However, it was soon surpassed by the V-Spec II, and later by the even more hardcore M-Spec and Nismo Z-Tune models. V-Spec models got a few performance upgrades over the base GT-R, including an active limited-slip differential and stiffer suspension. It's a 1999 V-Spec model painted in Sonic Silver. MotoRex then loaned Walker an R34-nicknamed "Blackbird"-for an extended test drive.Īfter the test drive, Walker purchased the car featured in this video. Craig Lieberman was a technical advisor for the "Fast and Furious" franchise, and helped introduce Walker to the GT-R.Īn R32 GT-R at a "Fast and Furious" car casting call piqued Walker's interest, Lieberman said, so he took the actor to MotoRex, a company that was importing and federalizing GT-Rs at the time (this was before the model was officially launched in the United States with the R35 generation). This video offers a deep dive into the car's history from someone who knows it inside and out. The R35’s performance was stunning, but compared with this R34, the newer car feels a bit too much like it’s being piloted by computers instead of its driver.The late Paul Walker was a big fan of the Nissan Skyline GT-R, owning several of them, including this R34 model. GT-R, the company also went with a turbocharged V-6 in place of the model line’s usual inline-six. By the time the R35 arrived around the world, including in the U.S., Nissan had decided to go all-in on technology, equipping the new GT-R with a quick-shifting, dual-clutch six-speed automatic. The R34 was the last GT-R with a manual transmission. The patterned-cloth bucket seats are comfortable and supportive, while the pedals are perfectly placed for heel-and-toeing. The window sills are high, and there’s a good amount of sound deadening. And here I am, filling it up at a Shell station in Long Beach, California, like it’s a Sentra.ĭespite its age, the R34 feels thoroughly modern inside. Now, over 20 years later, it’s become one of the most highly coveted, most desirable Japanese cars on the planet. In 1999, barely anyone in America knew what a Skyline GT-R was. It’s just something seen on a computer screen or driven in Gran Turismo. It’s one of those cars that hardly seems real. How could I put into words what it’s like to drive an R34 Skyline GT-R, much less form an objective opinion on this irreplaceable example? The R34 was the last of the GT-R line to not be officially sold in the U.S. But to be handed the keys? Sit in the driver’s seat? To drive something so special on the road? I’m getting misty over here. To me, or anyone else who saw Brian O’Conner show up to that first 2 Fast 2 Furious street race back in 2003, even getting a glimpse of this car would be enough. SIGN UP FOR THE TRACK CLUB BY R&T FOR MORE EXCLUSIVE STORIES This story originally appeared in Volume 9 of Road & Track. Befit- ting the model’s status as the godhead of tuner cars, this Skyline has been treated to a sprinkling of modifications, including a lowered and stiffened suspension, a set of lovely Rays Volk Racing TE37 wheels, a louder exhaust, and a very 2000s Momo steering wheel. Later in life, the Bayside blue Nissan went on to star in several BFGoodrich ads, for which it would receive the black and gold accents it carries to this day. Walker would put more than 15,000 of the total 19,000 or so miles on this R34. It had only 900 miles on the clock when it arrived and went into use as Paul Walker’s demonstration car, promoting whichever Fast & Furious movie was premiering at the time. A 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II, it’s just one of 11 R34s known to have been imported and legalized by MotoRex for use on the road in the United States. For an entire generation of enthusiasts, this car is The One. You can have your Bullitt Mustangs or your Le Mans–starring Porsche 917s. For me, it was when I finally hit redline behind the wheel of an R34 Skyline GT-R- and not just any R34 GT-R, but a truly special one. Have you ever been so happy you could cry? And this R34, which Paul Walker drove while promot- ing Fast & Furious films, was one of the most famous. The GT-R served as a sort of guiding light for the sport-compact scene.
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