Happy New Year, everybody. 2023 has rolled over to 2024, and that single-digit change has an outsized impact on us enthusiasts. It messes with all our checks, sure, but there’s a bigger legal ramification: Thanks to the United States’ 25-year import ban, we can now bring in cars all the way up to 1999.
But which car from 1999 would you bring in? Assume you’ve got access to everything, from the tiniest kei cars to the largest Autobahn cruisers, and with no stipulations for cost or availability. The only characteristic a car needs is a manufacture date sometime during 1999. What’s your pick?
Normally I like an obscure option, but today I’m here to take the easy pick right out from all of your hands. I love the R34 Nissan GT-R. I have always loved the R34 GT-R, and I would do some truly unholy things to get my hands on one today. I’m talking chalk pentagrams and goats, here.
As a basic bitch, my ideal R34 would be beautiful Bayside Blue — one of the better colors to ever grace four wheels. Midnight Purple is a strong contender, and I prefer it as a color in a vacuum, but there was no Midnight Purple R34 on printer paper taped to my dorm room wall. For this imaginary car, Bayside it is.
What’s your pick for a car to import? I’ve stolen the standard choice, so you may have to rack your brain to come up with something else. Take your time, check your work against manufacture dates, and give your best answer in the comments below. We’ll collect our favorites later in the week for your perusal.