The Nissan R34 Skyline GT-R driven by Paul Walker in Fast & Furious 4 is up for auction at Bonhams. Described as “an iconic piece of automotive and cinematic history”, this is a legendary specimen of a legendary car.
Painted in ‘TV2 Bayside Blue’ and customized to meet the physical specifications of Paul Walker, this Skyline GT-R is going to change hands for quite a chunk of change when the sale goes through at auction.
Nissan’s R34 GT-R is an iconic car in its own right. A culmination of years of innovation on the part of Nissan with their lineup of GT-R sports sedans, the R34 followed in the footsteps of predecessors. It was an accessible sports sedan that could compete with some of the most exotic sports cars of the time. It was the perfect vehicle to feature in an action flick starring workaday street racers.
How Nissan Brought The R34 GT-R To America
The Nissan R34 Skyline GT-R burst onto the American consciousness with the release of the second installment of the Fast and Furious movie franchise 2003. Starring Paul Walker, the movie follows the adventures of street racers and the undercover police officer - played by Walker - sent incognito to gather information on street racing culture.
Having driven a modified Nissan Skyline in the 2 Fast 2 Furious film, in the fourth installment Paul Walker’s character returned in yet another bespoke R34 GT-R built specifically for the role.
Driven extensively throughout the Fast & Furious 4 film with Paul Walker at the wheel, the bright blue Nissan Skyline quickly became an icon of early 2000s American car culture.
Nissan brought this specific car to the US despite an existing ban on car imports - that included brand-new JDM models. Nissan got around this by shipping the car without an engine and declaring it a kit car. Once in California, however, they installed a RB26 engine, and it became a working Skyline GT-R.
While not the exact vehicle seen in every scene of Paul Walker racing his blue Skyline GT-R - non-turbo Nissan GT-Ts with drift-enhancing mods were in the racing scenes and stunt car shells were in the more destructive film shoots - this is still the car built specifically for Paul Walker to rock up in as the starring role in the film.
As a gearhead himself, Walker was actively involved in modding this Skyline GT-R for the film. Bonhams lists all the custom reconfigurations of this one-off vehicle, some of which include custom springs and struts, an aftermarket steering wheel and pedals, and an upgraded exhaust system and boost pressure.
What Made The Nissan R34 Skyline So Special
Launched in 1999 to resounding anticipation, the Nissan R34 was the latest in a long line of high-octane but budget-friendly sports racers. Since the 1970s, Nissan had been producing sports sedans that brought some of the most advanced performance of their day to the local dealership - and racetrack.
Nissan’s series of GT-Rs had become a beloved fixture in Japan and had even gained an international following by the time the R34 dropped in the late 1990s. Earlier, the Nissan R32 had dominated racing competitions it entered in Japan, Australia, and the rest of the world and had earned Nissan’s GT-R moniker the nickname “Godzilla”.
The R34 and the R33 before it built on this reputation by using all-wheel drive, rear-wheel steering, turbocharged engines, and subtle but effective aerodynamics to create a sedan that was faster than anything bar an out-and-out sports car.
The R34 Skyline GT-R was the culmination of decades of performance refinement on the part of Nissan, and was the car of choice among street racers and drifting pros in the Japanese car scene. The ingredients were there to create an enduring classic capable of popularity all over the world. All it needed was a big break to go truly international and gain a following in America.
The Nissan GT-R Became A Global Icon
Its appearance in the Fast and Furious movie franchise ranks as one of the high points of the Nissan GT-R Skyline’s illustrious career. With bona fide Hollywood legend Paul Walker at the helm, Americans watched the GT-R race door-to-door with brightly painted Nissans, Toyotas, and BMWs.
Drawing upon Japanese car culture - from anime TV shows such as Initial D to the colorful car modding scene - Fast and Furious followed the glamorized escapades of every man racers. It also created its own fascination with fast, accessibly priced sports sedans and roadsters that has shaped America’s relationship with cars ever since.
In the end, what this did was cement the Nissan R34 Skyline GT-R as an icon of both car performance history and car culture. It makes sense why Paul Walker’s 2000 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R should cause a stir as it goes up for auction.