The Nissan Skyline GT-R That's Worth Over 5 Times Its Original Cost Now
If you spent any amount of time playing racing games like Gran Turismo in the late 1990s and early 2000s, chances are you became fixated on the Nissan Skyline GT-R. Due to the fact it was never sold in the United States, it acquired an aura of mystery. Add in several appearances in the "Fast and Furious" franchise, and you have a sportscar legend. While it was a relatively simple process (provided you had enough money) to buy other Japanese sportscar legends like the Mark IV Toyota Supra and Honda/Acura NSX, the Skylines were a little more complicated. To import a car into the United States without running afoul of the law, a car has to be at least 25 years old, according to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).
As Skylines age, more and more of them from older model years are showing up to America's shores, with some having thoroughly insane price tags. The car's near-mythical status commands a healthy premium. Some Skyline special editions are so sought after, models go for multiple times the original MSRP at auction, even if the buyer isn't even legally allowed to drive it. One such Nissan is the R34 Skyline GT-R V-Spec.
Automotive mecha-Godzilla
During the summer of last year, a 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec finished in "Midnight Purple" went for $315,187 on Bring a Trailer. Some quick math reveals that a 1999 model-year car is not, in fact, 25 years old. The car was sold under what's called the NHTSA "Show or Display exemption." According to Bring a Trailer, that means that this Skyline can't be driven more than 2,500 miles per year and is subject to approval by the NHTSA before it's bought or sold and before the title is signed over.
This specific Skyline is equipped with a litany of go-fast parts in addition to its twin-turbo 2.6-liter inline six-cylinder engine. Twin-turbo or not, over $300,000 for a car you can barely drive is pretty steep. To put that in perspective, the auction price is over five times its original MSRP of just over $52,000 back in 1999 (via Garage Dreams). That may seem like a huge chunk of cash for some, but to others with the desire to own a hyper-exclusive piece of automotive pop culture history, it's just the cost of doing business.
So what does $300,000 get you?
There are plenty of people happy enough to drop more money than the average cost of a house on a vehicle they can't legally drive between New York and Los Angeles — but what is that money actually getting you? On the face of it, you have an iconic machine that is firmly embedded in pop culture. But there are plenty of those around. What sets the Skyline apart from a 1968 Mustang or a 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is its scarcity. Even with the exemption, there really aren't many of them in the United States. Given the effort and expense involved in getting them here, it isn't likely to change either. But what about the Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec itself?
Under the hood is a 2.6 liter straight six engine capable of pumping out 276 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque if left at the factory specs (via Bring A Trailer). The Skyline also benefits from the ATTESA all-wheel-drive system, meaning those behind the wheel will benefit from increased traction in all conditions. While there may be a limit on the number of miles you can drive a Skyline on a show or display exemption — a good number of American drivers may require a few more lessons before they can even get it out of their driveway. The vehicle is fitted with a six-speed manual transmission, meaning those who can't comfortably operate a stick shift will struggle. The car was also a bit ahead of its time, making use of materials like carbon fiber and aluminum to shed weight and make that 276 horsepower stretch a little further.
There are far more expensive cars
While $300,000 may sound like an awful lot to the vast majority of people, in the collectible car market it really isn't much at all. A Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio cost over 11 times that when the only six examples of the vehicle in the world were auctioned in 2013. While none are currently for sale, the prestige Ferraris tend to carry coupled with the scarcity of the Pininfarina Sergio means you would likely have to pay a lot more than $3.5 million to get one in your driveway now.
Vehicles don't have to be part of an extremely limited run to be ridiculously expensive. The 2016 Ford GT cost around half a million dollars new, and there were far more than six of them built. Despite not being hyper-limited, the second-generation GTs were still pretty hard to get hold of and remain very desirable. WWE superstar John Cena managed to flip his for more than three times what he paid for it in 2017. Unfortunately for Cena, the quick sale violated an anti-flipping clause Ford put in the contract he signed when the vehicle was purchased. Ford sued the wrestler, and the parties settled out of court with Cena issuing an apology and agreeing to give all of the profit he made from the sale to charity. As for the most expensive vehicle ever sold, that had a price tag that would make a good number of billionaires wince. Earlier this year, a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe sold for a staggering $142,668,000. The 300 SLR makes limited Ferraris look common. Only nine were built, with two going to chief designer Rudolf Uhlenhaut. One is in the Mercedes Museum, while the other is in a very rich individual's private collection.