The Sun is Rising On These Japanese Classics in Monterey

We’re quickly approaching Monterey Car Week, and while enthusiasts always fawn over the litany of seven- and eight-figure automobiles at the auctions, the Japanese segment has been a slowly budding area of interest in those top-shelf sales. Over the past few years, especially post-pandemic, we’ve observed Japanese cars taking a bigger role in Monterey, even if they’re still a minor presence compared to the established Porsches and Ferraris.

Last year saw a world record price for a Honda NSX Type R. Various Nissan Skyline GT-Rs have brought big money in previous years as well. While the Japanese offerings are more concentrated in 2024, they are no less significant. Each year becomes a test of how far Japanese classics can break into the blue chip sales of Monterey, so here are a few cars (and one motorcycle) that we’re keeping an eye on.

1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec

Without a doubt one of the most sought after Japanese cars in existence, the R34 series (1999-2002) Skyline GT-R isn’t just a seriously sharp performance car. It’s also a pop culture icon. Whether your introduction was playing Gran Turismo in the early days of PlayStation or watching the opening scene of 2Fast 2Furious, chances are the R34 has been living in your head rent free ever since. Sadly US import regulations made it so that with very few exceptions, it was impossible to own here in the U.S. until earlier this year, when the 1999 model turned 25 years old and became exempt from federal import restrictions.

But what exactly is so good about the GT-R that they command such a rabid following? Well, winding the clock back, even to the 1960s, the original Skyline GT-R was a dominant car on the track, then when Nissan reintroduced the name in 1989 for the R32 model, it swept Japanese Grand Touring Championships (JGTC), winning all 29 races it entered. The R34 is an evolution of that platform, sporting the same driveline with some welcome upgrades, PlayStation-esque electronics, and smart styling that has aged very well over the following quarter century.

While far from the first legal R34 GT-R to hit the auction scene, the example offered here in Monterey further cements the model as a staple offering on the peninsula during Car Week. This particular model is a V-Spec, which adds an advanced aero system, upgraded suspension, and a plethora of smaller changes such as additional performance readouts on the multi-function display, two-stage tachometer, and more. Adding to the attractiveness of this car, it wears striking and desirable LV4 Midnight Purple II, making this one of just 132 V-Spec R34s finished in this color according to GTR-Registry. It has a $200,000 – $250,000 estimate.

1993 Honda NSX Type-R

Honda’s introduction of the NSX (Acura in the U.S. market) was a shocker. Known for its motorcycles and fun but efficient and affordable cars, the NSX was as uncharacteristic as it was brilliant. It made more sense if you followed Formula 1, though. Borrowing from lessons learned in F1 as a dominant engine manufacturer, Honda’s engineers developed a mid-engine sports car to rival or beat anything coming out of Italy in speed and driving dynamics. What’s more, it was reliable, comfortable, and easy to live with, unlike any mid-engine exotic that came before. The next evolution of the NSX came in 1992, with a more hardcore version called the NSX Type R. This birthed the Type R name, reserved for only Honda’s top performance spec. Honda dialed up just about everything in the NSX Type R. Weight was removed wherever it could be, and small reductions added up to a savings of 120 kilograms (265 pounds). The engine was also blueprinted and tuned for optimal performance, transmission gearing revised, and a sharper suspension installed.

Built in exceedingly low numbers (just 483 examples), the NA1-series NSX Type Rs made it into production from just 1992-95, and very few of them have come to market publicly. Only a couple pop up at auction each year, meaning that you need to have a connections or a connected importer to have a chance at one of these. The one on offer in Monterey has seen some moderate usage with just 38,000 kilometers (24,000 miles) on the clock, all racked up by the original owner. It also comes with a radio and air conditioning (optional extras on this track weapon) and has been recently serviced at Toprank Importers. With an estimate of $400,000 – $450,000 this isn’t likely to be the most expensive example out there (a 7,000 km example sold for $632,000 at this auction last year), but it is certainly a more usable car in the sense that someone drive this car and you can rack up the kilometers relatively guilt free. After all, what good is a Type R Honda that you can’t enjoy as it was intended.

1982 Kawasaki SR250 Factory Works Racer

Mecum Auctions gets a lot attention for the thousands of American muscle cars it offers each year, but they also move a lot of neat motorcycles and there’s a delectable selection of two-wheeled stuff in Monterey this year as well, including this Kawasaki. It looks like your average dirt bike at first glance, but there’s a lot more to this thing than meets the eye.

Just one of three factory works bikes built for the U.S. factory-sponsored Motocross team, this bike was hand-built in Japan by the factory to win races. While it is unclear which rider or riders swung their leg over the seat in 1982, this is when the Kawasaki factory team was comprised of Jeff Ward, Goat Brecker, and Billy Liles, putting this bike in the company of some serious talent.

Following its racing carrer, this SR250 was completely restored by a group of Kawasaki factory mechanics and is currently coming out of the collection of Motocross champion Brad Lackey. While the $60,000-$80,000 estimate sounds cheap among all the top-dollar classic cars on offer around it, it also borders on eye-watering for the average MX enthusiast. We’ll be watching closely to see what the appetite for a bike with some provenance can bring, because Motocross and Monterey don’t often come together like this.

R35 Nissan GT-Rs

Following a seven-year hiatus, Nissan reintroduced the GT-R badge in 2009, this time finally offering Nissan’s top dog for the hungry U.S. market. What came out was a supercar-humbling coupe available for a fraction of the cost of a Ferrari or a Lamborghini with similar performance. While the R35-series GT-R has remained mostly unchanged in the past 15-years, it was so fast when it came out that only recently have its specs started to look a little dated.

While there are an abundance of R35s out there, a pair of special examples are emerging at Monterey. The first is a 2024 NISMO at Gooding & Company. As with anything bearing the badge of Nissan Motorsports International (NISMO), this is a top-spec version of the model. However, if you’re familiar with NISMO, you’ll understand that Nissan didn’t just wind eleventy-million horsepower into the car and call it a day. Instead, everything about the car is sharper, from suspension to the aerodynamics. With the collectability of the NISMO name and 2024 being the last year of the R35, the estimate is $225,000 – $275,000, so essentially, the minimum expected price is around MSRP. Whether these factors push this car to instant classic territory or not, we’ll soon find out.

On the other side of the peninsula, Mecum has consigned a very special GT-R in the form of a 2014 Midnight Opal Special Edition. It’s one of just 50 destined for the U.S. and just one of 115 total produced. The color of Midnight Opal nods back to the color-shifting Midnight Purple II on the R34. This special edition also comes with a bespoke set of Rays wheels and a carbon spoiler. With 25,000 miles on the clock, this is not an unused car, but the $100,000 – $130,000 estimate nods that the rarity and special color could attract GT-R buyers looking for something very much out of the ordinary.