The model was illegal because it did not pass the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards set under the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act of 1988. This left many Nissan fans of the model very sad for years.

This year, Americans can finally import and register the real deal: In 2024, some R34-generation GT-Rs are now eligible for legal ownership in the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, cars are eligible for import 25 years from their date of manufacture.

More on the Skyline GT-R In the U.S., any car 25 years or older can be brought into the country with exemptions from a range of NHTSA regulations, including emissions. R32 GT-Rs have been legal since 2014. As of January 2021, the 1995 R33 GT-R makes the cut.

This is the fourth generation Skyline that became very popular by the copy "Skyline for Ken and Mary." However, this "2000GT-R" model was manufactured for only 4 months from January to April of 1973 and the total number of manufactured cars was less than 200 due to the stricter emission standards.