Few JDM cars carry more weight with US enthusiasts than the R34 Skyline GT-R, and the V-Spec II is the trim most people picture when they say "R34." But "R34s are legal now" is not quite true, and it won't be fully true for a while yet — eligibility runs car by car, on each individual build date, not on the model as a whole.

The rule: month of manufacture, not model year

The US 25-year import exemption (49 USC §30112(b)(9)) is administered by NHTSA and calculated from the date of manufacture stamped on the vehicle's compliance plate — not the Japanese model year, and not the date it was first registered or sold. A car built in April 2001 becomes exempt from Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards in April 2026; a car built in October 2001 doesn't clear that bar until October 2026. The EPA's separate emissions exemption kicks in earlier (21 years), so by the time an R34 is old enough for NHTSA, it has already cleared EPA too — but state-level registration rules are a separate question buyers still need to check for their own state.

Where the V-Spec II sits on the calendar

Nissan released the V-Spec II trim in October 2000, as an update to the original V-Spec with a carbon-fiber hood, NACA duct, aluminum pedals, and other track-focused tweaks over the RB26DETT-powered GT-R base car. Because that release predates 2001, some V-Spec IIs are technically 2000-built cars that already cleared the 25-year line in late 2025. But the bulk of V-Spec II production that JDM Insider Japan's import calendar tracks for 2026 is the 2001 model year: those cars begin turning 25 at the very start of 2026, each on its own individual build-month anniversary, and continue clearing the line through the rest of the year as later-2001 builds catch up.

A distinct grade worth knowing about: Nissan released the M-Spec in May 2001 — a V-Spec II-based trim with Ripple Control dampers, a stiffer rear anti-roll bar, and a leather interior with heated seats in place of the carbon hood. M-Spec examples follow the same rule but start their eligibility window later, from May 2026, because none were built before that release date. Don't confuse either of these with the V-Spec II Nür or M-Spec Nür, both released in 2002 with the uprated N1 engine block — those don't clear the 25-year line until 2027, a full model-year behind the cars covered here.

How to verify a specific car's build date

The R34's badge, and even its Japanese registration paperwork, won't tell you the exact manufacture month on their own. What matters is the compliance/data plate — typically on the driver's door jamb — stamping the factory build date, which is the figure US Customs and Border Protection cross-checks against the Japanese export certificate and VIN at the port. Given how much value separates a "just turned 25" R34 from one still a few months short, get that plate date confirmed — ideally photographed — before wiring any money to a seller, broker, or importer, and don't rely solely on the "01" in a chassis number or a dealer's listing description.

What a V-Spec II actually costs right now

R34 GT-Rs are firmly in collector territory and prices vary enormously by trim, mileage, and originality. Recent English-language auction results for 2001 V-Spec IIs have ranged from roughly $109,500 at the low end up to an average in the low $200,000s, with exceptional low-mileage or documented cars pushing well past that. Those figures come from international auction platforms rather than Japanese domestic auction sheets, so treat them as a directional US/European-market reference rather than a Japan-auction price — and expect real Japanese auction results, plus shipping, compliance, and broker fees, to shift the landed US cost further. Given how thin the eligible pool still is in 2026 (only 2001-built cars, and only after their individual anniversary), prices for genuinely documented, age-eligible V-Spec IIs have generally trended upward rather than down as the year progresses.

What to watch out for

R34 GT-Rs are a magnet for fraud and misrepresentation given the money involved: confirm the chassis is a genuine BNR34 GT-R (not a re-bodied lesser Skyline), check the auction sheet or inspection report for accident history and frame damage, and be skeptical of any car advertised as "already 25 years old" without a clearly dated compliance plate to back it up. Because the eligible window opens gradually across 2026 rather than all at once, some sellers will round up a car's age — always confirm the actual build month yourself rather than trusting a listing's claim.