To sum up, there are numerous important causes for the skyrocketing cost of Skyline:
- When they were first purchased, the cars were not especially affordable (read our guides here to the R33 GT-R cost new and the R34 GT-R cost new for more information).
- Because the Skyline “fleet” is getting older, demand is declining.
- Across the board, classic car prices are growing.
- Global liquidity excess has caused asset prices to surge.
- Skylines are quickly gaining the ability to be driven on American roads, increasing their appeal to one of the world’s major markets. For additional details on this subject, be sure to read Why Nissan Skylines Are Illegal in the United States.
As a result, if you want a Skyline, you’d better be ready to spend a lot of money! Due to how sought-after these cars are, it is doubtful that Skyline prices will decline significantly regardless of whether the vintage car bubble persists or bursts.
Because of this, if you’re thinking about purchasing a Skyline, it’s imperative that you acquire a decent one. For more information on how to purchase a top-notch Skyline without getting scammed, read our buyer’s tips.
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A record-breaking $549,000 was just paid for this 10-kilometer R34 Skyline GT-R.
We predicted that this R34 Skyline GT-R V-Spec II Nur may surpass $500,000 back in April. When the vehicle sold last weekend for $549,000, our forecast came true (including fees). The Kenmeri 1973 Skyline GT-R sold for $430,000 in January 2020, shattering the previous record for a Skyline at auction. The auction was held online by the Japanese company Bingo (previously BH) Auctions.
This automobile is pretty unique, as you would expect from the priciest example of any car. With its more potent engine and several enhancements, the V-Spec II Nur trim is close to the top of the GT-R food chain (muscle car fans: think 440 six-pack and a pistol-grip shifter). With only 10 kilometers on the odometer, it is also effectively a wrapper vehicle. It was the star of a collection of nearly-new, unregistered vehicles that also featured a 1996 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport with 96 miles and a 2017 Porsche 911 Speedster with 3 kilometers.
The record, however, also provides insight into the current GT-R market, notably for models from the R34 generation (1999-02). Consider that this exact automobile was sold at BH Auction for $316,500 back in 2018 to get an idea of how rapidly things have changed. In a little more than 3 years, the value has increased by 173 percent. The record-breaking sale follows the $320K+ sale of a 1999 GT-R on Bring a Trailer. Another that is now advertised has soared beyond $250K with one day left. These are the only sales that we are aware of. The private market, as we’ve lately reported, is likewise blazingly hot.
Collector cars frequently see a rise in value when they get closer to the 25-year mark at which they can be registered in the US. The R34 seems to take that excitement to a whole new level: Prices are already skyrocketing for the early cars, which won’t be fully legal in our country for another four years. It appears that the time to make that decision was a few years ago. Many importers provide choices to buy and store one till they become 25. Due to fierce competition from purchasers in Japan and other countries (the final destination of this GT-R is still unknown), it’s not just Americans who are envious of them. Our insurance data also show that interest in the R34 is particularly young-skewing, suggesting that demand for the vehicle will only increase as more millennials enter their prime earning years.
All in all, we anticipate that prices will continue to rise for a while. It might take some time before we see another vehicle that pushes the limits of the R34 market, but when we do, this record is guaranteed to fall. Million-dollar Skyline deals may already be taking place behind closed doors due to instances like the NISMO manufactured 400R (R33) and Z-Tune (R34) being far rarer and sought-after. When we see our first seven-figure Skyline up for sale, only time will tell. That day might be closer than we think.
The most expensive example of its kind is the rare R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R Z-Tune.
The price of the Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R Nismo Z-Tune, which a US auto collector is said to have spent $1,985,000 for, has been clarified. He claims that while this specific Z-Tune is the most expensive one ever bought, the initial reports substantially overstated his actual purchase price.
Only 19 Z-Tune versions were produced, making them the rarest of all R34 variants. Nismo sought to produce 20, which is a beautiful round number, but ultimately was only able to find 19 pre-owned R34 V-Spec II vehicles.
There is a good reason for the very high demand for R34 GT-R vehicles. You should know that this Z-Tune smashed the record and then some before we delve further into this issue.
When a Z-Tune was last for sale, according to our records, potential buyers were prepared to spend up to $600,000, but that was seven years ago.
Why are R34 aficionados so enthused about the Z-Tune? In addition to being scarce, it has a very fascinating past. Nissan needed to be persuaded that it needed to be produced, so Nismo bought a 2002 V-Spec II and installed a number of engine enhancements taken from its Le Mans racing vehicles. The Z-engine Tune’s block is stronger and has been bored out to 2.8 liters. 493 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque were produced as a result of Nismo’s addition of a set of improved turbochargers.
In case you were wondering, the original batch of R35 GT-Rs that were released in 2007 had “only” 480 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque.
Nissan then gave Nismo the go-ahead to purchase a number of secondhand vehicles in order to modify them into Z-Tunes. Less than 18,000 miles had been put on each of the cars. Z-Tune Silver was applied to all but one of the vehicles; Midnight Purple III was used to complete the last vehicle.
They also incorporated more racing-related details. The Z-Tune is a little bit broader to fit the bigger wheels, and the vents on the hood are useful. It has a Brembo brake configuration specifically made for this car and a racier suspension arrangement from Sachs.
The approach Nismo utilized to construct it is another aspect that makes it unique. Each car was disassembled and manually rebuilt. Even more welds were added by Nismo, and other pieces that customers would never see were replaced with carbon fiber alternatives.
That conveniently brings us back to the R34 demand. As you may be aware, the R34 won’t be able to be legally imported for a few more years. Not that it matters because, according to reports, there are warehouses filled with valuable JDM classics that are just waiting for the deadline to approach. These cars, according to legend, have already been sold.
The R34 is one of the pinnacle poster cars from the Playstation Generation, which is currently wealthy. The previous generation purchased expensive vehicles like the original Lamborghini Countach for the same reason.
The lucky owner, who received delivery of the car in December of last year, is 458destroyer on Instagram, a well-known supercar collector known for spending a lot of money on the cars he wants. There is no scarcity of money, as you can see from looking at his stream. He declined to disclose the precise amount he paid out of respect for our privacy, but he did express his joy at having the Z-Tune in his collection at last.
Officially, the R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R is worth supercar money.
The storied R34 generation Nissan Skyline GT-R has increased in value to the point where new 2021 Nissan GT-Rs are now more expensive than used ones in good condition. Since the Skyline was never federalized in the US, these vehicles are hard to come by. One can only legally drive one in the US if they have one of the legally converted MotoRex automobiles, import one under the Show or Display rule, or wait until the vehicle is 25 years old before entering the country.
A 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R that was imported using the NHTSA Show or Display exemption was recently offered on Bring A Trailer. This example met the requirements for the exemption because it is one of just 282 completed in Midnight Purple II (LV4). As you may imagine, it went for an absurdly high price.
The record-breaking Millennium Jade M-Spec Nur model sold in 2020 was slightly more expensive than this one, with the winning bid ending at $315,187. This purple car is among the best we’ve seen in the US, but some really low-mileage specimens have been listed for over $400,000. With barely 64,000 kilometers (about 40,000 miles) on the odometer, this GT-R seems to be in excellent condition.
It’s important to keep in mind that a vehicle brought in for Show or Display may only be driven 2,500 miles annually. We suppose the purchaser of this Skyline GT-R has other vehicles to drive to work considering the price tag is comparable to an Italian exotic.
The typical R34 Skyline GT-R, which went into production in 1999, won’t be allowed for import until 2024. As that time draws nearer, R34 readings have recently increased dramatically. We believe even the most common instances without any particular significance will command enormous sums by the time these cars are totally authorized.
Famous for their performance and Japanese muscle are Nissan Skylines.
The 2000GTR Skyline is the first Skyline, and while it may be expensive as a classic, it is the forerunner because to its scarcity and lack of parts. snooping onto the C110 and C210, prices for which I could not for the life of me find.
The first sleepers of the century are the R30 and R31. Despite its ugly appearance, Japanese engineering. It’s hardly surprising that the R30’s price didn’t increase as a result of increased global sales given its incredibly simple appearance.
With its outrageous Straight-Six Turbo engine and 4WD, the R32 was the first vehicle to be dubbed Godzilla and eventually became outlawed in many nations. Even police cars needed more powerful engines as a result, which is why the Australia Highway Patrol Fleet is either V8 or Turbo. The R33, which unexpectedly did not catch-on as hard, came next.
The Skyline R34 GTR became what it is today thanks to Fast & the Furious. FF2 was Paul Walker’s legacy, so there! And if you’re seeking to buy one, the fact that the next F9 (2021) movie featured an R34 GTR won’t help the price!
How come the Nissan Skyline R34 is so well-liked?
The performance potential of the Nissan Skyline, especially the GT-R derivatives, must be brought up in any discussion of the model’s appeal.
For instance, the R32 GT-R was so excellent that it was essentially prohibited from racing in Australian motorsport (or so the popular legend goes … the truth is somewhat more complex).
The Toyota Supra MK4, Mazda RX-7, Mitsubishi 3000GT, and other JDM hero cars from the 1990s and early 2000s are all excellent performers, but the Skyline GT-R can potentially be considered the “best of the best” – you can read more about JDM’s definition and history here. It was unquestionably the most focused in terms of what it sought out to accomplish—being capable of the best performance on the racing track—with probably the exception of the RX-7.
Although vehicles like the Nissan 300ZX and 3000GT weren’t far behind the Skyline GT-R in terms of straight-line speed, it was their superior handling abilities that really set them apart (the 3000GT, for example, was really more of a grand tourer designed for high speed cruising and real-world bends, as opposed to the racetrack).
The Skyline has become so coveted and well-liked thanks in part to this outstanding performance. Even by today’s standards, the Skyline is still incredibly speedy even if modern vehicles have past it. It was groundbreaking and absolutely on the cutting edge of what was possible in terms of automotive performance at the time.
Although it’s debatable, there is a case to be made for the Nissan Skyline GT-R as the absolute apex of Japanese performance driving in the 1990s, and as such, it enjoys the popularity to match!
The Nissan Skyline is one of the most well-known Japanese performance vehicles of all time because it was the best of its age, similar to how Muhammad Ali is the most well-known boxer of all time because he was the best (or so he liked to boast).