Originally, the Prince Motor Company produced the Skyline model as its first luxury sedan back in 1957. After a decade, the Nissan Skyline was brought to life in 1966 after the merging of Nissan and Prince Motor. Later on, Nissan released the Nissan GT-R series as a sports car.
Nissan’s new car couldn’t bear any failure in the Japanese Touring Car Championship, winning for four years in a row. Even without following the contests, you could easily tell that the R32 GT-R was the top dog no matter what. It was a beast unleashed from long-time confinement seeking out rivals to beat on the spot. It also achieved the first rank in the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1991 and 1992 and received the nickname “Godzilla” from the Australian motoring publication Wheels.
All these happened while Americans had no clue such a beast existed. This was until 2003 when Paul Walker showed off his Nissan R34 GT-R in “2 Fast 2 Furious” and tantalized American car enthusiasts. But anyone else would fall for it too. At the first sight, the design was nice and fresh, and the handling seemed to be one hell of a kind.
The Nissan Skyline GT-R is privileged with exceptional power, especially the glorious R34 GT-R. It can still compete with the newest American rides, but to have one is not plain sailing.
The True Reason Why It’s Not Allowed In The US
There are so many rumors all over the internet about why the Skyline GT-R series are banned in the US. It might be hard to tell which one is actually true. The most famous one is that R34 GT-R is extremely fast and is able to build up to 1000 bhp and there’s no way American police cars can reach them. But is that really true? It’s time to shed light on this subject and make it clear once and for all.
To put it simply, the Skyline GT-Rs weren’t designed to appear in the US auto market, and Nissan actually had a reason not to do so. The demands for the Skyline GTRs were quite low in America at first. American people tend to purchase from local dealers rather than importing foreign vehicles. But thanks to Paul Walker, the R34 GT-R found its way to Americans’ hearts, and things went into the reverse.
There’s not a single variation of the Skyline GT-Rs that completely complies with the FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations). Some don’t meet safety standards and fail to pass the test. Some do meet the crash standards, but fail to meet the emission tests.
Some years after the Skyline GTR series drew to a close, Nissan continued to manufacture GTRs for all the markets. It didn’t have the Skyline tag, but stayed loyal to its heritage and offered great performance. Nonetheless, owning an original Nissan Skyline GTR remained an unfulfilled dream of the American people.
How Powerful Is A R34 GT-R?
Nissan’s iconic two-door coupe, AWD R34 GT-R had a superb performance. This nimble machine was equipped with a 2.6-liter twin-turbocharged engine that could give around 300 horsepower and 266 lb.-ft. of torque, reaching more than 200 miles per hour on the highway. It’s also well-known for its great handling; some claim that it has the best handling ever.
Before the production of the R34 GT-R, as the fifth generation came to a close, Nissan decided to take it to the next level. The Nissan Skyline GT-R NISMO Z-Tune was the last model which carried a 2.8-liter engine with upgraded turbochargers. It could build up to 500 hp and 400 lb.-ft. of torque, which is still fascinating as we are now in 2021.
Is It Possible To Have A Nissan Skyline GT-R In America Legally?
There’s no problem with driving a Nissan Skyline GTR on private tracks or track strips. Often driving an illegal GTR on highways might not cause any trouble for the owner either. But in some states, like California, police are generally aware of the situation and the public’s extreme inclinations towards driving illegal rides; so you may want to steer away from those conditions.
After all, you can have a legal GTR in the US. To do so, you need to make dozens of necessary modifications to the car, so it’ll be more compatible with the regulations. The good news is that not all of them are required. According to the 25-year rule, there are fewer modifications needed, which minimizes the expanses. However it’s not a golden ticket to paradise since it’ll still be costly, and you might want to think twice about leaving such a car in your garage.