2001 Nissan Skyline GT-R V Spec-II For Sale Beats the 25-Year Import Law
It holds the "holy grail" designation by most every import enthusiast's wish list and even raises the eyebrow of a substantial number of those that don't usually dabble in Japanese cars. Serving as the most popular model of the legendary Nissan Skyline family, this 2001 V-Spec II takes the drool-factor up quite a few notches and is being made available through Mecum Auto Auctions' Monterey visit from August 18-20.
The Paul Walker/Fast & Furious Connection
If this R34 looks familiar with its gold and black decals and matte bronze TE37, Mecum states that this vehicle was used as a demo car to promote various Fast and Furious movies and was in the care of the late Paul Walker for an extended amount of time. The late actor reportedly racked up around 18,000 miles on the car. In addition, it was also used in BF Goodrich ads around the same time.
Wait just a minute; a 2001 Skyline is too young to meet the federal government's 25-year import law, which forbids any Japanese (or other foreign market) vehicle manufactured less than two and a half decades ago to legally hit U.S. streets, right? That's what makes this example so unique. Given a pardon by the U.S. Government, its lucky new owner can take pride in the fact that their street legal R34 is able to hit their local freeways about four years earlier than the 2026 import law target date.
Shady Times
Registered as a 1999 model, its pardon is a bit of a shock given the cars burry past. A deep dive by the EPA and Los Angeles Sheriff's office zeroed in on importer Motorex, which was importing Nissan Skylines for eager customers in the 2000s. The service included sourcing the vehicle from overseas, physically importing it, taking care of the paperwork, and using an experienced third party to help meet crash and emissions guidelines to legalize a number of vehicles.
Those guidelines included lowering the crash bars inside the Skyline's doors, adding multiple catalytic converters, and even more to satisfy the Department of Transportation's specifications. A multi-faceted series of events, the process was both lengthy and costly and took its toll on the business, as the owner was importing cars and collecting customer money much faster than the vehicles were being cleared and delivered to their new owners.
A snowball effect resulted, exacerbated by what employees would refer to as excessive partying and a lavish lifestyle that left many without the car's they paid for. Add to that a theft report filed by Motorex that claimed multiple vehicles (for some reason left outside overnight) has been mysteriously stolen, and authorities began taking a closer look.
What was uncovered included critical legal processes being skipped entirely and even in the face of speculation, undocumented Skylines steadily increased. That is, until the D.O.T. put a stop to importing pre-and-post 1996-99 Nissan Skylines entirely, while Motorex had its importer status pulled. A series of events, including physical assault, court hearings, jail time, the federal impounding of illegal vehicles, and so much more added to the tangled story of the Motorex fallout.
Miraculously, a handful of R34 Skyline GT-R that Motorex had imported actually received the Governments pardon and were granted bond release on the condition that they were made NHTSA and D.O.T. compliant - like this one now being offered by Mecum.
Mildly Upgraded
This is number 672 of 1,855 V-Spec IIs ever produced, and aside from its time in the spotlight with Paul Walker and appearing in print ads, it also has some choice modifications on board. The original 2.6L I-6 and 6-speed transmission remain inside the Bayside Blue model, updated with Nismo carbon fiber intakes, a GReddy intake manifold, radiator, and Trust exhaust. GReddy also gave the car a once-over, performing a complete tune up recently.
Along with the 2000s-era graphics, the R34 was lowered with Tein coilovers complete with adjustable EDFC and TE37 Saga wheels were added. The cabin remains almost entirely original, the only notable additions being an ancient Momo Apache steering wheel and Sparco harnesses. Meticulously maintained, the car is in incredible condition both inside and out and estimated to fetch somewhere in the neighborhood of $750,000-$850,000 during Mecum Auctions' Monterey visit later this week.
Given its history and exclusive status, it's probably worth every penny.
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