Import · Japan → USA

Importing a Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R to the USA

The "Godzilla" that started it all has been legal the longest — and is the value pick of the GT-R family.

By Marcus Lane, Vehicle import & export specialist · 7 min read

The R32 was the first GT-R to pass the 25-year line years ago, so the import path is well-trodden and predictable.

Clean, unmodified examples now cost more than thrashed ones did five years ago — buy on condition, not price.

The full cost breakdown

Plug in your own purchase figure — everything below the vehicle scales only modestly with value. All amounts are researched 2026 estimates in USD.

Estimated landed cost — Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R, Japan → USA, 2026
Vehicle (purchase price)	$42,000
Export agent & auction fees	$1,200
Ocean freight	$2,700
Marine insurance (~1.5%)	$630
2.5% US duty	$1,050
Customs broker & port handling	$830
EPA / DOT entry & compliance paperwork	$300
Inland transport & registration	$1,500
Estimated all-in landed cost	$50,210

Fully DOT/EPA exempt; the main risk is a rough auction car needing mechanical sympathy rather than paperwork.

Cheapest GT-R to import?+

Usually the R32 — eligible longest and lowest entry price of the trio.

Duty?+

2.5% like any passenger car.