Tuesday 21st May 2013

Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R: Spotted

Box-fresh, delivery mileage R34 or a nearly-new R35? It's a £50K dilemma for any Skyline fanatic...

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So the Gran Turismo franchise is 15 years old this year. As well as making gamers the world over feel their age, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to celebrate one of the game's iconic cars.

Exactly as it left Nissan's production line

Along with a myriad of Mitsubishi Evos, Subaru Imprezas and Mazda RX-7s, Kazunori Yamauchi's PlayStation title revealed to the West the freakish talents of the Nissan Skyline GT-R. In R32, 33 and 34 versions, the game reflected its real world virtues with great accuracy; specifically, an engine that responded fantastically to modification and huge levels of grip from advanced 4WD and chassis technology.

The grey import scene flourished thanks to Gran Turismo, drivers keen to get their hands on the latest JDM rocket denied to British buyers. Nissan was keen to exploit the game's success and imported 80 UK-spec Skyline R34 GT-Rs in 1999 for baying enthusiasts.

Finding a British R34 (or indeed one of the 100 R33s from 1997) is a thankless task now given the tiny numbers, and the majority of the imported cars are modified to full Brian O'Conner Fast and Furious spec. But not all of them...

An unmolested R34 is rare - a 600-mile one?

Redline Vehicle Solutions has sourced a Japanese 2001 R34 Skyline GT-R, resplendent in metallic black with the trademark gold calipers, with a recorded mileage of just 1,120km (695 miles). It has to be one of the lowest mileages on any R34 globally.

It comes from Garage Defend in Japan, a renowned Skyline specialist and appears completely stock. Speaking with Redline confirmed that its £49,990 asking price is an on-the-road price, complete with SVA approval papers, de-limited and fully road legal in Britain.

Now Chris Harris isn't an R34 fan, and many others prefer the earlier iterations, but this car presents a fascinating conundrum for those to whom a later Skyline appeals; would £50,000 be spent best on this R34, or on a used R35 GT-R.

If you want to use it would this be better?

Searching the PH Classifieds for R35s reveals a wide selection of early GT-Rs at significantly less than £50,000, and even a couple of 2011 MY cars, upgraded to 530hp. Which to choose? The R34 would certainly occupy a special place in any collection, but each mile that passed under those anthracite alloys would further reduce its value. Realistically, is any R34 Skyline ever likely to be worth more than £50,000? Moreover, if you can't buy a Skyline to drive it, what's the point? It's hardly a car of static beauty, after all...

 

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NISSAN SKYLINE GT-R R34 V-SPEC
Engine: 2,568cc 6-cylinder, twin-turbo
Transmission: 6-speed manual, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 280@6,800rpm
Torque (lb ft): 289@4,400rpm
0-62mph: 5.2 sec
Top speed: 155mph (limited)
Weight: 1,666kg
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Price: £54,000 (new, UK version)

All figures as officially stated for standard, unmodified UK car

See the orginal ad here.

 

 

 

 

[clarki]

See, I really dont think the R34 has aged particularly well, especially when compared to the sharp looks of the 35.

An R32 on the other hand, godzilla, spot on.