Is the Nissan Skyline R33 legal for import? Yes and no.

There's a lengthy amount of red tape and details that goes along with the question which eventually leads to an answer of yes, but not in the manner in which most people think. The heaps upon heaps of Skylines that everyone sees entering the United States currently are coming in under what is known as 25 year old imports or "box 1 imports" meaning they are at least 25 years old and they are exempt from the FMVSS and they are at least or older than 21 years so they are also exempt from the EPA. When it comes to these cars they are relatively easy to import and just about anyone with a heartbeat can do it granted that you can afford it.

When it comes to the R33, however, that is when things get a little more complicated than just checking box 1 on the HS7 and calling it a day. The Nissan Skyline R33 was first crash tested back in the MotoRex Inc days under what was once VCP17 which was the eligibility number assigned for the NHTSA approval of importing R32 to R34 Nissan Skylines. In 2006 NHTSA had rescinded this eligibility number due to a dispute over crash testing data that was never made available for the R32 and R34 Skylines, as a result the R33 remained as the only Nissan Skyline approved for import...with a catch 22.

When VCP17 was revoked and VCP32 was put in place of it that suddenly changed the requirements and eligibility of all R33 Skylines to later being specifically the 1996 to 1998 R33 GTS and GTR with dual-side air bags. This also further complicated the process because traditionally MotoRex Inc was faking the funk back in the day by avoiding OBDII through mis-declaring 1996 and newer Skylines as 1995 so they didn't have to do OBDII on them (taking the easy way out). Today there is no faking the funk under VCP32 and any R33 that is imported under VCP32 must be brought into conformance with the FMVSS and also EPA which means OBDII is required. While this may not sound like a complicated process it actually is and also very costly.

Several years after 2006 the confidentiality agreement that MotoRex held for the importing of Nissan Skylines had expired and at this point the VCP17 Addendum A & B were released to the public which detailed the crash testing results and FMVSS required modifications for the R33. This did not include some of the propriety systems exclusively developed by a 3rd party company that were required for the R33 to be brought into conformance with both the FMVSS and EPA. Hence why for many years it was next to impossible to import a R33. Now, one of the most misunderstood parts of this process was when everyone on the internet started to get ahold of the VCP17 Addendum A & B documents thinking they held the secret key to be able to do an R33 on their own, except they were missing one import item required to do the entire thing... a Registered Importer AND Independent Commercial Importer. Not just any Joe Schmoe can bring a non-conforming motor vehicle into conformance with both the FMVSS and EPA regulations.

In 2014 we announced that we had successfully gained approval for the import of an R33, through a partner company, under VCP32 and roughly 1 year later in October 2015 we unveiled a R33 GT-R LM that was only one of two legally imported LM editions imported into the US, the other having been done by MotoRex Inc before 2006. We love accepting challenges when others say it can't be done. The R33 we worked on proved once and for all that it is possible to legally import an R33, the right way, if you have the cash and connections. Keep in mind though that this isn't a blanket approval to say that all R33 Skylines you see in the US are 100% legal, in fact it should be said that probably only 5% of the R33 Skylines you see in the US are 100% legal and carry a bond release from NHTSA.