Arguably one of the world's most desirable cars, the Nissan Skyline (R34) is now viable for legal importation to the USA. For gearheads who gained sustenance from Gran Turismo 2 and films like 2 Fast 2 Furious, this is excellent news. But before you get excited and open up the Japanese classifieds, you may want to wait a bit.

According to GTR-Registry.com, the first R34 Skylines that are eligible for import were produced in May 1998. That means excited fans won't be getting their hands on the legendary GT-R variant just yet. So, how long do enthusiasts have to wait to get their hands on a GT-R?

The top-of-the-range R34 only entered production in January 1999, which means it will only be legal for importation in January 2024. That's because the 25-year import rule doesn't cover the entire vehicle range and rather works on a month and year basis.

That's not long to wait, and potential buyers could use the time to source the ideal vehicle and store it before bringing it stateside. Even then, you may need deep pockets to get your hands on an unmolested R34 GT-R. Owing to its reputation, the final iteration of the Skyline GT-R has become massively expensive; we've seen examples sell for more than $600,000.

Even if you come up with the cash, their relative rarity means it's difficult to track one down. We looked at several Japanese import sites and only found a handful of R34 GT-Rs - some commanding as much as $265,000. With that in mind, perhaps it's sensible to look at some of the non-GTR models.

The first models introduced in May '98 include the ER34 (25GT, 25GT-Turbo, and GT-V). Aside from the 25GT-Turbo, all are naturally aspirated. The 25GT is the only model that does without four-wheel steering, but rear-wheel drive is standard across the range.

It may not be the legendary GT-R everyone knows and loves, but it could make for a great and quirky import if you can't wait a few months - or have the budget for a GT-R. What's more, these "lesser" models are relatively affordable. The same Japanese import classifieds we scoured showed considerably cheaper ER34 variants, with some selling around the $20,000 mark.

Unless you have your heart set on an R34 GT-R, older examples of the Nissan GT-R (R35) can be purchased for $60,000 - $80,000. It may not be as desirable as its predecessor, but the R35 is a truly superb sports car that is capable of hypercar-rivaling performance with a few tweaks.

But if nothing else will do, and you simply must have a late-model R34 Skyline GT-R, you'll have to wait until August 2027 - exactly 25 years after the final variants were produced in August 2002.