Japan right now in the military. The only way right now to get a Skyline out of here is if they are 25 years or older. Everybody here is buying there 89's for at least $10,000. I actually see one 83 for $16,000. I own a 96, I pay $5,000 or the car and one of the things is that the cars in here are lighter than the ones in the states. I am not paying to modify my to take back to the states I am just enjoying it here and then sale it before I leave.

Now I seen a Nissan GTR R35 in PA,USA. Now tell me that isnt right. Gotta be joking. But we can get the 240sx (S13) and the GT-86 by Toyota and even the Toyota AE-86 Levins here in the USA.

Man, I wanted an R34 but now. Those morons in the FMVSS Crushed my one and only dream of having an awesome car "Government Cracking Down On Nissan Skyline Owners" Those fools love to ruin people's recreation what are they going to do next? Ban LEGO toys? Looks like I'd have to settle for a 350Z or a 240SX

With all this being said I own both an r32 and an r34 v-spec II the paper work sucks to have it done cost a crap load of money for a good one and I get stopped all the time when I drive the r34 not to take it but ask what it is if u have the money and want one of the greatest cars ever built go for it its harder to get the Porsche's 959 than it is the skyline

Just how they are using emissions as an excuse when Japan is far more anal about emissions when U.S have their horrible trucks killing the trees, especially with their turbo diesels. You are better of not get stuck behind one of those they''ll just leave a big o smoke cloud in front of you. Had this happen multiple times and its worse when a cop sees it and don't do anything about it. U.S. is such a hypocrite country, sadly I am from U.S.

Jesse is right while the trucks are cool they have the worst fuel economy

I have the best solution guys. Move to australia. You can get an R33s, 32s starting at $4000-$5000. And it's purely legal.

Nissan GTR with GTR badges in Jackson Tennessee. I know the man who owns it and said he bought it legally.

hey john, your uncles an asshat who cant drive for jack shit. he grinded the fuck out of first gear in an R34 he should swallow an ounce of armed C4

First off no of you really have a clue because its illegal for it emissions that's it. The crash test isn't apart of it. The AWD has nothing to do with it and right hand drive has nothing to do with. There's already over 100 of them in the USA and the have been modified with exhaust equipment to be legal so I bit my thumb at you twits.

I'm just happy i spent an hour reading all of this. I contacted JK Industries in MD and are waiting to begin the process of importing an 96-98 R33. My only question is in regards to the importing. Can you important the vehicle from the UK? I have friends over there looking for me now. I don't know anyone in Japan.

you didnt make any mods. First off with a gtr or a gtt your cant flip shit around and make it okay to drive for only 10 grand! i imported a honda integra type R from japan and it is fully built and im driving it along with my skyline gtr. there is no rule in america that says you can not own and or drive one in the US. sorry kid but you dont own shit and if you do then you did not do mods to it so you can drive it in the US for 10 grand due to that would be stupid pointless and the dumbest thing to ever do. oh by the way the only reason why a car is ever banded is because it is faster then cop cars thats why in japan if you are flying by a cop at more then 190 they wont even bother with you. Its now 2013 cops are faster now. and a stock gtr or gtt is okay to have do to the HP isnt over the max. good luck bud

You can its going to run about 1000 for shipping plus 400 to ship it in carrier

Thanks cr1pton. I keep reading about people getting there cars crushed once they've reached port. How did you get around that with your gtr? Did you mod it before shipping? If so, who did the work and can you send me there info? Much appreciated!

i live in Oregon it came right off the boat. they cant crush it do to you can sue the fuck out of them if they do so. i did nothing to it. it came in stock but now i own one of the fastest cars in Oregon since i built it up. i do all my work on the cars. If you go on youtube you'll see my car. type this in and you'll see you can own one and drive it. this in when i first got it. http://youtu.be/QalnK5mxBj8 oh and by the way america makes skylines look it up its the 2013 and a 2014 one that are fast as fuck

So if I were to want a skyline without spending a butt load of money how would I do it? From what I understand from reading this I have to go through an RI, get it inspected, get whatever needs done to meet standards, and then get it insured, or get one over 25 years old.

That's what I've come to understand though some believe that the additional precautions are not necessary. If I had 60k to spend I'd just by a 2009 GTR. You can find Registered GTR's in this country, their just pricey. I'd rather buy a low mileage unmolested GTR from Japan. Or find one here.

So from what I understand, from carcrusher, is that when I import one I dont have to add the extra precautions. Could you explain that to me? I'm not understanding what you mean by that. If you haven't noticed from my username is im a fan of american, nonimport, cars and im trying to wrap my mind around how to get one. I do like imports though and the skyline is one of my favorites by far.

I'm still waiting to hear back from a lawyer regarding this. I'll let you know as soon as I know

Sorry, having to post some test answers to track down an issue

hahhahah sucks for all of you guys im the us im in canada and next year this car will be legal cuz its 15 years old and im probilly gonna get one:D iv seen a bunch of r32's r33's and r35's only one left is the R34 cant wait:D and if you want one just import it to canada and drive it all u want and you dont even have to make any mods to it.

So can someone tell me how much it would cost to get an r33 to the USA

I'm assuming this is a joke. What happened to America's cars? They ended up fat. I loved my '71 camaro,I loved my cousin's '60 Vette and my brother's '68GTO. Lean,tight,uncomfortable cars that were exciting to jump into and drive. American muscle turned into 'American Plush-Velour' very soon after. You need to test-drive a new Porsche or Cadillac and re-orient your mind-set. A new Porsche Panemera is a 4-door Vette,with decent gas mileage,and nicer smells.

I have a 2001 Infiniti G20 sedan. Is this car a 4-door Skyline? I like my car,but it's super-wimpy. I constantly make sure the 'handbrake' isn't on! Can this be upgraded to Skyline Status ?

I did some research and it says it illegal for the emissions?!?!? COME ON!!!!!!! I Mean the country is already polluted enough by other cars

G20 is a maxima. And there are definatly ways to get a skyline. Money talks

There is a R34 GT-R V Spec for sale in CT http:// www.dupontregistry.com/autos/ search/DRauSearchDetails.aspx? itemid=1555559 not sure if it's legit but it looks worth looking into if you're looking for one. Also there is this page on Facebook for a company that will import R32's or older from Japan. I'll post that link as well once I find the page again

its the older model GTRs they wont let drive in the USA. I live in the middle of the US and i see 2008+ GTRs on the road all the time! They are safer than most american cars and handle better with AWD. Only reason on the older ones is safety they say. but once you pay an import company $50k-80k you might get it on the road. first it was the clear lenses but then they chance it to something else. They can do over 200 mph on pump gas this could be another "reason" they wont allow them. But they allowed the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT that killed Paul walker and Rodas. now those are a death trap! So f*&$^ the NHTSA !

i found a skyline in tucson az. http://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/4241691871.html

Wow that thing is sick!!

so i can get one imported and thru customs if its only for off road purposes such as track show or race with out doing a thing to it?

So could anyone tell me if they'll ever be legal in the US ir if there's any way there could be one in the US legally

" So could anyone tell me if they'll ever be legal in the US ir if there's any way there could be one in the US legally" As long as it is at least 25 years old or a MotoRex Skyline. Check out Nostalgia Imports. They are selling 1989 R32 GTS-T's and in March will start doing preorders for 1989 R32 GTR's

About their crash worthness, I watch a driver lose it on the Road Atlanta straightaway last summer. He apparently saw the open road ahead and came on too fast. He lost traction and veered into the inside wall. The car then tumbled for 4 or five times kinda end over end with a couople of rolls thrown in. When all the dust settled the car was a lot shorter. It was quite a while before he raised is hand out of the window but he walked away, unhurt. My son who instructs for the Porsche club said the Skyline was new but didn't know much else. The track oas open for timeed laps and my son was giving his mother a thrilling ride. He was just behind the Nissan and came up for a close view. His mother hasn't said much about a second ride.

I personally own a 2013 Nissan GTR R-35 and I'm very happy with it. But I really love the R-34. But the R-35 will have to do... for now

For those of you who don't seem to know much about this, the NHTSA has a 25 year exemption on imported cars. This means that any JDM car that is 25 years old or older can be legally imported into the U.S without having to be modified for emissions are safety regs. This includes the Skylines. As of now the 1989 R32 is now able to be legally imported into the States. So in 5 more years, the R34's will be available for legal import into the States

Full list of all exceptions http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/sdlist040109.pdf

The skyline is not illegal in Michigan this also includes the Nissan GTR because Michigan has just got a gtr where I live I have seen it so they now allowing to be used

I own a towing company in Southern California and work with a police agency that impounded quite a few Skylines. I have court orders to crush...yes, crush every one of them as they are illegal here in the us. I am aloud to sell various "parts" off of them before they are destroyed. If anyone is interested in buying parts, please contact me by email at Archiestow@aol.com

Hello guys I want to buy a skyline but I don't understand the regulations on having one , and I live in California please someone help, that's the car

Iam lookin for a nissan skyline r32 gtr anyone know where i can find one

@ MarioandFawn The Skyline R32 GTR is not legal for import into the U.S until 2015 unless you're willing to fill out some crazy ass paper work and only want to drive it a limited amount of miles per year for the next year. You can however get the R32 GTS-T legally imported with minimal paper work if you have the cash to throw down on one. I suggest you hit up Nostalgia Imports. They specialize in importing U.S legal JDM cars into the States

Shit i am going to get that car no matter what, and you could get the car from japan

There are three Nissan skylines that travel through Everett and Marysville Washington , they are not illegal , yes you do have to mod them to state specs but regardless they will beat any police cruiser , my hatch back honda civic si would wail on the skyline 235 ft pounds of torque , a Jackson racing super charger pushing 50 pnds in each gear , 540 racecar fuel rail , 10 to 1 dc heads , bored out k20a4 with corvette pistons and duel hks glass pack exhaust my Honda Does 235 and is registered as the fastest hatchback on this side of the mountain and only paid 30000

And that's without nos , best of luck to all skyline searching friends and when you get one take it to the track and test It's g force before you racing around so you don't pass out !! Much love to all skyline lovers !! 8pack81 out

When i was 16 and crazy as heck about this car i did some research because you could pick one up from japan for about 2-4k usd.. the main issue i found is the car fails emission tests at the time there was only one company that did the test and mods(i believe included a cpu flash, exaust, and a few other thungs) for the car, to include a certificate.. they charged $50k usd...wish i could remember the company name... so that pretty much shot my idea down... but there are(or were when i was looking into this) a couple loop holes. You can have the car dismantled and shipped over as a parts car and rebuilt state side. Im on the east coast and only found a couple shops that had actual experience rebuilding these cars(in florida area) i would assume the west/midwest may have more options... the other is as a show car which is stingent on the standards and i think if i recall correctly you are only aloud to drive a show car on the road for very minimal miles a year maybe 2000mi(dont quote me).. other prices to factor in are shiping and dismantling/rebuild cost.. or if you can throw cash for the EMISSIONS test...it really had nothing nor said anything about a crash test, it was strictly emissions.i still know plenty of classic cars(now classics*) with just waist seatbelts and no airbags that get driven on the road..install a roll cage; tests passed yay! (not sure why you would supe this car up and not install ine anyway) .. this all was found by me maybe 10 years ago now.

I just want the motor and tranny... can you smell a sleeper ^.^

John awd cars are slower then rwd... yea itll launch better but the top end is going to be severely limited on an awd vehicle. Also not all skylines are awd, some are rwd.

Ok so yall are the so called car gurus... in this whole thread there are like 2-3 people who actually know their topic.... 1. The R32 & R34 are able go be imported but you have to have an RI petition for the right to import them which can take quite a while... 2. On the NHTSA website you can look and find out you can legally import a R33 as long as it was manufactured between 1/ 1996-8/1998. yes there is a 25 year exception but it doesnt mean that the R32/R34 you are trying to import will be available that quickly... Think about it the R34 ran from 7/98 through the release of the R35 which is still a skyline just without the badge to say it is... Its base dc off the same chasis. 3rd and final point is to jeff who says and I quote "Not all skylines are awd, some are rwd." Your statement is only partially true. All skylines from the R32 up were & are manufactured as awd... You will see rwd skylines yeah but they are converted to rwd. And you made one other comment that isnt true at all... RWD cars are necessarily faster than awd cars. Look at the the 2005 subaru impreza sti as purchased off the show room floor would stay door to door with any stock corvette of the same year through the 1/4 mile. The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 super sport is the fastest street car in the world, and guess what? Its awd!!! Do your research so you dont come across as an idiot. And for everyone in here its not just the skyline. The united states and canada have some of the strictest rules for what the will import and allow on the streets. The silvia isnt allowed either nor are many other vehicles strictly because of issues with the safety equipment or emissions. It has nothing to do with a vendetta against certain cars or there respective hp or top speed. chevrolet and ford both have production cars with 500+ hp the ZL1 camaro is rated at 550bhp the ZR1 and now the stingray corvette is rated at 650bhp. For has the gt 500 with 3 different variations rated at 500, 750, 850bhp... And each of these cars if tuned properly (or in some cases factory) are 200+mph cars... So before you argue your points like you have in this thread for years please do your homework study the facts and for christ sake answer the question.. There is no car that is truly ILLEGAL to import in to the united states... It is just a huge hassel to do and a beating on your pocket book...

So I'm looking at buying a skyline from a guy that imports them legally. He assures me that he can provide all legal documentation and a title for the car. However, I'm reluctant because I don't want it seized. What should I do?

If you are in the us only a REGISTERED IMPORTER can legally import a vehicle from another country. My advice would be to ask which RI he has been or is using go to the nhtsa website... On there they show all listed ris in the country including the ones that have lost their licenses...1. Do your research on the vehicle 2. Look over all the documents before you hand over a single penny... And finally if you have the money to do it run the vin through your states dmv... It will tell you if it has been registered in the us before... Even a forgein car once in the sates is given a new vin and is immediately traceable through the government.

Ok, I know he's a registered importer and has a car dealership. They have be selling for 6 years. He has more than just skylines there, they have other nissans and Mercedes, BMW, Toyota. I just don't wanna be duped and have my skyline seized and be out that money. He assured me that he's been selling these cars for years and showed me pictures of his clients vehicles. It's a GTT model with the rb25 motor. Is there anything else that I need to look out for? It still has the JDM VIN number but he sent it to me.

Best thing to do is if your going to buy it have him provide the documents ahowing that the nhtsa epa and the dot have approved it being here for use on the road.... If its an R33 manufactured between 1/ 96 & 6/98 or if its 25 yrs old or oldef its already approved therefore there wouldnt be documentation like that...

2001 R34 GTT

It would come with a title, with my name and everything with it. He said that the paper work takes about 2-3 weeks and it's like a 2000 processing fee. Only thing was that getting it insured. Because it's registered as a JDM vehicle. I would only be allowed to put a certain amount of mileage a year.

Nope that would be for a show car.. I just looked on the nhtsa site and the 2001 skyline R34 GT-T is not eligible for importaion for show or display... I dont know anything about the dealer himself... But im just letting you know what I just found out... Sorry. if you would like to see for your self go to this site http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/ import/ Then click on approved/disapproved vehicles... It will download a pdf file the will list the cars eligible for import for show.... On the first page there are many links to find out what you would have to do to get it legal on the street... And maybe with the given vin you could contact them directly to figure this out further

Thank you for the information.

After 2015 How much would it be to bring one from Japan and buy it? How much would it to get it? Trying to get the skyline r34

BULLSHIT the car is not illegal in the USA. The reasons Nissan never brought the car over to the USA is 1. The 350z has always been Nissans #1selling sports car in the USA and it would kill the 350z. 2 Americans would not pay Porsche $$$ for a Nissan. The Skyline is Nissans Supercar you can get a Skyline in America but you must register it as a KITCAR and you must change some emmision parts to pass inspection which are availavle in Canada. Dont confuse the new GTR the GTR is not a Skyline our Skyline is the Infinity G series 35 & 37s now they are the Q series . The GTR is its own car nissan registered the GTR badge as thier own name now so go buy a Skyline if you want but you are gonna pay between $15,000- $30,000 for it which I believe is well worth it. I worked in the automotive buisness side for 10yrs and I got my info from a nissan excuetive that I did work with thats the reason the car never came to America cuz of the price but now since Fast&Furious movies made the car known in america nissan decided to bring the GTR over here which was not intended at all but supply and demand made the GTR possible in America and the movie also I know many peopke who own Skylines legally in America it all depends on the state that will let you register it as a KITCAR. What my friends did was put a 350z motor init so it can pass inspection then swapped back the original motor in it.

http://www2.nissan.co.jp/SKYLINEC OUPE/index_sp.html the skyline still exist just translate to english

K, hahaha, I'm trying very hard not to laugh at the last comment. It's said like the the skyline and gt-r are one in the same. Special hint..... There not. Also hehe bare with me, fast and furious did not make the sky line famous or the gt-r they are both extremely coveted cars have been for years.. that being said supply and demand what ??? The gt-r was made for US by design and only in automatic. Oh, and let's not forget it's price that they didn't sell Em here? Really dude so let me know which of these execs. You worked with so I can stay as far away from him as possible cuz .... well cuz i lostmy shovel trying to dig through that load of s***. Just saying it was because dot regulations and emissions and crash tests on that not the r32 is actually legal to buy now in the us well buy and sell insurance isn't insane and right hand side drive manual spec v twin turbo the whole shibang. Now for my question I am looking to buy a r33 or a 1999 r34 wrecked or salvage title not drive on the roads but for a project car and for the track where can I buy in US not outside of country

I precisely think that not having a skyline on some parts of the United States is stupid cause there are faster cars that will go way more than 200mph like the Hennessy venom gt an that shit goes close to 300mph while the skyline goes almost 200mph and why dont they just crash prove it and fix the dot shit thing just to make a beautiful fast car not go to waste

Defiantly not a kit car, yes its legal and registered in Washington state. I have two more other than this one.

1989 Nissan skyline

@bigluke67 check out "Alex supra" on Facebook that's who got me my skyline. 1997 Nissan Skyline r33 GTR vspec

Idk why would anyone think GTRs are illegal because of it's top speed. A cop car isn't even faster than a Dodge Viper or Modded up Civic (Not body kits inb4 ricers gets excited). Their Radios are faster though. They're illegal because emissions and crash test failed. My question is to everyone...How the hell is a GTR illegal when crashing in a smart car ends in a real bad result?! It's obvious they're outlawing Skyline because they aren't making money from it.

I saw 2 legally registered skyline's at a car meet in Boston about a month ago. They don't pass certain parts of inspection but if they are 20 years old, they don't have to pass certain ones to be legal.

Just buy a Challenger SRT Hellcat and spend all the time you saved with your friends and family. Enjoy them while you can. One day you will miss them.

@cargurusadmin Not everyone like Challengers. Might aswell buy any car for that matters to spend time with. But the main question is why are GTR Skyline illegal.

No, the main question is why does anyone care when there are so many other things out there that are so much better and so much less hassle to own.

Guys these cars are great, I own one manufacture yr 2004 (skyline 250 GT). It's luxury,comfortable and high performance car, when you have it u'll never regret. Of cause fuel consumption is somehow high.

thats good and how much do u have to pay to bring one to texas, united states

First off they are illegal in all parts of the US for road use that is unless they are those small few that were brought over by Motorex and made legal. 1.true 2.is bullshit because a lot of cars in america can out run a cop and it doesnt have to do with it being awd so that reason is thrown out the window. 3. is true but a lot of cars can go over 155mph anyway so that reason is also thrown out the window The only two reasons that they dont have the Skyline in the USA is because of the DOT laws and regulations. Doesnt pass the crash test or emission standards. The front and rear bumpers arent reinforced enough for US DOT standards. and i doubt your friend was one of the lucky millionaires/companies to buy the Z-Tune before it even came out.(Only 20 were ever made) Unless he bought it off some stupid guy wanted to get rid of it. and not to rant a give you shit but why would he put it on the bottle ? Dont you think that is useless and for people that are to lazy to mod out a turbo set up?

not sure how true it is, but heard a rumor that general motors had a part in "toughening" the crash standards to make the gtr not meet standard. something about threat to domestic sports cars sales that corvette was rocking at the time. as for outrunning cops yeah thats a shit answer, veyron is awd out runs ops, and is legal, so are porsche. the crash standards IS why they dont come in, because the new GTR although not a skyline wass designed for sale in us, is awd, is a 200mph car stock, and can be purchased at your local nissan dealer

Skylines are legal even the older ones they had to if they new in Japan that the customers are in the US ordering them they modified them in the factory in Japan to the US specs be foothey

Be for they shipped it to the US

Infinity is part of Nissan they are the high end of Nissan sorry it's not Nissan Toyota it was Nissan, infintity, Dotson. What I was thinking when I said Toyota I was thinking of Toyota Scion

They dont modify anything.... they sure as shit didnt retool their whole assembly line every time someone wanted a US spec vehicle lmao. They are illegal for emissions and safety reasons. Once the vehicle is 25 years old you can import it under classic car, or you can import newer ones as show car status but you can only drive it like 1000 miles a year. The GTR is NOT a skyline and never will be, this vehicle was designed for north american market, that is why they sell it here.

maybe, your age is under 25..that is illegal to you driving any car with high speed turbo we loved car

Because too much racers drive this car... http://prettymotors.com/2014/12/17/why-nissan-skyline-gt-r-series-are- illegal-in-usa/

Just so everyone knows. California has more specific rules . It's 38 years instead of 25 years. But, I do believe it's the only state that's like that...

r skylines illegal or not cuz i am getting one for my bday but i don't want to like go to jail unless i am street racing

Is this like the 1940s or something? I cannot believe someone would actually use the excuse that there are difficulties because they can outrun a cop car? Not real difficult to own something that will outrun a cop car. They have radios and if they want you bad enough they will get you. The only reason I'm even reading these posts is because I know very little about these cars, But just saw someone on Facebook show what they called a Skyline being filmed by another car next to it, downshift (sounded like an auto) and basically disappear into the night. Was a very impressive display to say the least

OK you guys are about to get schooled by a 15 year old skylines aren't legal because of 1 crash test 4/ safety regulations as how many foreign cars have a us spec model the other reason is it doesn't meet us emissions standard which is bullshit now if you were Bill Gates u could pay to have your gtr skyline legal as he did with his 959 ( rich bastard ) but there is a law stating that if less than 500 models have been made of that model but this doesn't apply for gtr skylines it has nothing to do with it being a rhd although they have a bunch of inconveniences with it . anyone who said otherwise is a dumbass I the r34 will be legal in late 2024 and 2025 ( lucky for me ) my suggestion to you order skyline in late 2024 so that it will be shipped in 2025 therefore making it street legal while as it won't clear out your bank account

The Nissan GT-R is a 2-door 2+2 luxury coupe produced by Nissan and unveiled in 2007. It is the successor to the Nissan Skyline GT-R although no longer part of the Skyline range itself.This makes the GTRThe Nissan GT-R is a 2-door 2+2 luxury coupe produced by Nissan and unveiled in 2007. It is the successor to the Nissan Skyline GT-R although no longer part of the Skyline range itself.This makes the GT-R R34 Skyline the last official gtr skyline .Because of the GT-R's heritage, the chassis code for the all-new version has been called CBA-R35, or 'R35' for short (where CBA is the prefix for emission standard), carrying on the naming trend from previous Skyline GT-R generations. The GT-R has also retained its Skyline predecessor's nickname Godzilla, given to it by the Australian motoring publication Wheels in its July 1989. The Skyline GT-R was never manufactured outside of Japan, and the sole export markets were Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand, in 1991, and the UK (in 1997, thanks to the Single Vehicle Approval scheme) as used Japanese imports. Despite this, the car has become an iconic sports car, including in countries from the Western World (mainly the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, Canada, and the United States). It has become notable through pop culture such as The Fast and the Furious series, Initial D, Shakotan Boogie, Wangan Midnight, and Gran Turismo. The car was named at the time by BBC's Top Gear as the only true Japanese contribution in the line of supercars,and by Jeremy Clarkson as one of the best cars in the world. Throughout its lifetime, various special editions containing additional performance-enhancing modifications, were released by Nissan and its performance division NISMO (NISsan MOtorsport).

The day the r34 becomes available is the day Nissan makes $$$$$$$$$

Because of the 25 year rule skyline r32's are legal. The skyline r33 manufactured between 6/96- 12/98 are legal. Don't believe me check out my profile picture, I own a 1997 Skyline R33 GTR Vspec and I live here in the states. There is some paperwork that needs to be submitted but after that the government issues you a title. (Not just for show and display either) The R34 is legal but there is channels that you have to go through. If anyone is looking for a Skyline of any year contact me. They are 100% legal and road safe. They come with a title and I can help you find insurance. Why wait till 2025 to own your dream car now.

@jesse and @tmi1080, you are both full of shit, my dad drives a semi, and im in truck driving school, and ill have you know, that turbo diesel engine, is actually better for the environment than a gas burning car or a hybrid, do some damn research before you try to be a know it all

I have a skyline I drive it everyday to work and to the mall so if it is so illgeal to have why don't I ever get pulled over dummys

The us has a 25 year important law that says that a car has to be at least 25 years old or older the main reason is the JDM vin numbers don't match or " unsafe to drive because never have been crash tested and don't know what will happen if they are able to drive and some other lame ass bull shit

For a a nissan skyline back than if you got it imported to the US they had to make it US approved

Ok I asked my 3rd cusion if a nissan skyline gt-33 was illegal to have in he says since I been a county sheriff for 40 years in 48 states they were legal an now they are legal in Indiana we don't have strict emissions regulations like California an some others I can't remember that is 1 reason I like the state I live in don't matter if good emission or crapy emissions you don't get pulled over or get a violation for it

Can't you just get a auction license in Japan or buy one from a business who specialize in imports? and you/they could just import it to the US. There are plenty of people at "inspection/maintenance shops" who will pass inspection on any car for $100 easy. Shit give him a ride in it he might give you half off lol. And no dumbass cop is going to know what that car is let alone the Emission bullshit etc.. I run straight pipes all day with open wastegates, aint no one complaining, expect my neighbors lol.. aaaannnd the r34 is OBDII so even easier, you might be able to just put a modded firmware or piggyback a separate cpu on/too your ECU and "make it look american safe or whatever" Cops eat donuts and kill black people, they dont know or care about what RB26 is.

why do they say my skyline is legall... because cops cant keep up with me

What years are importable? My email is ricky.frederick@spssailors.org

Where can I find a skyline at

i wish there was gtr nismo,buggta chiron and veyroan,every car in world lol

The r34 is just too good for the Usa :( Just have to wait till its old enough..

Oh yea you can have right hand drive cars in usa

There is an RI for skylines, but it's a 6 figure care easily. However the r34 purple number 1 can not be imported for any occasion. Purple number 2 can be imported with proper licensing stating it's for show purposes only, and and the r34 purple number 3 can be imported but has milage restrictions on it. A group in florida imported 4 purple skyline r34's with nismo and regular styles previously and the person importing stated very clearly that the cars are limited due to limited production, and being crashed. As for r32s and r33s, I am unsure. However all skylines are banned here, I tried to bring in my 95 r33 from Canada and checked prior to doing so, and was I formed I wouldn't be able to insure it, license it, or allowed to drive it. They stated it would be a very expensive lawn ornament. I do believe that there are 6 states that do allow them last I checked, california, Washington, Michigan, Florida, Texas, and New York was on the list but this was years ago so it could have changed since then. Also I have found that in some states it's hard to find a licensed GT mechanic which is what the skylines fall under. Was told it cost about $1000.00 per mechanic to get them the GT license and seeing as not it's very rare to sell a car that requires such a mechanic that it's just not worth it. And that was said to me by a nissan dealership in Minneapolis MN. In the long run, purchasing one is not so expensive but can be dangerous depending on who you buy through, the importing, and customs clearance, testing, and licensing however is very spendy. In the end I decided it was easier to keep it in Canada for now. Mostly cause it would cost me a lot to get it past customs, NHTSA, and DOT approved... and then to find a mechanic is impossible here, so I'd be screwed if it broke down... If however anyone truly wants one, there is an exporter that can ship it to you and will hold it for you as well. He does require a deposit I think its like 25% of the cost of the car to hold it till you pay it off then he'll ship it to you, do know he is expensive and will customize it for you as well which will increase the cost as it's no longer the base model. It is a legal licensed importer as well. But I do suggest to thinking on this and do research. Liability alone in some states and even cities can run a minimum of $1000.00 a month, full coverage is even worse. Also note that some states carry laws called absolute laws, and some have laws based upon the style, model, and class of the car. South Carolina being one of these said states. I say this cause penalties can vary and be stiffer due to this car, and some states may even just crush it to be sure it's off the road. Some of the issues with these cars were the lack of governors/rev limiters, lack of a catalytic converter, weak frames, ride height, and in some cases the fact that the drivers wheel was on the opposite side this leading to possible accidents during passing other drivers. Some states if approved may require you to relocate the drivers wheel and pedals which you will have to purchase the kit for it which is expensive enough not to mention the catalytic converter itself running a steep price. May be just easier to get an old 80's carolla and modifying it, or an old 86 civic dx, and swapping it with the 2000's vtec motor and such...

After reading some of these I decided to post again due to I felt I wasn't clear earlier. So to clarify with out all the break down of it all.... you can own anything you want in the US, however you may not be able to get it here... some skylines are restricted for import, but most you can important into the US. Last I checked, only the 1999 skyline GT-R34 V-spec 1, or nismo, also known as purple number 1 is not allowed for import into the US. However, owning it and being able to license insure, and drive it, is a different story. I can easily import mine by just driving it in, but once it's been here for 30 days I have to file a transfer

Phone lagged. As I was saying, I'd have to file for transfer of title with in 30 days. Downside is I can't get it insured, and the only way I can take it down the road is on a trailer to a track which is the only place I could drive it. So you can own one, and you could possibly get it imported, but the odds of you driving it may be limited or restricted. To be fair I would contact your local Highway patrol office as they are the ones who would have to do the testing, and the local insurance companies, along with your states main office for licensing to find out if you can own one, and or drive one... Also check for the closest port on import and customs. Last I checked,which was a few years ago, the ports listed to import skylines were as follows; Washington state, think it was Seattle or Olympia, Florida, detroit michigan, New York New York, california, and I think it was west virginia but could be incorrect.