Earlier this month, the 2000 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R driven by Paul Walker in Fast & Furious 4 crossed the auction block. Industry observers knew that it would sell for a serious sum but few predicted just how much it will change hands for.
On May 5, the car was sold by Bonhams for a staggering $1.357 million and in the process, set a new world record for a Skyline GT-R sold at a public auction. This comes despite the fact that the GT-R in question isn’t actually a rare variant built by Nismo, like the limited-run Z-Tune, and was actually modified by an aftermarket tuner by the name of Kaizo Industries.
The story goes that Paul Walker was given the freedom by Universal Film Studios to have the GT-R modified in any way that he could see fit for its starring role in the movie. Key modifications made to it include the fitment of a Turbonetics front-mount intercooler, a Rotora brake conversion, and a Nismo NE-1 exhaust. It is claimed that the twin-turbocharged 2.6-liter RB26 engine produces approximately 550 hp, a serious sum for a vehicle of this age.
Read: Paul Walker Spec’d And Driven R34 Nissan GT-R From Fast & Furious Goes To Auction
Interestingly, the car was seized by the U.S. government after filming of the fourth installment in the Fast & Furious franchise given that it was imported by Kaizo as a shell and then fitted with an RB26 engine and titled as a ‘kit car.’ The car was ultimately exported to Germany where it remained on display for many years.
“This is an incredible result, well-deserved for such an iconic car – not only one of the most famous contemporary automotive film stars from one of the world’s biggest movie franchises, but the ultimate example of the mighty ‘Godzilla‘,” Bonhams Collector Cars managing director Maarten Ten Holder said of the result. “This is a genuine piece of cinematic and modern motoring history.”
