The strange story behind this Paul Walker R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R
Published on Jun 11, 2022 at 3:13 AM (UTC+4)
by Patrick Jackson
Last updated on Nov 24, 2022 at 5:49 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A rare US-legal R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II is up for sale, and it has a strange link with the late Fast and Furious star Paul Walker
Finished in iconic Bayside Blue, this 1999 model bears just 33,790km (21,000mi) on the clock.
Over 24,140km (15,000mi) of that was put on the R34 car by Walker, but he never owned it.
READ MORE: The 10 cars we can’t stop thinking about from the Fast and Furious series
Walker’s character Brian famously drove a R34 GT-R in 2 Fast 2 Furious. But this isn’t the same car.
This vehicle is one of just 16 R34 GT-Rs legally brought to the US by importer Motorex before the company was subject to a federal investigation for skirting vehicle import regulations.
However, the company was at least doing things right at the time this car was brought in.
Paul Walker, a well-known GT-R fanatic, was tasked with putting all those miles on this Nissan Skyline.
In a quirk of US import laws, cars must have a certain number of miles on the clock to be officially federalized.
And for some reason, Walker was just the man for the job.
The movie star must have been cruising around town in the Skyline for a bit of fun.
We have no idea how that relationship came about.
After Walker had taken it on the most thorough test drive in history, the car was then used for a series of BFGoodrich tire ads.
That’s when the black and gold livery it still wears today was applied to it.
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A host of other modifications have also been fitted to the Paul Walker GT-R, including Tein coilover suspension, Volk TE37 wheels, and a Greddy intake.
How many Nissan Skyline R34 were made?
This particular ‘Paul Walker’ R34 is number 672 in a run of just 1855 V-Spec II models ever produced.
The vehicle is on offer through Hive Auto Group with the price tag remaining undisclosed.
R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R prices have exploded in recent years.
Another US-legal example sold for $320,178 in June 2021.
R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R specifications
- Engine: 2.6-liter twin-turbo straight-six
- Power: 206kW (276hp)
- Torque: 354Nm (260lb-ft)
- Transmission: 6-speed manual, all-wheel drive
- 0-100km/h (0-62mph): 4.9 seconds
- Top speed: 266km/h (165mph)
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A car zealot from a young age, Patrick has put his childhood spent obsessing over motoring magazines and TV shows to good use over the past six years as a journalist. Fuelled by premium octane coffee, he’s contributed to Finder, DriveTribe, WhichCar, Vehicle History and Drive Section.
