The R35 Nissan GT-R is one of the most asked-about cars we bring out of Japan. It is right-hand drive, it turns up at the auctions in high grades, and it is the car a lot of New Zealand buyers have wanted since it launched.
But importing a Nissan GT-R R35 to New Zealand is not as simple as finding a clean one. Before anything else, you need to know which R35 you are looking at, because New Zealand’s emissions rules accept some and not others.
The three letters that matter: DBA or CBA
Every Japanese car has a type designation in front of the chassis code. On an R35 it reads either CBA-R35 or DBA-R35. The prefix is a Japanese emissions code, and New Zealand uses it at the border.
- CBA-R35: the early cars, roughly 2007 to 2011.
- DBA-R35: the later cars.
What New Zealand currently accepts
NZTA Technical Bulletin 28 sets which emissions codes a used petrol car must carry to pass border inspection. For cars inspected between 30 April 2024 and 1 July 2028, a D-prefix car is accepted only if it was first registered on or after 1 January 2012. Later codes are accepted too. C-prefix codes are not on the list.
So, as we read the table: a DBA-R35 first registered in 2012 or later can come in. A CBA-R35 cannot. We checked the bulletin on 27 October 2026, and rules like this change, which is why we check again for every car.
This is our reading of the NZTA table, not an NZTA ruling on a specific car. We have an entry certifier confirm the individual car before you bid.
Emissions is not the only box
Passing the emissions code gets the car through one gate. Frontal impact and electronic stability control evidence still apply, and so does the Clean Car Standard charge on entry. None of it is a reason to walk away from a good R35. It is a reason to know the full picture before you commit.
What about Australia?
Australia works on a completely different system, built around the register of specialist and enthusiast vehicles. The answer for New Zealand does not carry over, and the R35 that suits one country can be the wrong one for the other. If the car is going to Australia, ask us and we will check the current register for that exact model.
What we check on every R35 sheet
- The type designation (DBA or CBA) and the first registration date.
- Grade 4 or better, with no structural notes.
- The inspector’s notes in full, translated, before any bid.
Looking at an R35 right now? Send us the lot number and we will check the type code and the sheet before you put a bid on it.