Cult of GT-R (eBook)

New for 2023, Cult of GT-R is the nonfiction tale of the world’s most coveted car. Between 1989 and 2002, Nissan produced three versions of the hallowed Skyline GT-R sports car: the R32, the R33 and the R34. Over their decade-plus dominance of motorsports and public opinion, the ‘Holy Trinity’ Skylines became a cultural phenomenon the world over. The problem was, you couldn’t have them in the U.S.

This is the story of the people who wanted it anyway. It’s the story of the people who evaded authorities, tangled with regulators and navigated the sticky web of federal importing laws to sneak their favorite car into the country. It’s a story that would not be complete without a deep exploration into the world of video games and anime, the feverish fandom of The Fast and the Furious, and the dark origins of U.S.-Japan foreign relations.

In the follow-up to his critically acclaimed debuted Slow Car Fast in 2019, author Ryan ZumMallen parses through this complicated underground world to meet the figures who move the needle in the GT-R community — both in the U.S. and Japan. Informed by his experiences behind the wheel, in the passenger’s seat, and deep in the basement of California and Florida courthouses, Cult of GT-R moves as briskly as the street racers who pushed the Skyline to its limit… and beyond.

"Cult of GT-R is more than a book about a supercar, it's a lens on the Japanese culture that spawned this performance icon and the passion of the enthusiasts who aspire to one day drive and perhaps own one. Toss in the intrigue of lengths that the scrupulous and unscrupulous have gone to import vintage GT-Rs to the U.S. and you have an entertaining automotive yarn." — Matt DeLorenzo, former editor of Road & Track and Autoweek.

Click here to read a Q&A with Cult of GT-R author Ryan K. ZumMallen.

ISBN: 979-8-9874245-2-0