Nissan tries to stop GT-R imports
December 21, 2007 by Alborz Fallah
Its economics101, supply and demand, when you have a car that every car enthusiast in the world dreams of, and you’re only going to make a few thousand of them a year, it’s going to create massive demand with limited supply.
In most cases the issue resolves itself because the car in question costs the average price of a house, but in the case of Nissan’s supercar beating GT-R, this is not so.
With U.S. prices starting at $69,850 (Australian prices unconfirmed, but expect around the 120k mark), the level of interest in the GT-R has been enormous, so much so that European importers are starting to buy up GT-Rs in Japan and sending them over to Europe.
This works well for the UK and Australia given we are right-hand drive just like the Japanese, but Nissan has gone on the offensive, threatening to sue any importers trying to profit from reselling.
The Japanese giant also said today it would not support customers who purchased black-market GT-Rs. According to Nissan, dealerships will not provide warranty support for Japanese spec GT-Rs in Europe.
Nissan Australia has previously said that imported GT-Rs would not be road-registrable given Nissan has already documented its intentions of bringing the car here officially.
According to the company, it simply wants to make sure owners receive a quality ownership experience, meaning time is required to train mechanics and have the necessary parts in stock.
Nonetheless, there are numerous reports of new GT-Rs already on the way to Australia. Owners are expected to use the cars for track only.
The GT-R is not expected in Australia until early 2009. For more pictures of the Nissan GT-R click here.
Print it: 
forbidden fruit – nothing sweeter.
2009? No wonder people are importing them.
It’s a joke. Can’t stop the music, Nissan!
InsideLine just gave this car a glowing review, definitely the car of 2007.
ImportJap – that vid on InsideLine says it all – an unbelievable achievement. Could be car of the decade?
Track only………..well that sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BIG TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Should be allowed to import as u see fit.
Its anti-competive!!
Looks hot in red
Cheers
F-0
Oh pissan im pissed off now.
Not to mention that $US69,850 equates to roughly $AU78,000 + change. Nissan Oz, where do you get a 120K price tag you bunch of leaches. Two words for you – bugger off.
Flying High, plus we’re closer than the US to Japan too :)
But no one will complain, hence Australians will be ripped off once again.
How can they prevent you from registering it here?
http://www.j-spec.com.au/list/index.php?ID=11877
10,400,000 yen FOB .. around $152,100 landed
2007 GTR coupe
3800cc V6 twin turbo 4WD
6 speed Tiptronic
Super Black
60 km’s
Power steering
Power windows
Air conditioner
Under sevs rules (i think its sevs) if a vehicle is slated to become an official import then you cannot register the vehicle here or get a compliance plate for the vehicle.
Its alot of money for someone to spend on a track car – especially before they have done anything to it – ie cage, harness, suspension work!
Nissan is still kicking itself (and punishing importers) for it’s stupid decision of not continuing the importing of the massively popular Skyline since the demise of the Godzilla R32…they never realised what a red hot market they had down here in Oz for the car, and would have sold them by the boatload if the price could have been right…hell, I’d even have a bog stocko R-34 with a poverty pack twin cam motor and no turbo as a family car, just for the styling alone…
The new model looks hot…
John, Nissan didn’t miss anything when they stopped importing the R32. They originally brought in 1000 of them and struggled to sell even that few, it was just too expensive for a Nissan, so they stopped importing them. Luckily the new one has price on its side.
I have heard from a mate that JustJap (www.justjap.com) has a R35 GTR set to land in Australia by Jan 15th. Its been ordered by Donut King and is slated for track car use only. Apparently Nissan dealers have already been sent a memo about the import.
Jason – that’s true it is landing as a donut king car, will be painted in pink and driven by an accountant called Tony Alford apparently, in Targa Tasmania
i think its a good idea, nissan made this for us, and they made what we wanted not another soft ass tourer but a ground up affordabl supercar , how about we show them some respect and wait it out and pay whats due.
i solute u nissan for your stern hand give them hell.
At only $US69,850 it’s the bargain of the century here in the states. Except that none of us can find one for anything less than an *additional* $US25,000.
And the Australian price is absurd… what kind of certification process does the Australian Government require? Could that have raised Nissan’s costs to this degree?
-Jeff
http://www.EvoXenthusiast.com
sick car