My ISF:

 

My G:

 

My FX:

 

My GTS:

 

And the old reliable Porker:
As you can see, I stay away from German cars as my daily 😉

 

I feel lucky to have owned each and every one of these cars in a different way. Before these I had a 1990 240SX 5MT Hatchback (awesome) a 1995 5MT Honda Accord Coupe (way better than you might think), and a 2001 Acura CL Type S Coupe (a heck of a car at the time!) Never once owned an American car…

Sorry for the long post!

 

I've heard those are hard to get. Would an allocation let you spec an order, or just the option to buy whatever one they get?

Sweet. One of a handful of cars that has seemingly appreciated in value. Pricing on those and IS 500s are pretty nuts right now. Low mileage used IS 500s go for the MSRP of a new one, new ones have markups and are almost impossible to find at MSRP

Is that a FX50? So rarely see those anymore. It was such a cool design, really split the difference between SUV/station wagon/hatchback.

Beautiful

 

Whatever keeps the forum alive, I'm all for it. That's a great history of cars over the last few decades.

 

Yes FX50S. Even more rare than the ISF! Incredible car starting in the 2009 model year.

AWD, Akebonos, rear wheel steering, radar cruise, active collision avoidance and braking, heated and cooled seats, swiveling headlights, adjustable suspension, 400hp V8, all around view monitoring, tire pressure readout for all four tires😁, 21” Enkeis, auto folding mirrors and on and on.

A heck of a lot of technology and performance for 2009!

 

In Porsche world, an allocation allows you to build the car from scratch. TBH, with Porsche’s struggles, tariffs, etc, the cost of their cars has gone through the roof. I feel very lucky to have landed mine before the last two years of price insanity took hold.

Even the used Panameras have gone crazy in price. Back when I bought my ISF (before their prices went crazy during covid) a gently used Panamera GTS was only about 8k more than the ISF!

I would love a Panamera GTS as my daily but my god have they gotten expensive. You’re looking at close to $200k for a well equipped version. Yeah, no.

I would like to own a dark gray GTR one day. That is a special car and in real life, a real head turner. Nothing else like it out there.

 

Brother, you've got richer blood than I do LOL

I was looking at the less stout versions of the Panamera (used) a few years ago and they were in the mid 40k range. I feel like they would need a lot of TLC and time with Otto before being road ready.

I'm spending most of my daylight hours in a '26 Chevy Trax and gotta say, I HATE IT. Lol. Even given that it's not mine and free, and with free gas (company car). SOOO much worse than the Escape it replaced and that is a low, LOW bar.

I'd been looking at imported R33s in 2023 but after tariffs... nah. Can't do it. Also after this administrations changes I'll not be paying off my student loans ever (IE they will last longer than I have left to live) and the repayments went up to $2600/month so there's my next new car, forever LOL.

What I wouldn't give for my RX8 back in decent condition.

 

Are you looking at the GTS?
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...e-r33-gts-t-2/

Or are you a baller like @JZ39 and going straight to the GTR :-) I wish I would have purchased a Porsche a couple years back before Podcasts like Smoking Tire and Bring a Trailer drove popularity and massive price increases.

15% tariff? That will likely change again 2-3 more times by Summer. We also have emissions to deal with in CA, so I believe that tacks on another 10K unless I register in WY under an LLC.

Leno's Law is back on the table, so this may help us here in CA, but it will also drive up prices as many collectors are here and would love to add a few R33s to their million dollar car collections: https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/s...-law-for-2026/

Looks like the window to acquire classic performance ICE vehicles is closing anyway:

 

Funny thing is, my purchases have all been “reasonable”, except for the Porsche which thankfully holds its value so well that you can almost justify it, or at least know you can get out of it if you want to without much of a loss.

2004 G35 coupe: $31500 (Bought with 1500 miles on it in early 2005j
2011 ISF: $31500😁. (Bought with 30000 miles on it). Sold three years later for….31500!
2011 FX50S: $16000! (These things were insanely cheap back in the day!)
2013 G37XS: $13500 with 68000 miles
2013 G37S $15000 with 58000 miles

I'm getting more thrifty as I go…

 

I note that one was located in Canada, so you'd have to do all the import requirements (even though its 25+) yourself... which I'm not sure you can do without a registered importer, from the Fed perspective regardless of state laws.

I actually had a 2.5 GT (2-wheel drive) R33 for a few months while I was a student in Japan in the aughts - bought it from a GI at Yokota AB and sold it for same amount to another (got around taxes and parking lot proof by SOF Agreement). FUN cars albeit not the beasts the GT-R models are.

Were I to get one I'd need to re-research which are which. I don't mind RWD only but I wouldn't want to start with the smaller engine, and I'd want one already approved for import. My state (South Carolina) doesn't give a hoot otherwise - we don't even have inspections.

Once upon a time R35 GTRs used were in the 40-60 range depending on mileage but I never see them less than 100k now, unless they have a dead transmission. Otherwise the 40-60 range I could likely justify to the wife... maybe.

At the moment I'm considering returning my company car and taking the stipend instead, and getting a lease on a Civic that I can turn over to my kid when I buy out the lease. I'd get 5 years of having the lease and insurance paid, and a gas card, before buying the residual value and handing it over to kiddo.

 

Porsche valuations over the past 3-4 years are looking better than my most of my 401K. Even the less desirable models like the 924s have increased in value.

You stole that FX50. Also good to see a strong price paid for the G37S as I think these have yet to see the upward cycle of valuation since there are so many molested versions on FB Market that sell for 5-7K. Even clapped out and exhausted from sliding sideways in parking lots, those are a crazy good value.