You Can Now Legally Import an R32 GT-R to the US

Ah yes. The beauty of reaching the quarter century mark.

For the past quarter-of-a-century it has been very difficult, if not outright impossible, to import a Nissan Skyline R-32 GT-R to the United States. Something called the US FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards), along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Department of Transportation, meant anxious enthusiasts of the original Godzilla were faced with insane regulations and restrictions.

Those who had the guts to try usually found their beloved R32 GT-R stuck and permanently grounded in a warehouse upon its arrival from Japan. Then there were the outright ballsy few who went as far as importing R32 parts and then reassembling everything stateside. Hard core passions know no bounds. But things are different today, and all for the better. The R32 GT-R was launched in 1989, thus making it 25 years old, the age in which a car originally not approved for sale in the US can be imported legally. It says so in fine print in the Code of Federal Regulations (Title 49, part 591.5(i), if you want to check).

You’ll still need to receive EPA approval, which also requires the car to be completely stock. The sole exception to this is California because it has its own law requiring this classification of car to be at least 38 years old. The other 49 states are good to go. Time to go shopping, anyone?

Source:CarBuzz.com