DOTS: A Suspect Skyline

"Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available" (whoistheleader2) 07/31/2020 at 21:00 • Filed to: Dots, Illegal Imports, Nissan R34 GT-R

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**afternoon repost somehow reverted it to my first draft from before I added the text; what on earth?**

Yesterday, I was driving along on a Doordash delivery and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Yes, there appeared to be an R34 Nissan Skyline parked at a trendy local food hall. And what a sight that is!

We probably all know the R34 Nissan Skyline is about four years off of the first ones being eligible for importation, so clearly there is some trickery afoot here.

Not trickery that is out of the ordinary though. You may recall the illegal Nissan Silvia that I saw a few months ago proudly displayed outside the local imports shop with a fresh Georgia license plate.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

But while we figure this out, just take a second to take in what a beautifully proportioned car this GTR is! How could Nissan go from making this to the Versa in just a few short years? I defy you to find a sporty attainable coupe from a mainstream automaker with proportions this good. And now the GTR body kit, wing, the everything just makes it so much better!

A little bit of blur got away from me

But daaaang, this 3/4 view is just so good. The subtle camber and blacked out treatment actually does this car justice. Too bad it was covered in road grime from months of heavy rain.

Yes, this is one car I am not afraid to say looks great with gigantic wing on the back. It has earned it.

The permanent Montana plate seems to indicate this is not a legal import under the show and display law or a Motorex car. And they didn’t even try to be subtle with a plate reading R34xxx. You can probably guess what the other digits are, but I don’t want to be the one to call attention to it.

That GTR badge really means something . It goes beyond the technologically advanced engine and monstrous capability. It is pop culture icon that you can hardly fail to notice, even if you don’t know the first thing about cars.

Nearly everyone stopped to take a picture of it. Even the guy who said, “is this yours?” and then, on hearing the no, said, “GT, nice” in attempt to pretend to know what it really is.

Not even the hoards of fake GTRs can dilute what this badge symbolizes. It symbolizes technology’s triumph over ignorance in a way that everyone can aspire to.

And of course, I couldn’t resist the chance to take a photo of my humble Chevy Cruze surrounded by such greatness. Who wouldn’t want to be seen in this? Well, it is illegal, so there are some arguments to be made.

A little bit of blur got away from me

Yes, this is a car that is really far too amazing for its own good. Amazing enough to attract people with more money than brains who think they can get away with a flashy illegal gray market import with a rather on the nose vanity plate. And  people with less brains and even less funds would love to attach fake GTR badges and slap cheesy aero kits on four cylinder Skyline coupes. 

And for the record, the first iteration of this post that magically went away suddenly was much better.

Dr_Watson > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 13:47

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Nice find, I have yet to see an R34 in person. I’m hoping that after the 25yr ban is up they will start to proliferate and show up at cars and coffee. 

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 13:48

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And on tax-dodging MT plates, a real boot strapping capitalist there, I am sure.

Good chance it received its first Murkan registration in FL, then someone who probably whines about “takers” played the plate trick.

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 13:48

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I would have stuck around and politely demanded a ride. Actually, to drive it. Or else.

UserNotFound > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 13:51

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This reminds me, I need to contact some people to get permission for a story I’ve been thinking of writing that will answer a lot of questions about R34s and what can be done to import one legally ...

Oh yeah and that one is almost certainly illegal but who knows, maybe it’s a grandfathered Motorex (it’s probably not a grandfathered Motorex).

I love these cars beyond the point of obsession.

Cash Rewards > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 13:51

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Man, it's depressing how good these look and how much they'll cost

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 13:52

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Yeah, the MT thing is legit. He could live anywhere and not be able to find Billings on a map.

Looks like an R34 to me... are they now trickling in?

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Dr_Watson 07/31/2020 at 13:54

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There is an R32 sedan that is always parked near the import shop. I think I like them better, actually.

Too bad that they are a little overblown, because I love how all of them look. They are just some nicely proportioned cars that, when equipped with the six cylinder , are reasonably fast and reliable and can even be practical as a four door. But everyone would al ways ask “is that a GTR yo dude yo dude is that a GTR??? ” and then walk away disappointed when it doesn’t have the buzzword attached they think is cool without stopping to appreciate a perfectly fun and uncommon car.

Internet photos:

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 13:54

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Real question, but as long as you don’t actually break any laws (reckless speeding, etc) and just lay low, would a cop actually pull something like this over? I don’t think they’re necessarily on the lookout for weird cars.

I guess it’s more an issue if feds catch wind of it.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 13:57

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It could be one of the Motorex cars they imported legally. They were supposed to be changing things on the cars to get them federally approved, but they stopped doing it for some reason so the feds revoked their ability to bring them in. They let the owners keep the cars though. I think there are 11 curretnly federalized, but they brought in like 120 cars.

Here’s more details: http://skylinegt-r.wikidot.com/0-60mrex

Jim Spanfeller > Dr_Watson 07/31/2020 at 13:57

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After that, their prices will skyrocket. There will be so much demand for them worldwide that none of us will be able to even dream of affording one.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Dr_Watson 07/31/2020 at 13:57

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I’m sure they will, but they already sell for 100k+, so they are NOT going to be cheap.

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 13:58

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Unless it was imported under the show and display clause, in which case they can drive it 2,000 miles a year and be just fine.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 07/31/2020 at 13:58

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States can’t do squat in enforcing import violations. They can report it to the feds, but they can’t hold you on anything. There are teams of people scouring social media for illegal imports and other shenanigans so you shouldn’t expect to get away with it.

If I were a regular old country patrol officer, I would just pull it over to ask about it, give a thumbs up, and let ‘em go with my blessing. And then report it to the feds to confiscate and crush in front of him. 

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > fintail 07/31/2020 at 13:59

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Can ya do me a favor and paint with even broader strokes and unsubstantiated claims?

Th anks!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 07/31/2020 at 14:00

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It is an R34 GTR illegally imported and registered through a shell company in Montana. Nothing about this is on the straight and skinny but the Montana thing isn’t technically illegal.

It’ll be four more years before the first ones arrive here legally. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Cash Rewards 07/31/2020 at 14:01

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Actually, maybe not as much as you might expect. I suspect they will skyrocket in price as we get closer to the 25 year exemption.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > UserNotFound 07/31/2020 at 14:03

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The fact that it has a Montana plate tells you all you need to know. Though that illegal Silvia I saw a few months ago had a Georgia plate.

I can now fully understand and even endorse this obsession. They are just absolutely stunning in person. That said, I think I could enjoy a non GTR sedan more since the layman wouldn’t bother me after being told it isn’t the magical combination of G, T, and R while leaving me with something only the real enthusiasts could appreciate.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: 07/31/2020 at 14:04

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I originally stopped while on a Doordash order and then came back 30 minutes later to find it still there and waited about 10 minutes. Then I had to get to work. I really wanted to ask the owner about some things.

fintail > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 07/31/2020 at 14:05

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MT registration (for those not living in Big Sky Country) is a known tax dodge.

FL is a known gateway for noncompliant grey market vehicles.

Anything else?

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail 07/31/2020 at 14:05

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The Montana plate really rubbed me the wrong way. That, and it is a vanity plate declaring loudly THIS IS AN ILLEGAL CAR TRY AND STOP ME!!!! I love the car but I don’t think I would love the owner.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 14:06

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Well, not to be a pedant, but there are a few ways it could be here legally. Without running the vehicle plate and VIN we don’t know for sure.

Thanks to Bill Gates and Paul Allen there are legal paths for “rich enough guys” to have one here.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 07/31/2020 at 14:07

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Plate says “PERM” so nope. And why do a tax dodge if that were the case through the Montana loophole?

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 07/31/2020 at 14:07

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It did not have US spec lights so no.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 07/31/2020 at 14:10

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Eh, there are so many more that have been brought here illegally though. It doesn’t have US spec lights so it isn’t one of the rare federalized cars and it has a permanent Montana plate, which suggests people with more money than brains who would try a stupid stunt like that.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 14:15

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Oh, very likely... I just always have to point out that there’s actually a legal way for post-1995 Forbidden Fruit to be here. Even if it’s very unlikely in this case .

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 14:15

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Ah. Perhp s it’s an R32 with an R34 nose?

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 14:16

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Definitely a bit of dbaggery going on.   But I am sure the local authorities will ignore it, a little money (or connections) can do that.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 14:17

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Huh, I didn’t know feds actually looked around online for non-compliant cars. Weird.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 07/31/2020 at 14:30

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Older Skyline sedans are not crazy expensive, but good luck finding an unmodified one without GTR badges stuck on it. 

UserNotFound > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 07/31/2020 at 14:31

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They stopped doing it because they lied about the R33 and R34 being similar enough to the R32 that they didn’t need to do more crash testing (I think there were some R33 and/or R34 crash tests but, well, who knows it was 20 years ago and the parties involved are A) telling their own version of the story, B) in hiding, and/or C) moved on and don’t care any more). Anyway, Nissan sent a letter to the feds saying no, they’re not that similar, and it all went downhill from there.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail 07/31/2020 at 14:31

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Local and state government can't do squat to enforce import regulations. They can only tip off the feds and that is a bit of a hassle. No money exchanging hands on the local level. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 07/31/2020 at 14:33

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They look around for everything and sometimes an illegal gray market car is directed to the right agency. It is the customs and border agencies that crush high profile violaters but you could probably get away with something obscure that no one would hype up on social media. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 07/31/2020 at 14:34

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No, real R34 and it seems like it is even a real GTR (lotta fakes but this one looks correct)

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 14:36

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That’s a normal legally registered car in Montana. I’d be happy to drive it back to Montana!

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 14:43

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They can work to end the loopholes that allow tax-do dging out of state registrations.

IMO a lot of rule enforcement on the roads has some socio-economic component.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 14:45

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I know of a guy who has a Citroen C6 in the US...

UserNotFound > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 07/31/2020 at 14:58

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“Skyline GTR R34 V-SPEC Early Model Limited Edition” (1999 Midnight Purple II) and “R34 Skyline GT-R M-Spec Nür” (2002) are the only two R34s currently on the Show or Display list and I’m pretty sure nobody has done an M-spec Nür yet, just submitted a proposal and gotten permission.

This one is definitely neither of those. Unless they partially de-badged it (odd thing to do) , it’s not even a V-spec. Looks like a base with mods. So it’s either Motorex or illegal.

UserNotFound > UserNotFound 07/31/2020 at 14:58

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Got myself mixed up, I think they crashed the R33 and then claimed the R32 and R34 were “substantially similar” which still, they aren’t.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > UserNotFound 07/31/2020 at 15:05

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Yeah, I wonder what the title says.

That’s great data.  Thanks!

UserNotFound > Jim Spanfeller 07/31/2020 at 15:16

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Oh it’s already happened ...

https://kwattsandco.com/current_inventory/1998-nissan-gt-r-skyline/

Can’t skyrocket much higher than this (I hope!?).

My prayer is that everybody goes R34 crazy and leaves the Pajero Evos alone ...

UserNotFound > Dr_Watson 07/31/2020 at 15:19

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There’s a few R34s that show up at my local “Cars & Coffee” event. One of them is a Show or Display MNPII Vspec, the other ones I have no idea. I have yet to be there the same time these cars are there, so here’s some internet pictures lol.

chaozbandit > Cash Rewards 07/31/2020 at 15:20

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The last time I looked, there was a noticeable  increase on R32s up here once they became US legal. A “good” R34 you’re looking at 6 0k CAD currently (GTTs can be had for half) .

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail 07/31/2020 at 15:22

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Well, you can't really not honor another states registration so local and state really can't do anything about a car registered illegally elsewhere. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 07/31/2020 at 15:23

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Yeah, I don't understand that one. It is the green one the FP drove, right?

Dr_Watson > UserNotFound 07/31/2020 at 15:27

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Midnight purple is best purple. My dream GT-R is an MNP Vspec. Although I would settle for a blue Vspec Nur.

UserNotFound > Dr_Watson 07/31/2020 at 15:33

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It really is though. In person it’s even more spectacular because the way the color shifts as you move.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 15:35

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I guess there’s two then.

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 15:53

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But a state can require a resident to register their car locally within a certain period after arriving.

The loophole is claiming to be/have a business.   I think all it takes is setting up a solely on-paper LLC or something in MT, and then it is allowed (which is BS)

Cash Rewards > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 16:06

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Right, but buying but not importing yet is tricky

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 16:29

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To that effect, I’ve been seeing some really stunning examples of unmolested 2.5 GTS-t model R33s being brought in by an importer based in WA State (rhdspecialties - check out their instagram page ).

Really compelling given how much less of a premium they carry compared to GTRs, how unmolested they can be had, and how any random fool who comes up to you asking “hey bro, that a GTR?!” you can just say nope and keep going about your day.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 07/31/2020 at 17:14

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Wait, tell me more about the C6 you know of. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail 07/31/2020 at 17:16

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Yes, that’s it. That’s why the Montana loophole is so genius. States can’t enforce it because the car belongs to a company where the car is registered. I think it would require Montana claiming the loop, since states in that one case actually can’t do anything.

But switching over registration to local is  not enforced at all anyways. It is such a hassle most people keep their old ones as long as possible. 

RWD-by-the-Sea > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 17:16

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A lot of the later bond-r eleased Motorex cars didn’t have modifications at all, LOL.

But yeah, given how few R34s came through, most likely not a Motorex:  http://gtr-registry.com/en-r34-gtr-motorex.php

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > fintail 07/31/2020 at 17:20

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So my thing with the MT plates is this: I live in Texas, and I have to pay a 6.25% sales tax on the purchase price of each car I buy and title in Texas, regardless of circumstance or how much I drive or how much of the state’s resources I consume.

I’d like to cycle through a few cars a year (and I don’t, and the tax situation is a significant reason why). Call it 3 cars a year at $20k; sales tax on those cars is $3,750, and I might drive those cars a total of 7,500 miles in a year between all three of them.

Meanwhile, someone driving 15,000 miles a year in a 10 year old F150 or Camry, consuming far more of the state’s infrastructure resources than I (which, you know, is the impetus for taxes) will pay zero tax related to their car in every other year except the year of purchase. There’s no equity there. It’s poorly designed tax structure.

I’d be happy to pay an annual road tax or mileage tax or if our registration fees were significantly higher to offset sales tax revenue.

Is routing cars through a Montana LLC legal? In Montana yes, in Texas no. But legality and ethics are not at all the same thing, and stan-ing for bad policy because “it’s the law” is awfuly Ted Cruz-y.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > UserNotFound 07/31/2020 at 17:22

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There’s defi nitely a big long story from all sides. I was just trying to cover the basics.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Cash Rewards 07/31/2020 at 17:23

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Storage fees can rack up over the course of 4 years. 

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 17:24

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I c ould definitely be wrong, but I don’t think they made the owners of the cars bring them back in and make them legal after it was found Motorex wasn’t doing the changes necessary to make them legal.....

Either way, awesome car to see.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 07/31/2020 at 17:28

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I don't really care how it got here, just that I was able to see an R34 before their official US debut. 

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 17:32

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Genius in an evil genius way. Montana won’t do anything about it any way, as the shell/sham business registrations are a revenue stream (see Delaware)

Just remember, you are paying more because others cheat and/or buy justice. The golden rule, he who has the gold, etc.

fintail > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 07/31/2020 at 17:36

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Be careful what you wish for. You’ll get higher registration and a mileage based tax. The sales tax situation is similar here btw, I guess via leasing modern cars and keeping the old car for 25 years, my tax exposure is lessened a little, too.

There’s definitely no ethical support for the MT loophole.  Is it actually enforced in TX?

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 17:41

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Jealous. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail 07/31/2020 at 17:57

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Yes, the outliers are what causes trouble in just about any system imaginable.

Just like how speed limits are (supposed to be) set for the middle 80% or so. It's the median values that people should really design the system to work for. 

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > fintail 07/31/2020 at 18:05

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There’s no ethical support for paying taxes, either ; that’s a legal concern . If the principal concern is that you’re dodging the laws in place, which then makes the action unethical , then that presumes the ethical superiority of all law. Which, I dunno, seems pretty easy to refute when looking around at the last 7 months *gestures wildly at the air*.

The ethical concern is whether you are depriving your community and the people you share a jurisdiction with of anything they justly deserve by circumventing poorly designed law. I don’t think my community deserves any extra $3,750 a year from me because I like to switch cars once a quarter; they are legally entitled to it, but it doesn’t mean it’s ethical for my community to extract additional resources from me for their own use simply because of the way the law is constructed . It does not cost my community any more in terms of resources, real or intangible, for me to buy and sell three cars in a year as compared to my neighbor who may not buy or sell a car once in that same year. It’s legal for the state to demand and enforce that tax, but that doesn’t make it ethical; laws themselves are and should be subject to ethical analysis . Assigning disproportionate tax burdens on citizens based on arbitrary distinctions is, in my view, unethical.

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 19:51

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S peed limits are their own shitshow. Revenue streams and officer ego seem to be the main factors of enforcement, in my opinion, and good luck getting your local “authorities” to justify their limits, you’ll get crickets and probably have to summon something like the FOIA to get any data.

fintail > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 07/31/2020 at 19:57

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And the laws themselves are part of that too, sometimes a heavy ethical failure.   The real golden rule is he who has the gold buys the rules, and in my opinion, much tax policy is proof of that. Hence the past 4 decades of trickle down bullshit, which puts a burden on the withered middle class (as you have experienced) while pitying a few in promise of good times ahead that will come when said saved money is invested into the economy. History has proven it doesn’t actually work that way (with poor economic mobility and a screaming socio-economic chasm) , but reality be damned, here in America we like to keep trying.

At the same time, should a guy who buys 5 cars a year get any better treatment than one who buys 5 boats or 5 bike s or 5 Rolex a year? One could maybe scrap sales tax and make it all based on income (or a mileage tax, which would probably have to end up as a simple gas tax or registration fee), but that ends up being regressive.   Tough to create a perfect solution, but count on your (and my) local officials messing it up :)

No place in the first world uses American tax policy as a model of success.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 07/31/2020 at 21:13

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wow. is that a crazy tale...

Almost as bad as the Uwe Gemballa circus.

Dude > Jim Spanfeller 07/31/2020 at 21:16

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Doubtful. This looks to be a regular GTR. T he only r34 models c ompatible with show /display are the special edition cars like Ztune Vspec nurburgring stuff 

wafflesnfalafel > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 21:24

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agree - the R35 is a technical monster, but the R34 is gorgeous ... yummy box flares.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > wafflesnfalafel 07/31/2020 at 21:59

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The R34 was still a technical showpiece but looks much better in my opinion. 

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 22:01

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No, states can enforce it after the car is within their boundary after the 30, 60, 90 day grace period.

“ Interestingly, even the websites of the companies that promote this scam scheme hint that what you are doing is illegal:

Sales tax is generally due in the state of registration. Your vehicles will be registered in Montana which has no sales tax. You will need to understand and comply with use tax laws in the states where the vehicles are located.”

https://jalopnik.com/the-pitfalls-of-the-montana-license-plate-scam-1711216059

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 22:02

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Some dude in Northeast Ohio. Used to take it to meets. Probably not here legally, I don’t really know that much. I think he lived in Youngstown. I haven’t been to that meet in maybe five years. 

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 07/31/2020 at 22:07

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it would probably be better to move to some sort of %of annual use property tax. You realize you’re probably in the .01% of folks that would switch that often?

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 07/31/2020 at 22:09

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Wait, so states can tax a vehicle registered to a company in a different state that is technically allocated for business out of state?

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 07/31/2020 at 22:10

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A C6 is the kind of car you could probably get away with because no one would know that it is illegal. I can’t believe there are two of the here.

That is probably the newest Citroen I'd ever consider importing. I love those things. The last gasp of the hydropneumatic suspension. 

notsomethingstructural > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 22:10

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Thanks for reminding me I need to have an open bay in... 2 years I think

Shift24 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 22:22

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E h glad it’s here. 25 year rule needs to change

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Shift24 07/31/2020 at 22:33

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I don’t like the 25 year rule and I don’t want to see a GTR get crushed, so I partially blurred the plate. I’m glad its here, but I don’t think I would like the attitude of the kind of person who would illegally import such a valuable car and run the risk of a total loss confiscation and destruction.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 07/31/2020 at 22:38

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wasn’t there another one that was bringing them in with the drivetrain in one crate and chassis in another?

Dead_Elvis, Inc. > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 07/31/2020 at 22:43

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Sounds like Myron Vernis, although a C6 might be a bit too modern for his collection.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 22:51

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Such a weird car. I wonder what the circumstances of the other one being here were. I like the NATO personnel from Belgium stationed in the US theory. 

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Dead_Elvis, Inc. 07/31/2020 at 22:53

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He could conceivably have one for show and display. I’m from Akron, I’d heard of him but never seen his collection. 

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/31/2020 at 22:55

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that vehicle is no longer in the state of montana. If that vehicle was kept in MT it would be perfectly legal and GA couldn’t tax it.

But once that vehicle is no longer in MT and is operating in a state such as GA, after 30 days, as far as GA is concerned that MT regist ration is irrelevant . MT law does not work in GA. GA will not recognize it.

If you want to try and claim it as a commercial vehicle, since its now registered to the LLC, You better have every gas, service, etc paid through that llc. Also a lot of states have a bit about operating vehicles out of state . And now you start getting into sketchy tax issues.

Dead_Elvis, Inc. > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 07/31/2020 at 22:57

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I know his collection was  featured on the FP some years back. He used to be a commenter, in the very early days of Jalopnik, under the screen name “Junkman”.

eta: https://jalopnik.com/check-out-the-most-eccentric-car-collection-in-the-worl-5960719

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 07/31/2020 at 23:04

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I lean towards military too

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 07/31/2020 at 23:15

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Oh 100%, an absolute fringe case, which describes most cases behind Montana LLCs and is why I don’t get the hand wringing over MT LLCs: the system wasn’t designed to account for the usage pattern in question , but it’s unnecessarily punitive to those usage patterns. Authorities designed a flawed tax scheme, and people have found a relatively benign workaround that could not have less of an impact on, well, anyone. Low use, fringe case automobile purchases for which the tax or regulatory burden does not reflect the car’s burden on the community and resources where the car would be ostensibly titled.

There’s a yellow light area here which is a lot of the impetus for California users of MT LLCs, which is skirting CARB/emissions testing. Again, nearly all of those use cases are going to be for cars which for the rest of their lives, will emit fewer emissions than a daily driven Prius does in a month due to their usage patterns. I think it’s a bit more gray, but there’s a case to be made.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > fintail 07/31/2020 at 23:15

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*allowed in MT. Your state probably disagrees

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 07/31/2020 at 23:29

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I meant if you own the car for the 1./3 of a year, it would make more sense to have to pay 1/3 if the ann ua l property tax.

I disagree regardless of how much it gets used shouldn’t change it. If you think its bad stucture now think the shitshow if it was a mix of mil es, weight, cost. It’d be an even bigger cluster.

“ nd people have found a relatively benign workaround that could not have less of an impact on, well, anyone.’ it has a big impact when it screws over local municipalities. And it isn’t a work around when nearly every state has a bit of “if the vehicle is in the state for xx days it must be registered” 

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 08/01/2020 at 00:00

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https://jalopnik.com/georgia-is-cracking-down-on-instagram-bros-registering-1830035589

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 08/01/2020 at 00:06

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Ah, thanks for that clarification. 

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 08/01/2020 at 10:19

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I’m sure there are still people doing that.