Having an exotic car doesn’t always have to mean that you’re a Jordan Belfort stand-in, but simply a person of exquisite taste and extraordinary bargain-hunting ability. Case in point: this Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R is everything you’d want in a rare supercar with the addition of an economy car pricetag. Drive-thrus would be a little tough, though.
This 1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R is the car that every modified Honda Civic Si owner hopes of racing between stoplights. Its intelligent and extremely capable all-wheel-drive system utilizes its turbocharged 2.6-liter inline six cylinder engine to the best of its ability, producing a car that can go toe-to-toe with any of the Japanese halo cars that made it stateside in the ‘90s, and beyond. This example has been federalized and is ready for a new owner. At its less than $16k price tag, it’s the best price that you’ll find for a car that’s legal in America, although you might have some problems passing smog in California.
Although the car is quite rare, it’s not without its issues. According to the seller, the interior needs a bit of work and some aftermarket replacements have been sourced for stock parts such as the steering wheel, that don’t quite make the driving experience as enjoyable as it should be. Here’s an excerpt from the description:
The main flaws on this car are its interior. It has a small aftermarket steering wheel that for me is too small, its also missing both door speakers, and grills that cover the speakers. The dash does NOT have cracks in it, and the door panels/seats are in good shape. It doesn’t have floor mats and due to this the carpet is dirty/worn in the front. Mechanically the car starts up and runs/drives fine. I have a video at the bottom of the auction doing a few short pulls to show it pulls through the gears smoothly with no sputter/hesitation. Occasionally it grinds going into 3rd gear. Transmissions can be found on ebay for $500, I just don’t have the time to replace it. The car also does not have Air Conditioning. The cars undercarriage is NOT all rusted out either. I took photos of under the car as many buyers want to see this so please be sure to look.
This car makes sense if you’re looking for something with extreme power potential, rarity, and ‘90s flair. It’s relatively easy to work on, and if you order spare parts beforehand, you won’t have issues with downtime for repairs. If you’re the type of person who saw this car as the messiah of Japanese turbocharged performance (as we all did), then it makes sense to at least take a look at this car. With the minor fixes that it needs, it would be nearly five figures cheaper than some of the other, better-sorted examples out there. It’s a little rough, but then again, it should be. That’s the point.
Tavarish is the founder of APiDA Online and writes and makes videos about buying and selling cool cars on the internet. He owns the world’s cheapest Mercedes S-Class, a graffiti-bombed Lexus, and he’s the only Jalopnik author that has never driven a Miata. He also has a real name that he didn’t feel was journalist-y enough so he used a pen name and this was the best he could do.
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