The Curious Case of the Kinda-Legal 'Paul Walker GT-R'
The sketchiest Skyline GT-R of all is up for grabs
Happy Race Day! especially to Croatian race-goers who narrowly missed becoming the meat in a rally car sandwich over the weekend. I promise you’re not ready for the video (Twitter | Instagram).
Here’s a helpful writeup of the incident from our friend Fred Smith at Road & Track, and motorsports mechanic Bozi Tatarevic (another Race Day friend!) provides more context. Appears the brawlers were charged, fined and banned. Better than dead!
Here’s this week’s top story:
The Curious, Murky Case of the ‘Paul Walker’ GT-R
One thing about the Nissan Skyline GT-R — things are almost never what they seem.
The auction house Bonhams will offer a heavily-modified GT-R used in a key Fast And Furious film, and once owned by the late actor Paul Walker, in a single-car sale expected to crest the $1 million mark beginning this Friday.
But with the auction just days away, it’s unclear whether the vaunted GT-R — perhaps the most famous one like it in the world — will be allowed entry into the US.
Now or ever.
There’s no question that the car has a storied history. Brought into the US sometime in the mid-2000s, the GT-R made its way onto the set of Fast And Furious 4 in a starring role. It was then customized and owned by Paul Walker himself.
But by 2009, things had gone south. The company that handled the import, Kaizo Industries, was charged with smuggling, its owner pled guilty, and its cars were seized. Including this one.
Soonafter the ‘Walker GT-R’ was exported to Germany, and resided in a museum for years until Bonhams announced its upcoming sale. Over the course of the five-day auction, it’s expected to attract bids into the millions.
Wait… Why Are Skylines Illegal?
Cars that were never sold in the US originally — like the Japan-only Skyline GT-R — aren’t allowed to enter the country for 25 years. With very few exceptions, that keeps cars like the GT-R out.
The ‘Walker GT-R’ is a 2000 model, so theoretically it becomes legal here some time in 2025. A US buyer could win the auction, hold off for two years, and ship it home.
But here’s the rub: the fact that the car was previously seized and forced to export could keep it out permanently. In other high-profile importing cases, the federal government has kept a “contraband list” of illegal vehicles, preventing them from being properly titled and registered in the future.
The US is believed to have the strictest importing laws of this kind. If the ‘Walker GT-R” buyer keeps the car in any other country, none of this matters. But what if they do try to bring it here?
"Most people I have spoken to have said the 25-year rule is likely to be the one getting the car in," Richard Stafford of Bonhams told me, in an email.
“While I have heard rumours nobody has yet given any evidence that this car could not go back once it hits 25 years old, if correctly titled as the Nissan that it is,” he said.
Calls and emails by Race Day to several federal agencies, including Customs and Border Patrol, were not returned in time to include in this article.
Here’s what works against the car:
It’s not 25 years old yet.
Its previous history could land it on a list of permanently banned vehicles.
Kaizo tampered with the VIN, which can make the car illegal to own.
Regulators may decide to make an example out of the high-profile case.
Here’s what works in the car’s favor:
It’s nearly 25 years old and regulators may decide to let it slide.
As an ultra-famous example it has film and historical significance.
It was marked for export even before its seizure (according to Bonhams).
The rules themselves are murky, unclear and difficult to enforce.
For most GT-R fans, if you’re only going to chase one car in the world, it’s this one. It’s the coveted R34 model in iconic Bayside Blue paint, it’s an FNF movie car, and it’s got movie star pedigree. Its sale is expected to set new precedent for long-term values of this coveted, long-forbidden sports car.
Whether it sells for $1 or $10 million, I’ll be writing about this car and the story of its sale extensively in my upcoming book about Skyline GT-R history, culture and controversy. Stay tuned for more updates as the project continues.
On Your Radar
This weekend I’ll be at The Honda Meet in Lake Elsinore to check out some sick builds. I didn’t grow up a Honda kid like a lot of my friends, so getting my finger on the pulse of this vibrant sub-community has always been a challenge. But I can’t wait to see who comes out, so if you bump into me please say hi! Recaps next week.
And Finally…
The most fun I had on YouTube this week was this video. Sim gamer Jimmy Broadbent built a massive following playing hardcore racing games, but in this video he’s not racing other drivers. He’s racing a flood. It’s a mad dash to escape this giant bowl using sketchy roads and a slow-AF truck. I found myself holding my breath to see if he’d make it. Try for yourself and let me know if you had a panic attack.
Drive hard and be safe. Black Lives Matter.
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