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The Nissan GT-R supercar has gone on sale in Japan and the news that Japanese buyers have snapped up the first three months' production means the odds of New Zealand seeing it before Christmas 2008 have lengthened.
But Nissan expects private imports of the car, nicknamed Godzilla, to arrive in New Zealand and Australia before the car's Australasian launches.
New Zealand will get the same GT-R as Australia, a car that meets Australian Design Rules specification. Neither country is scheduled to launch the car until early 2009, although Nissan Australia and New Zealand are hoping to have the first few models available in November/December of next year. Nissan has pegged production of its most powerful model at 1000 examples a month, and, last Friday - its first sale day - 2900 orders had already been received in Japan.
Nissan HQ says it is doing the best it can to bring forward production for world markets, although it resists ramping up the numbers in order to ensure the GT-R remains its most exclusive model.
The United States will get the GT-R next June - where it starts in price at US$69,950 ($90,380) - followed by Europe, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East.
Orders for the US market open on January 1, but wealthy buyers in the Middle East are likely to muscle in on American production.
Reports say Nissan has received 40 private orders for the GT-R from the oil-rich Middle East and is looking at diverting US production.
Simon Sproule, the company's vice-president of global communications, said: "Everyone's a VIP in the Middle East, so we'll do our best to meet demand."
Sproule said at the car's launch in Japan that Britain was screaming out for supplies too.
"Grey importers will make cash off it. We don't like it but there's nothing we can do about it. It's nice to have the demand," he said.
Reports across the Tasman say a Japanese-spec GT-R has already been confirmed as a starter for the next Targa Tasmania tarmac, to be held in April.
The GT-R will be available worldwide in three variants. The basic model comes with Dunlop SP Sport 600 rubber on silver alloy wheels and a black leather interior, and costs ¥7,770,000 ($90,000) in Japan.
The GT-R Premium edition costs ¥8,347,500 ($97,000) and adds side airbags, cream-coloured leather and a premium sound system. It rides on dark alloys with Bridgestone Potenza RE070R tyres.
The GT-R Black edition also gets the same Potenza feet but adds black headlining and red leather interior highlights. It is priced at ¥7,927,500 ($92,000).
Exterior paint colour choices in Japan include White Pearl, Super Black, Vibrant Red, Dark Metal Grey, Titanium Grey and the Ultimate Metal Silver, a specially developed finish that has two clear top coats.
The GT-R's 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engines are handbuilt at Nissan's oldest plant in Yokohama.
